Say it like this
- Join our community of practice for cloud engineers
- The DevOps community of practice has published new guidelines
- We're building a community of practice around machine learning
Use it at work
Inviting people
- Join the front-end community of practice. We meet every other Thursday.
- Our testing community of practice is open to everyone.
Sharing work
- I'll present our design system at the community of practice.
- Let's bring this question to the community of practice.
Starting one
- Should we start a community of practice for data engineers?
- The community of practice helps teams share what works.
Don't say this
Communities of practice are voluntary knowledge-sharing groups, not responsible for project deliverables like formal teams.
Don't mix it up
| Term | What it is | Who writes or uses it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| community of practice | Open group sharing knowledge | Volunteers across teams | Long-term |
| working group | Group solving one problem | Chosen members | Until the problem is solved |
| guild | Another name for a community of practice | Volunteers | Long-term |
Practice
Try it
4 quick exercises
1. You want to tell a colleague about a group of engineers who meet to discuss testing strategies. Which is most natural?
2. Our DevOps _______ brings together engineers from five different teams to share deployment best practices.
3. Which sentence uses 'community of practice' incorrectly?
4. Rewrite this using 'community of practice': 'We have a group of people from different teams who like frontend frameworks and they meet to talk about new tools and problems.'
Say it out loud
Phrase 1 of 3
"Join our community of practice for cloud engineers"
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More about community of practice
Real examples(3)
- in a team meeting
"I think we should start a community of practice for backend developers to share database optimization techniques."
- in a Slack message
"The security community of practice is hosting a workshop next month on OAuth implementation."
- in a company announcement
"We have established a new community of practice for mobile developers across all our offices."
More mistakes(2)
Handle with care. Often confused with a team or department. A community of practice is voluntary and cross-organizational, whereas a team is usually formal and within one company.
- ✕Everyone in the engineering department must join the community of practice.✓We invite interested engineers to participate in our community of practice.
Communities of practice are voluntary; people join because they want to, not because they are required to.
- ✕The community of practice reports to the VP of Engineering.✓The community of practice is facilitated by volunteers and operates informally.
Communities of practice typically do not have formal hierarchical structures or reporting lines.
Other forms(3)
- community of practice noun
"The data science community of practice meets monthly."
- communities of practice noun (plural)
"We have established multiple communities of practice across the organization."
- community of practice's noun (possessive)
"The community of practice's goal is to improve code quality."
Often used with(5)
- join a community of practice · used when becoming a member of an existing community
- establish/start a community of practice · used when creating a new community
- lead/facilitate a community of practice · used when someone guides or organizes the community
- community of practice members · referring to people who participate
- community of practice meeting · a gathering of the community
Similar words(4)
- knowledge community · emphasizes the knowledge-sharing aspect but less commonly used in tech
- interest group · broader term; less specific to professional practice and learning
- peer group · informal; focuses on people at similar levels rather than shared practice
- guild · older, more formal term; rarely used in modern tech contexts
Opposites(3)
- formal team
- department
- solo work
Questions(5)
- What is the difference between a team and a community of practice?
- A team is typically a formal group with assigned members, clear responsibilities, and project deliverables. A community of practice is an informal, voluntary group united by shared interest or expertise. Team members may work on different projects, while a community of practice focuses on learning and knowledge-sharing within a specific domain.
- How often do communities of practice meet?
- The frequency varies widely. Some meet weekly, others monthly, and some have ad hoc meetings as needed. The schedule is typically flexible and decided by the members themselves rather than mandated by management.
- Is joining a community of practice part of my job responsibilities?
- No, communities of practice are voluntary. While companies encourage participation because of the learning benefits, joining and attending is optional. However, many organizations provide time for employees to participate during work hours.
- Who leads a community of practice?
- Communities of practice are usually led by volunteers or self-appointed facilitators from within the group. There is no formal hierarchy. A lead might organize meetings, set agendas, and facilitate discussions, but decisions are often made collaboratively.
- Can someone from outside the company join a community of practice?
- This depends on the community and company policy. Some communities of practice are internal only, while others may invite external speakers or allow participation from partner organizations. It is best to ask the community lead.
