As we finish Wenger’s book, “Communities of Practice: Learning, Meaning, and Identity”, I thought I would also share an example of a community of practice that has represented the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. As a diabetes consultant working in First Nations communities where diabetes was becoming an epidemic, I wanted to do something that would inspire my community members and co-workers to achieve a healthier lifestyle to reduce their risk of developing diabetes. So, I I decided to embark on a personal journey for a worthy cause and became a member of Team Diabetes. Wenger (2002) says that we all participate in communities of practice for different reasons. It could be because of an opportunity to improve skills, a personal connection, or something that directly provides value. As a member of Team Diabetes, I would not only be challenging my running skills by training for a full marathon but improving my organizational, time-management, problem-solving, interpersonal, and communication skills by taking on fundraising thousands of dollars. For someone who was too shy to sell candy bars in school and too proud to ask anyone for help this was going to be a huge undertaking to raise so much money and commit myself to training for a 42km run. The support from my Team diabetes members, First Nations communities, co-workers, friends, and family was overwhelming boosting my self-confidence and determination to achieve my goals to help all people living with diabetes and to prove to myself that I could do this.
Team Diabetes is a national activity fundraising program for the Canadian Diabetes Association. The members of Team Diabetes raise money to support diabetes education, research, advocacy, and services while promoting a healthy and active lifestyle by committing to run, bike, hike, or walk in races around the world. As members of the team, we support and learn from each other by engaging in collaborative fundraising and training events, sharing past and present experiences, volunteering to recruit new members and promote the program at local expos and tradeshows. While all members of the team are working together for a common goal to raise money to help the millions of Canadians living with diabetes, they participate at different levels at any given time. Within your local team, members will be training for various events (run, walk, or hike) at different destinations (local or international), have different fundraising goals depending on where they are going, and are at various stages in achieving their goals. Members of the team have different levels of participation as newcomers, recurring members, or peripheral members. You might be fundraising and training for your upcoming event or alumni volunteering your time at events and sharing your own personal story to inspire new members to join.
Upon reflecting on my participation with Team Diabetes, I thought of my previous blog looking at what communities of practice look like and started to question the word “team” as part of my community of practice. Was being a member of Team Diabetes more characteristic of a community of practice or a “team”? How were they different?
When I think of the word “team” I think of a cooperative group of individuals each bringing to the table their unique knowledge and skills working together to achieve a common goal which is very similar to what happens in a community of practice. However, one of the main differences I see between a “team” and a community of practice is that sometimes members of a team, especially within the context of an institution or business, may be forced or instructed that they are going to be working with a team. Within communities of practice and as a member of Team Diabetes, participation is completely voluntary. Wenger (2006) notes that “a community of practice is different from a team in that the shared learning and interest of its members are what keep it together. It is defined by knowledge rather than by task, and exists because participation has value to its members.” You choose to become a member of Team Diabetes because you have a passion for helping people with diabetes and you’re motivated to become a part of something bigger than you could ever achieve on your own. By actively engaging in the opportunities to collaborate with team members at events and meetings, you are able to learn from each other’s experiences giving you the strength and confidence to continue to work on your personal goals as well as achieving the community’s goals. Wenger (2006) also goes on to say that the life cycle of a community of practice depends on the value it provides to its members and that teams are often short lived and cease to exist once the task or project is completed. Team Diabetes has been going strong for 12 years now with a continuous flow of new members, race destinations, leaders, and fundraising ideas.
Wenger (2006) describes how communities develop their practice through a variety of activities. The table below outlines these activities along with examples related to Team Diabetes as a community of practice:
Problem solving | “Can we have a meeting to discuss some possible fundraising ideas? I’m not sure what to do.” |
Requests for information | “How can people pledge me online?” |
Seeking experience | “What event helped you raise the most money last year?” or “How many days a week should I be training for my run?” |
Reusing assets | “I have different letter templates that I used to send out to businesses, employers, friends, and family that I could share with you to help you get started.” |
Coordination and synergy | “Can we plan a fundraising event, like a garage sale and BBQ, for the whole team?” |
Discussing developments | “What do you think of the new website? Do you think it is easy to navigate?” or “Do you find the new energy gels easier to digest when you’re running?” |
Documentation projects | “Let’s put together a list of what fundraising events worked well and what didn’t for the information package for new members.” |
Visits | “Come visit our Team Diabetes information booth at the local fitness expo.” |
Mapping knowledge and identifying gaps | “Who can we connect with to better promote the program? Should we contact local radio stations, diabetes centers, fitness centers, etc.?” |
I have answered my questions and would consider being a member of Team Diabetes as more than being part of a team. I value my experience within this community of practice as being one of the most meaningful and exciting things I have done in my life so far. While I have not fundraised and trained for another international event in a few years, I continue to support local Team Diabetes events in Halifax, volunteer my time to promote the program at local fitness and wellness expos as needed, and you will see me at the Bluenose this year helping out our Team Diabetes runners. :-)
Decked out in my Team Diabetes gear after completing my first marathon in Athens, Greece - November 2009
References
Wenger, E. (1999). Community of practices: Learning, meaning, and identity. New York,NY: Cambridge University Press
Wenger, E. (2006). Communities of Practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved from: http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
Wenger, E. (1999). Community of practices: Learning, meaning, and identity. New York,NY: Cambridge University Press
Wenger, E. (2006). Communities of Practice: A brief introduction. Retrieved from: http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
Team Diabetes Website: http://www.diabetes.ca/get-involved/supporting-us/team-diabetes/
Athens Marathon Website: http://www.athensmarathon.com/marathon/history.html
