Establishing and Growing Communities of Practice (COP)

Course Introduction

This Oxford Management Centre’s Establishing and Growing Communities of Practice (COP) training course focuses on vital areas to promote collective learning in shared domains of human endeavour. It is a unique training courses that addresses the key practices and challenges to overcome - from a practitioner's perspective. 

Over this 5-day training course will bring you up-to-date information, techniques and approaches that will enable you to develop your practice through a variety of activities.

This training course on Establishing and Growing Communities of Practice will highlight:

• Coordination and strategy
• Sharing experience and problem-solving
• Building member participation and involvement
• Building narrative and enrolling others
• Growing confidence in dealing with members at all levels
• Professional development
• Documenting projects, mapping knowledge, and identifying gaps

Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will learn to:

• Understand what communities of practice are and look like
• Recognise best practice methods for applying communities of practice
• Identify challenges to building the COP and strategies to overcome them
• Understand how to manage knowledge strategically
• Enable and encourage practitioners to take collective responsibility
• Create direct links between learning and performance
• Address tacit and dynamic aspects of knowledge creation and sharing
• Create effective connections among people across organisational and geographical boundaries

Training Methodology

This training course will utilise a variety of proven learning techniques to ensure maximum understanding, comprehension and retention of the information presented. Learning methods will include, presentation of theory, discussion, role play and skills practice exercises, case study review and syndicate group work.

Organisational Impact

• Add value to the organisation by taking care of areas of competence identified as strategically important
• Challenge more traditional hierarchical organisations to embrace change, be innovative and empowering
• Coordinate knowledge sharing and problem-solving approaches for issues such as education, health, and security across the organisation
• Increase connections with people in the organisation independent of formal structures
• Encourage and promote peer to peer professional development opportunities
• Develop practical skills and knowledge that are dynamic and relevant to building the COP
• Have COP Leaders, Moderators, COP Practitioners, and HR personnel demonstrate greater strategic awareness

Personal Impact

• Will enable participants to explore and understand best practice COP
• Have an enhanced appreciation of how COP can be developed in their own organisation
• Will enable participants to build greater dialogue and interaction with members
• Manage their time effectively when COP is one of a range of responsibilities and activities, they are responsible for
• Be instrumental in developing knowledge building
• Build confidence in dealing with organisational issues
• Measure the impact of their COP initiatives

Who Should Attend?

This Oxford Management Centre's training course is suitable to a wide range of professionals but will greatly benefit:

• HR professionals, leaders, moderators, and personnel who are charged with the success of organisational initiatives that rely on engagement and knowledge sharing from team members
• Members who do not necessarily work together but need to develop strong networks and working relationships, such as cross functional teams, customer, or product focused business units
• Anyone who is a member of a group where there is a shared domain of interest and wants to galvanise knowledge sharing, learning and change
• Those who are committed to growing the collective competence of an organisation
• Those charged with developing the strategic capabilities of an organisation
• Those already responsible for a COP who want to network with others and share know-how to achieve their organisational goals and objectives

Course Outline

Day 1

Introduction to Communities of Practice (COP) 

Day 2

Honing the COP Strategy 

Day 3

Developing Narrative Thinking 

Day 4

Communicating Knowledge through Storytelling  

Day 5

Harnessing the Power of the COP