Social Network Support Project: Network Weaver

Learning Community Network Health and Lifecycles: Second in a Series of Four Sessions

Community Foundation for Monterey CountySeptember 2, 2010

Thank youJune Holley of Network Weaving, Monitor Institute, and Packard Foundation 1

Today’s Workshop

Reconnect and Share What You Did/Learned

Network Health and Diagnostics Tool

Current Issues – Peer Assist

Lifecycles of Networks

Network Strategy

Next Steps

4

Today’s Goals

• Go deeper into sharing about your networks

• Gain a better understanding about network health

• Learn and try one self-organizing tool

• Understand the life cycles of networks

5

Overall Training Goals

By the end of the four sessions, participants will

• be inspired to work with a network mindset and to continue weaving and building networks

• have a deeper understanding of network theory, as it applies to social networks, and characteristics of a healthy network

• be able to recognize the qualities of network weavers/leaders; recognize and affirm individual weaver qualities and successes

• understand network life cycles

• appreciate the role of evaluating networks and learn how the network can help evaluate its own progress

• have practiced applying weaver practices and shared their challenges and learnings with each other

• have received an introduction to network mapping software

6

It’s [Lawrence Community Works] informal; people can come in and out of the network. It’s easy and fun to be a part of and there is a lot to do. You make your own way through the maze.

- Bill Traynor

Today’s Workshop

Reconnect and Share What You Did/Learned

Network Health and Diagnostics Tool

Current Issues – Peer Assist

Lifecycles of Networks

Network Strategy

Next Steps

Characteristics of Healthy Networks

Value

Participation

Form

Leadership

Connection

Capacity

Learning & Adaptation

Clearly articulated give and get for participants Delivers value/ outcomes to participants

Trust Diversity High engagement

Balance of top-down and bottom-up logic Space for self-organized action

Embraces openness, transparency, decentralization Shared leadership

Strategic use of social media Ample shared space: on-line and in-person

Ability surface & tap network talent Model for sustainability

Mechanisms for learning-capture Ability to gather and act on feedback

Governance Representative of the network’s diversity Transparent

Helpful Sources: M. Kearns and K. Showalter; J. Holley and V. Krebs; P. Plastrik and M. Taylor; J. W. Skillern; C. Shirky

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Overview

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Value

Value Clearly articulated give and get for participants Delivers value/ outcomes to participants

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Participation

Participation Trust: strong relationships Diversity: bridging and valuing differences High level of voluntary engagement

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Form

Form Balance of top-down and bottom-up logic Space for self-organized action

Embraces openness, transparency, decentralization Shared leadershipLeadership

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Leadership

Governance Representative of the network’s diversity Transparent

Administrators 1,648 as of

4/29/09

Bureaucrats29 active as of

12/22/08

Stewards37 as of 3/3/09

Arbitration Committee

16 as of 3/21/09

Registered Users

9,540,944 as of 4/29/09

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Governance

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Connection

Connection Strategic use of social media

What’s your connection to mountaintop removal?

Connection Ample shared space: on-line and in-person

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Connection

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Capacity

Ability surface & tap network talentCapacity

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Capacity

Model for sustainabilityCapacity

Free

‘Digital socialism’

‘Freemium’

Pay your way / pay as you go

Membership

Funder / grant driven

Learning & Adaptation

Mechanisms for learning-capture / storytelling Ability to gather and act on feedback

2

Hawaii Island Success: Youth have the capacity to malama the next generation

Goal: All youth are surrounded by effective, integrated

community and relationship

based support they can count on

Goal: Youth are part of and contribute to a thriving community

Action: All systems serving

youth exert a positive and

strengthening influence on

youth and their families

Action: Youth receive support

from parents and other caring

adults

Action: Community organizations actively work with community members to find and engage disconnected youth

in hopes of continuing a positive relationship

Action: Youth create

opportunities to belong, learn new skills, grow, lead, receive support,

participate in decision making and contribute to

civic life

Action: Adults are responsible to malama the

process of growth by being easily accessible and modeling these

positive behaviors

Action: Youth create and

convey positive images of

themselves

Action: Youth have the capacity for commitment

and self discipline

Action: Public and private sectors collaborate to create high

demand sectors where job

numbers, wages and advancement opportunities are

increasing

Action: Youth obtain help to develop financial literacy, manage money and

build assets

Action: Efforts are made to diversify the economy in

Hawaii

Goal: Youth have expanded opportunities for family sustaining

work/occupation

Goal: Youth are prepared for meaningful work, higher

education and/or traditional practices

Action: Teachers create an

environment in their

classrooms where kids can

succeed

Action: Teachers have

training & mentors that allow them to

become effective

Action: Teachers have the necessary training and resources to allow kids to

succeed

Action: Ensure multiple

opportunities and diverse avenues to

acquire academic, vocational,

social, life and resiliency skills

Indicator: % of youth reporting

close neighborhood

ties

Indicator: % of youth with at least 1 adult

they can turn to for

support/advise

Indicator: % parents who

actively participate in public school

Indicator: % of youth reporting close family ties

Indicator: % of youth who

volunteer or mentor

Indicator: High level of

interaction between school and community

members

Indicator: Number of youth who age out of

foster care annually with employment, housing or schooling

Indicator: Youth employment in

high growth sectors and geographies

Indicator: Increase in

youth employment and average salaries

Indicator: # of new businesses in sustainable

agriculture, renewable

energy, green architecture

Indicator: New jobs created by

sector and geography

Indicator: # of public/private

partnerships in new industries

Indicator: Number of

teachers with classroom

competence

Indicator: Teachers

with family supporting

wages

Indicator: % students who

meet and exceed expectation in 3rd

Grade

Indicator: Youth with

basic literacy and numeric

skills

Indicator: % of high school

students going to college

and/or trade apprenticeship

Indicator: Good teachers and

principals with 5+ years exp. In same schoolWork in Progress

Characteristics of Healthy Networks: Learning & Adaptation

How healthy is your network?

http://workingwikily.net/?p=1189

You’ve diagnosed your network’s areas of strength and weakness.

Now, what do you do?

Answer: It depends…

21

Today’s Workshop

Reconnect and Share What You Did/Learned

Network Health and Diagnostics Tool

Current Issues – Peer Assist

Lifecycles of Networks

Network Strategy

Next Steps

Today’s Workshop

Reconnect and Share What You Did/Learned

Network Health and Diagnostics Tool

Current Issues – Peer Assist

Lifecycles of Networks

Network Strategy

Next Steps

Source: Valdis Krebs and June Holley, Building Smart Communities through Network Weaving

How Networks Progress and Evolve

1. 2.

3. 4. Multi-Hub Small World Core Periphery

Hub and SpokeScattered Clusters

Bring together core of clusters of people who work together as peers

Grow and engage periphery to bring in new resources and innovation

Support overlapping projects or collaborations, many very small, initiated by many

Nurture quality connections so projects can be high risk & high impact

A Few Strategies for Network “Weaving”/ Development

Source: June Holley, www.networkweaving.com

The Green and Healthy Building Network: 2005

Source: Barr Foundation “Green and Healthy Building Network Case Study” by Beth Tener, Al Neirenberg, Bruce Hoppe

Source: Barr Foundation “Green and Healthy Building Network Case Study” by Beth Tener, Al Neirenberg, Bruce Hoppe

The Green and Healthy Building Network: 2007

How can you strengthen your network?

• Identify your top 2-3 priority areas for improvement• For each…

– What are the open questions that need to be answered?– What are steps you can take to address these questions?

» What can you do in the next month? » Over the next 6 months? » Over the next year?

Today’s Workshop

Reconnect and Share What You Did/Learned

Network Health and Diagnostics Tool

Current Issues – Peer Assist

Lifecycles of Networks

Network Strategy

Next Steps

Close triangles

Nurture quality connections

Bridge difference

Support overlapping projects

Map the network

Grow and engage the periphery

A Few Strategies for Strengthening Your Network

Source: Adapted from June Holley, www.networkweaving.com. Source for Network Graphic: orgnet.com Monitor Institute

1. What type of structure does your network most closely resemble?

2. How did you get to this structure?

3. How is it working? Does it match your purpose?

4. How might your structure evolve / improve?

Making Sense of Your Network StructureDirections: Decide what network you want to focus on today. Draw a map of your network. Reflect on the questions below.

Monitor Institute

What are the three most important issues you need to address in order to strengthen your network? (Draw on insights from your network diagnostic.)

1.

2.

3.

Issue #1:

Barriers to overcome:

Assets to tap:

Actions to take:

Issue #2:

Barriers to overcome:

Assets to tap:

Actions to take:

Issue #3:

Barriers to overcome:

Assets to tap:

Actions to take:

For each priority issue, explore: (1) barriers to overcome, (2) assets to tap in order to do so, (3) potential actions you might take. (Draw on the list of potential actions in the Network Development Tool.)

Strategies for Strengthening Your Network

Monitor Institute

We’re half way through!

September 27, 1:00 to 5:00 PMHarden Foundation, 1636 Ercia StNetwork Participation and Engagment

October 21, 1:00 to 5:00 PMMC Health Dept, 1270 Natividad RdNetwork Tools

Today’s Workshop

Reconnect and Share What You Did/Learned

Network Health and Diagnostics Tool

Current Issues – Peer Assist

Lifecycles of Networks

Network Strategy

Next Steps

http://workingwikily.net/resources.html#must-reads

WorkingWikily Must-readsBeth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media “A place to capture and share ideas, experiment with and exchange links and resources about the adoption challenges, strategy, and ROI of nonprofits and social media.” (By Beth Kanter.) Building Smart Communities Through Network Weaving An introduction to the basics on networks, how they evolve, and how they can be shaped for social impact—illustrated through a case study. (By Valdis Krebs and June Holley in 2006.) Net Gains: A Handbook for Network Builders Seeking Social Change A handbook covering the basics on networks –including their common attributes, how to leverage networks for social impact, evaluating networks, and social network analysis. (By Peter Plastrik and Madeleine Taylor in 2006.) The Networked Nonprofit An article about how nonprofit leaders are achieving greater impact by working through networks. Includes detailed examples. (By Jane Wei-Skillern and Sonia Marciano in 2008.) WeAreMedia Project: The Social Media Starter Kit for Nonprofits

Alone we can do little;

together we can do so much.

- Helen Keller