Communities of Practice, by definition, are opportunities for participants to connect and learn from one another. Because communities tend to have a diverse membership from different departments, there needs to be structured opportunities for participants to get to know and connect with one another.

The first face-to-face session is an excellent opportunity for participants to:

• introduce themselves
• identify common areas of interest
• share what kind of expertise they can offer one another

To do this encourage some disclosure amongst the group:

• Ask them to include a detail in their introduction about themselves not related to work (hobbies, interests, something unique to them, favourite film etc.)
• What do they like about their job/role?
• What do they want to work on?

Remember, connecting as people is as important to build a shared understanding and sets tone for the meetings. Creating opportunities for participants to get to know one another at the beginning will contribute to a sense of community during online meetings.