The CoP - NoP approach for Organizational Learning. An enabling boost for multinationals.

1 Collaboration via CoP (bonding)

I have been working for many years with the CoP - Community of Practice model for joint learning journeys. As a local collaboration and learning model for (ideally interdisciplinary) teams, it can work with strong empowerment and enabling effects. The goal is scalable - interventions in the area of behavior, innovations for products, materials or processes as well as occupational health management.

Organizational Learning: CoP for organizational learning behaves like the germination of a single plant. The plant grows, synchronizes with the ecosystem of the immediate environment.

The team gathers experience and creates knowledge. The knowledge goes to the organization.

2 Exchange via NoP (bridging)

A superordinate network is needed to connect and consolidate the work in the local CoPs - the is where the threads come together. The work, findings and new knowledge are thus reflected for all to see.

The roofing NoP team is not a “government agency” but acts as a kind of help desk and provides scientific background material for various theories and methods.

Organizational Learning: NoP for organizational learning behaves like bamboo - a rhizomatic plant. The individual plants are connected to each other via the underground stem structure and form an organism. Each point and node of this organism is connected to each other, creating a timeless collective empowerment.

The consolidated knowledge gains and synchronized work results reach all members of this (global) network of CoPs as well as the decision-making levels of global and local decision-makers.

NOTE: The comparison table in the picture provides an overview of the two models.

3 Learning – true Didactics (enabling)

A CoP - NoP network needs a knowledge expansion model. For example, about the learning process itself. I have chosen the learning landscapes according to K?sel (1993, "Die Modellierung von Lernwelten. Ein Handbuch zur subjektiven Didaktik." / The modeling of learning worlds. A handbook on subjective didactics.) as the general approach.

Essentials according to K?sel: The content explores learning environments using systemic pedagogy. It emphasizes creating adaptable, learner-centered spaces that foster autonomy and personalized learning. The key benefit of this approach in morphology is its focus on flexible, meaningful learning processes.

4 Development Process – Design Thinking (innovation)

Design Thinking fosters teamwork by promoting collaboration, creativity, and user-centered problem-solving. It encourages diverse teams to co-create, driving innovation through iterative prototyping and testing. This approach enhances product and service development by focusing on real user needs. Moreover, it empowers teams to take ownership, enabling inclusive decision-making and fostering a culture of continuous learning and adaptability.

Collaborative Innovation goal: To leverage diverse perspectives in order to co-create solutions. By fostering open communication, empathy, and shared ownership of ideas, it encourages team members to collaboratively explore innovative approaches that address user needs effectively.

Conclusion

The interlocking of local CoP teams with a global NoP structure has effects ranging from a constant warm summer breeze to gusts of wind. As in many other areas of work, team understanding also applies here: if it works simply, successfully and beguilingly in the end, there is often an initially complicated, almost insurmountable work effort behind it.

A well-known proverb describes the patience required for this type of cooperation: ”time works wonders?.

And in brief: When blending local CoPs with a global NoP using constructivist didactics for learning transfer and developing human-centered interventions (as ans example) based on Design Thinking: emphasize collaborative knowledge sharing, adapt global insights to local needs, foster open dialogue, and ensure iterative feedback for contextual relevance.

Go CoP – NoP, go collective intelligence.

PS. Try this global booster for behavioral interventions, nudging, innovation of course, but also reverse thinking ideas or simply for exploring future actions with strategic teams.