In many organisations, HR professionals, managers and leaders face a persistent challenge: how to improve team dynamics and performance in a way that delivers long-term results. Teams are expected to collaborate, innovate, and achieve goals, but not every group labelled as a “team” truly functions as one. Misidentifying groups within organisations can lead to ineffective interventions, wasted resources, and diminished morale.
One solution often overlooked lies in understanding and leveraging communities of practice (CoPs). By recognising when a team is better defined as a CoP, HR professionals, managers and leaders can implement more targeted and effective development strategies.
This blog explores how to improve collaboration in the workplace by understanding the distinction between teams and CoPs, and how this can transform organisational dynamics and unlock untapped potential.
The Challenge: Misidentifying Teams in the Workplace
Many organisational groups don’t operate as conventional teams. A team’s defining feature is its interdependence—members rely on one another to achieve a shared goal, and their performance is mutually accountable. However, many groups lack this interdependence. Instead, they are collections of individuals with similar roles or expertise who primarily work independently but share common challenges and practices.
For instance, consider:
- Regional managers spread across locations who oversee similar operations but rarely collaborate.
- Project managers working on separate initiatives but facing common hurdles in resource allocation.
- Healthcare matrons managing distinct wards but encountering parallel issues in maintaining staff quality.
While these groups may be called teams, treating them as such can lead to frustration and poor outcomes. When team-building activities fail to deliver meaningful results, it’s often because these groups aren’t true teams—they’re communities of practice.
The Solution: Recognising and Leveraging CoPs
A community of practice is a group of people who share a domain of interest and come together to learn from one another, exchange ideas, and improving their practice. Unlike traditional teams, CoPs don’t have a shared goal or mutual accountability for outcomes. Instead, they focus on developing shared expertise and enhancing individual performance through collaboration.
For HR managers and line leaders, the key is to recognise when a group functions as a CoP and to shift the focus from team-building to strengthening their collective practice.
How Communities of Practice Work
Communities of practice thrive on three key principles:
- Shared Learning
Members of a CoP learn together by sharing experiences, discussing challenges, and exchanging insights. This collaborative process deepens expertise and fosters innovation. - Experimentation
CoPs encourage members to trial new methods in their individual roles and bring those experiences back to the group for reflection and refinement. - Developing a Shared Identity
Over time, CoPs create a sense of belonging and shared purpose. Members identify with the community, which motivates them to contribute actively and sustain their involvement.
Practical Benefits of Recognising CoPs
When HR managers and line leaders embrace CoPs, they unlock several benefits:
- Better Development Strategies
Instead of imposing team-building exercises on groups that don’t function as teams, CoPs can focus on collaborative learning activities that resonate with their dynamics. - Stronger Performance
By improving individual practices through shared learning, CoPs indirectly elevate organisational performance. - Enhanced Engagement
CoPs foster a sense of belonging and professional growth, boosting morale and retention.
Case Study: Transforming a Group of Managers into a Community of Practice
A large organisation faced ongoing dissatisfaction among its regional risk managers. Despite being labelled as a team, these managers worked independently, each responsible for risk management in their area. Team-building exercises had failed to create cohesion or improve outcomes.
Recognising the group as a CoP, the organisation shifted its approach:
- Instead of team-building, they introduced regular workshops where managers shared their successes and challenges.
- They encouraged members to trial each other’s methods and report back on the results.
- Over time, these managers developed a shared sense of identity as risk experts, improving individual and collective performance.
This shift resulted in more effective risk management across regions and a stronger sense of professional satisfaction among managers.
How to Implement a CoP in Your Organisation
If you’re an HR professional, manager or line leader facing similar challenges, here’s how to foster a successful CoP:
- Identify the Group’s Nature
Assess whether the group operates as a traditional team or a CoP. Ask questions like:
- Do members collaborate directly to achieve shared goals?
- Or do they work independently while facing similar challenges?
- NOTE: you can use our Team Dependency Diagnostic to help determine the group’s nature.
- Create Opportunities for Shared Learning
Facilitate regular gatherings where members can exchange insights, discuss challenges, and learn from one another. - Encourage Experimentation
Support members in trialling new approaches and sharing the results with the group.
- Foster a Sense of Belonging
Cultivate an environment where members feel valued and motivated to contribute to the community’s growth.
Overcoming Resistance
Some managers may initially resist the idea of shifting from team-building to a CoP approach, fearing it undermines collaboration. To address this, highlight the benefits:
- Enhanced individual performance leads to greater organisational success.
- Collaborative learning fosters innovation and problem-solving.
- CoPs create a stronger sense of professional identity and belonging.
The Impact of Embracing Communities of Practice
CoPs offer a powerful framework for addressing the challenges HR managers and line leaders face in managing groups with shared expertise. By recognising the difference between teams and CoPs, organisations can implement more effective development strategies, improving both individual and organisational outcomes.
As you reflect on the dynamics of your own groups, consider whether a community of practice approach might offer a better path forward. By embracing the power of CoPs, you can foster learning, innovation, and growth—transforming organisational performance in the process.
