The Strength of Weak Ties, Mark Granovetter’s research published in 1972, shows that weak ties may be more important than strong ties in certain circumstances, for instance, when you are looking for a job.
From: Net Gains
Net Work:Building and Sustaining a Network Patti Anklam June 24, 2009 A NetWorkShop
Networking is about making and leveraging personal connections How I got here today: I met Beth Kanter via John Smith, whom I know from CPsquare. Beth and I connected at a workshop for Rare Conversation. She then referred me to you, the client.
Net Work is about identifying, creating, and sustaining networks
What is a network? “An interwoven or interrelated number of things…”
Your networks Groups and organizations that you belong to Formal networks Informal networks The individuals you interact with, have relationships with, and to whom you can reach out 8
Formal networks Often centralized or hierarchical Fixed relationships Defined patterns of information flow 9
Informal networks “How work gets done” Key people exchange ideasand pass information Drive social capital 10
History of the Network Perspective New York Times, April 3, 1933
1967: Six Degrees of Separation Omaha Boston Stanley Milgram, Yale University
The new science of networks Beginning in the 1990’s computer science made it possible to map and analyze large networks Beginning in 2002-2003, the network insights started to become accessible
The network view provides access to understanding a network’s properties
Network Properties: Purpose Aid and support people, environment Create economic gain for stakeholders Practice-focused learning and personal development Generate and collaborate in creating and using ideas Nurture emotional and affiliative relationships 17
Purpose drives the design factors What networks are you in? What would these look like if you drew them? What do the leadership models look like for these? What roles do you play in each of them? What value do you receive from them? What value does the network itself produce?
Locus: Place, Space, and Pace Physical place Campaign events bring the networks into a physical place Virtual space Internet interactions, collaboration spaces, email conversations, etc. Pace Frequency of interactions in the network
Culture Core values, shared values Trust and reciprocity Transparency Shared symbols, rituals, language Appropriate to the current culture and norms 27
Types of interaction Transactional Exchange of explicit information Driven by action, tasks, commitments Knowledge-based Structured in a learning network Implicit sharing Personal Developing stronger ties by sharing information about yourself
Ways to think about Value A senior VP in the professional services arm of a large telecommunications equipment provider said that it was “scary” that the customer feedback from the delivery of services went only to the operational arm of the company and not the organization charged to innovate in service development.
Summary You can characterize networks by looking at purpose, structure, style, and value properties Creating and sustaining successful networks means paying attention to all of these attributes
Your personal (“ego”) network You and the people you are connected to The connections among them The people they can connect you to
Personal network activities Create and sustaining relationships Asking for help Helping when asked Creating ties and links – making introductions What are the ways that you sustain your relationships? Purposeful maintenance Looking for effective structure Watching for diversity
Effective personal networks Dunbar’s number: 150 Your network Family & close friends Work colleagues Activity friends You can map your personal network 36
Views of the personal network Composition Role(s) Position Leader Sponsor Leader Core member Active participant Peripheral member
The sum of your personal networks… Contributes to the overall success of the Apprenticeship network How can you leverage your existing relationships and bring them into the network? Are you a broker? Able to make connections? Are you good at keeping a group “on the same page”? Do you contribute expertise when called on? Do you pass information across group boundaries?
Tools for Net Work Design Purpose, structure, style, and value Examination Assessments, surveys, interviews Organizational network analysis Value network analysis Complex sensemaking Transition Shift purpose, structure, style, value
Design a network Purpose Structure Style Value Charter 42
Using a map to design a network New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) Transformation of healthcare Based on collaborationamong all constituentsto identify and solvespecific systemicproblems Healthy interpersonalnetworks was a happyside effect
Tools for Examination: ONA Organizational network analysis (ONA) Often referred to by more generic term, SNA (social network analysis), an emerging competency among businesses and nonprofits View of personal interactions among individuals A senior VP, the VPs reporting to him, and their reports understood when they saw this map of their interaction frequency, that they were not as collaborative as they prided themselves on being.
Methodology for ONA – “Full” Network Understand the context Collect data – surveys, interviews Analysis Visual Mathematical Interpretation Action
Tools for examination: VNA Value Network Analysis (VNA) Pioneered by Verna Allee, a rich methodology View of the web of relationships that generates economic or social value A senior VP in the professional services arm of a large telecommunications equipment provider said that it was “scary” that the customer feedback from the delivery of services went only to the operational arm of the company and not the organization charged to innovate in service development.
Tangible exchanges represent deliverables Technology Companies Coaching Funders Hardware Course Funding Funding Materials Software Curriculum Program IT Fulfillment Instruction Literacy Project Educators Classes Time Venue Skills Equipment Class Students Salary Materials Report Program Planning Funding for Report School Salaries District Program GREEN = Tangibles Planning
Intangible exchanges reflect richer sources of value GREEN = Tangibles BLUE = Intangibles
Social Media – What’s the Point? Maintain relationships Situational awareness Daily or weekly travel or whereabouts Significant changes Hear about ideas, resources you might not be seeking out but that are relevant to you Obtaining personal insights into professional colleagues leads to more trusting relationships Making explicit new connections as you see the need
Collaboration Spaces “Corporate” heavyweights: Microsoft SharePoint Lotus SamePlace Software “in the cloud” Ning Groupsite Huddle
Step 1: Making What Work? Be clear on the purpose Connect? Collaborate? Connect and Collaborate? Members Who’s in the map? Who should be on the map? What are the online tasks and engagements
Step 2: Create Scenarios What are the specific ways that users will collaborate? What “objects” will they collaborate with? Pages Files Discussions How do the exchanges in the value network map actually happen?
Exercise: Scenario Seeking Think of a work collaboration “event” You wanted to share a document You needed something from someone You wanted to work with someone You wanted comments on a plan or a document You wanted ideas What happened? Tell it to your neighbor Neighbor: take notes Switch Note takers report back highlights. What did you hear?
Free tools have limits Support only if you pay for it All require some kind of upgrade to Remove the ads Add your own logo, special look and feel Storage maximum: Groupsite: 25MB free for files, then $9/mo for up to 3GB Huddle: 1GB free, then $10/mo for up to 2.5GB Ning: 10GB free, then 9.95/month for 10GB more
Step 5. Pilot a space Identify the steward Bring a small number of people into the space Populate the space Files Discussions Events Lessons learned Is the file folder structure ok? Do people need more training? What will make it successful?
Tips for Success with Online Groups Everyone is clear on the purpose Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined “How to”s for scenarios are clearly documented Everyone who needs help learning and getting used to the tool should have the help they need There must be an active steward whose job it is to keep the community active Listen to what members say and make changes when you need to Make sure the content is valuable to the members Put things in the space that people cannot get elsewhere
It’s Connection AND Collaboration Keep weaving the net Engage members who are not using the space What’s in the way? How can you help?
Patti AnklamNow offering NetWorkShopspatti@pattianklam.comhttp://pattianklam.com/ Blogs: http://www.byeday.net/weblog/networkblog.html http://www.theappgap.com/?author_name=panklam Net Work: A Practical Guide to Creating, Leveraging and Sustaining Networks at Work and In the World Elsevier/Butterworth-Heinemann 2007 Thank You!