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The CoP must pursue an engaging problem set. An important way CoP is distinguished from other pedagogy schemes is its focus on learning and knowledge generation through doing practice-related things together. In the HCS case, “doing things” involves working to understand and refine how they collectively practice the craft of HR or perhaps, how they should innovate the practice to adapt to changing circumstances. It is through this process of talking about how they practice that the bits of knowledge, insights and ideas are generated.

Clearly, if the topics of discussion are not interesting to CoP members, their enthusiasm and contributions will fall off. Therefore, the process is underway at HCS to select an engaging problems set for the HR CoPs to begin with. In fact, the best will be used to attract initial members. You can check out my blog about Themes and Practices for the HR CoP to see where we are as the problem set develops into Themes and Practice Areas to focus on.

However, the best way for members to have an engaging problem set is for the members to pick their own, which we hope they will do after the first session.

This means one process for facilitators to think about is helping members find the next area to focus on, the one that is most interesting to most members.

Wenger would also argue that a design that forces a CoP through specific themes and topics in too rigid a way biases the members away from CoP and into their default and common mode of “team” or “task force.” It would be far better to have each CoP session generally organized around interesting themes, but to let the CoP define as much as possible. We must remember that the purpose of the themes and topics is to engage the members in discussion about the practice of HR, especially about the way they have come to practice certain aspects of it in their careers. The themes and topics should merely point the CoP to aspects of the practice that are interesting to examine.

And finally, too narrow a focus of discussion for too long a time will drain the CoP of the “engaging dialogue” it needs to remain vital; breadth is better than depth for at least in the beginning. This is especially important as the members work through the coalescing phase of CoP development where we want them to talk about as many aspects of how they practice as we can manage.