Gartner Research

Community of Practice Essentials

Published: 05 April 2022

Summary

Communities of practice enable knowledge management, professional development and capability improvement. Application technical professionals should actively engage in communities of practice to grow expertise, address challenges, build connections and increase recognition in their roles.

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Overview

Key Findings
  • The continuing shift from projects to products in software development has created unexpected challenges to enterprise learning and capability development.

  • Communities of practice are voluntary groups organized around knowledge that enable organizations to support innovation and deliver on strategic goals.

  • Practitioner-led communities are fundamental to open, collaborative and effective learning. People own what they help create and work together to address challenges.

Recommendations

When engaging in communities of practice to improve product development, you should:

  • Craft a community of practice canvas during the launch workshop to create strong membership alignment, form a compelling business case and resolve product knowledge silo challenges.

  • Create a

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Analysts:

Peter Hyde

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