Formal Mentor Programs almost always have to goal of managing and transferring knowledge. Well-run companies recognize that knowledge (or intellectual capital) is the source of their value creation, and that these assets need to be shared and expanded within the firm.
In this context, we have been thinking about the classic, Cultivating Communities of Practice, by Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder. Communities of Practice come together around their shared interest and expertise. If the community is thriving, it increases the intellectual capital of the individuals and the organization. The book focuses on “aliveness,” a key characteristic of successful Communities of Practice, and how to encourage its development. Aliveness is driven by the personal interactions of the participants.
It can be challenging to get a Community of Practice started, as a “community” is a human institution that, by definition, is spontaneous, self-directed and usually evolves naturally. Communities, unlike project teams or matrix reporting structures, need to invite the interaction – as this creates “aliveness”.
According to the authors, creating a Community of Practice in your organization means thinking along the lines of life-long learning, rather than traditional organizational design. The first step is to draw in potential members and to have them extend the community to their personal and professional network.
Creating the right environment to encourage the development of a Community of Practice, involves first building a robust culture of sharing knowledge across multiple locations and departments. This would describe most of the firms who believe they have strong mentoring cultures.
If your organization is thinking about how to create or improve its mentoring culture, we would like to talk to you. Mentor Resources is the second largest provider of software tools for formal Mentoring Programs.
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