11

Transformative Networking for Organizational and Community

Change

Ross A. Wirth, Ph.D.

wirthr@franklin.edu

Franklin University

www.franklin.edu

Feb. 26, 2010

2

Networks are the future organization

• 20th century – Society of Organizations– Clear, formal hierarchy with top-down

direction (stable)– Chain of command (formal)

• 21st century – Society of Networks – Transient relationships to bring together

resources for a common purposeeven within organizations (dynamic)

– Circle of influence (informal)

Kanter (2009)

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Online networking – a Paradox

• Internet & social media platforms enabled people to easily organize – Yet most online groups focus on building

membership and not collaborative work

• Easy to search for information and locate experts & others with common interest– Yet, many change leaders struggle in

isolation without the benefit of shared knowledge

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Why?? What are the challenges?

• Proposed that the critical pieces are:– Lack of time to keep up with information

overload that continues to grow• Low relevance & lack of “push”

– Don’t know what we (they) don’t know• Johari Window, lack of awareness to even look

– Competing Priorities – Disengagement• Joining implies a commitment to contribute or• Little value seen in lurking

– “Everything” is Socially Constructed

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Shift Approach to Demand Side

• Chronic disengagement is a major barrier to change– “Helpers” often approached supply-side

(deliver what is thought to be needed) versus– Need to approach demand-side

(deliver what is regarded as valuable)

• Community Building as Populist Economic Movement, Not a Political Movement

Traynor & Andors (2005) and Traynor (2007)

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Basis for Building a Networked Community

• Organic shaping how people meet & interact• Search for interconnected goals individuals have

within the collective group goals• Multi-dimensional reasons for connecting

– Not all connections are for the same reason– These reasons also change over time!

• Creating relationships based on bi-directional value exchange

• Freedom to self-organize– Sufficient infrastructure without constraints

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Network Requirements

• Dynamically morph network to accommodate changes in– Membership turnover

• New members discovering the network • Older members with changing interests

– Evolving interests within the network • Group goals met or new goals with higher

priority

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Theoretical Foundation

• Communities of Practice (KM tool)– Expertise identification & knowledge sharing

• Social Network Analysis– Map information diffusion across network– Identify connectivity gaps

• Large Group Methodologies– Small group dialogue within large groups

with large group sharing– Discovery of mental models in use– Little application online

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Theoretical Foundation, cont.

• New leadership models– Collective (shared) leadership– Direction-Alignment-Commitment Model

• Wikinomics– Grassroots, collective effort that deviates

from traditional exchange-based economics – Governance protocols with minimum rules &

self-nominated leadership

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Theoretical Foundation, cont.

• Swarm Intelligence– Simple decision-making rules that are local,

yet capable of driving collective action – Sub-optimal, but quick & adaptive to change

• Complexity Science– Self-organization, emergence– Tipping point through

self-organization as people vote with their feet

11Individuals ranked by degree of involvement

Degree of Involvement – not Uniform

Lev

el o

f A

ctiv

ity

High engagementacting as group “owners”

Loosely connected, butconnected to other networks

Old-guard losing interest or involved for a specific objectivebringing new insights

Level of engagementdrives role & value deliveredto the network

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Proposed Networking Approach

Purposefully connecting people with common interests

Supported with minimal infrastructure to provide encouragement and just-in-time assistance

Without limiting what might emerge as a shared vision develops

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Community Building – Essentials

Create Choices• Competing demands on

time• Allow opt-out without guilt• Welcome trial

Multiple entry points • Smorgasbord of

opportunities• Small duration projects• Find common interest

Reason to engage• Fun, fellowship,

recognition• Value in convening

(demand)

Proactive linking• Interconnected networks• Encourage movement

Traynor & Andors (2005) and Traynor (2007)

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Community Building – Governance

• Specific roles, but not permanent– “Voice” that is not institutionalized

• Provisionality – constantly adapting• Resonance – Law of Two Feet (from OST)• Information broadcast

– With “collective history” for newcomers & efficiency

• Minimum infrastructure without constraining what might emerge

Traynor & Andors (2005) and Traynor (2007)

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Community Building – 8 Lessons

1. Experiment around problems, not tools

2. Provisionality & Resonance

3. Be realistic with the time it takes

4. Focus on building Trust & Fun

5. Leverage all roles across the network

6. Decentralize Power

7. Influence (but don’t hinder) movement

8. Communicate & leave trail

Scearce, Kasper, & Grant (2009)

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“Membership” in the Future

• Connected, but not obligated

• Part of many, owned by none

• Low-level affiliation

• Flexibility, provisional, informal

Traynor (2007)

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Transformative networking – if a critical mass of passionate people were networked, how might their collective vision be transformative?

The Potential

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• Neighborhood strengthening (revitalization)

– Greater Ohio Restoring Prosperity initiative

– East side of Columbus, church mission

– Local neighborhood

• Change Leadership CoP – online – Knowledge base & Google Wave collaboration

• Idea Incubator– Exploratory discussions

Potential Demonstration Projects

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• Test the networking and community building approaches in pilot tests

• Document the process sufficiently that it can be replicated without over prescribing the approach that is used.– Past tests not well documented or

not in a form easy to replicate

Next Steps

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Transformative Networking for Organizational and Community

Change

Ross A. Wirth, Ph.D.

wirthr@franklin.edu

Franklin University

Feb. 26, 2010

21

References• Kanter, R. M. (2009). On Twitter and in the workplace, it’s

power to the connectors. Retrieved from http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/kanter/2009/11/power-to-the-connectors.html

• Scearce, D., Kasper, G., & Grant, H. M. (2009). Working wikily 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.monitorinstitute.com/documents/WorkingWikily2.0hires.pdf

• Traynor, W. J. (2007). Building community in place: Limitations and promise. Retrieved from http://macdc.org/initiatives/Building-Community-in-Place--Traynor.pdf

• Traynor, W. J., & Andors, J. (2005). Network organizing: A strategy for building community engagement. NHI Shelterforce Online, 140. Retrieved from http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/140/LCW.html