Weaving Lab Community of Practice: The First 12 months

With Ross Hall, Victoria Haro & Noa Lodezein 3 Feb 2022

Summary

This session was a reflective evaluation of the first year of The Weaving Lab’s “Community of Practice” (CoP) which looked to co-create a roadmap for its future evolution. It involved a mix of celebration, data analysis (from a community survey), and creative visualization.

Key Learnings

Definition of a CoP: A community of practice is a group that comes together to practice, exchange ideas, and develop both their individual capacities and the field itself (in this case, “weaving”).

The Four Phases of CoP Evolution: Communities typically move through four developmental stages:

1. Exchange: Sharing ideas and practices (the current stage of the lab).

2. Experiment: Collaboratively testing and designing new practices.

3. Generate: Creating and documenting new knowledge.

4. Innovate: Transforming the broader field of practice.

Community Sentiment (Survey Results):

Quality: The community is highly valued for its people and the quality of learning/interconnectedness
Practicality: Participants find the sessions more “enjoyable” (4.1/5) than “useful” (3.8/5), suggesting a desire for more practical weaving methods.
Time: Time constraints are the primary reason members miss sessions, leading to a preference for 90-minute monthly sessions rather than bi-monthly.
Weaving: The community sees its highest potential in establishing weaving as a recognized profession/practice.
“Being”: Weaving is not just about doing (methods) or knowing (theory), but centrally about being—embodying the values of interconnectedness and well-being.

Action Points

Move Toward Decentralization: There is a strong collective desire to scale through local/regional hubs (global-local connection) rather than relying solely on a centralized rhythm.
Implement a “Buddy System”: To deepen one-to-one connections, members suggested informal small-group meetings outside of the main Thursday sessions.
Focus on Facilitation: Develop “on-ramps” for members to practice facilitation, helping to build a broader pool of skilled weavers and lowering the barrier for introverted members.
Collaborate on Metrics: Begin leading the field in developing metrics that reflect the actual value of weaving and systemic change.
Embrace “Meraki”: Adopt the Greek concept of Meraki—putting passion, dexterity, focus, and commitment into whatever the community decides to build next.