This document discusses social networks and how to harness their power for social impact. It defines a social network as a group of people connected by relationships. While networks have long existed, connectivity is growing dramatically with new technologies like cell phones and online spaces. This represents a newly dominant form of organizing. The key is to help "Reed's Law" win out over "Brooks's Law" - meaning networks should scale exponentially with more participants rather than projects taking longer. To do so requires a "network mindset" of loosely controlled emergence, strengthening connections across the network, and decentralized decision-making rather than traditional top-down control.
Falcon Invoice Discounting: Empowering Your Business Growth
The Promise of Networks: How Social Connections = Social Impact
1. The Promise of NetworksHow Social Connections = Social ImpactDiana Scearce, Monitor InstituteAugust 23, 2011This work is under the Creative Commons attribution share alike 3.0 imported license
2. What’s a social network? A group of people connected by relationships
17. Design for serendipity “Things that seemed totally impossible not so long ago are now going to happen… In the next few years a new wave of businesses will come in behind us. So many things are possible with collaboration.”
21. There are lots of players involved. Where does accountability lie?
22. It requires spreading control and leadership. What if results are different than original intentions?Source of image: Eugene Eric Kim, Blue Oxen Associates
23. How can we help Reed win? Source: Eugene Eric Kim, Blue Oxen Associates
24. It requires a network mindset Traditional Mindset Network Mindset Firmly controlled & planned Strengthening individual efforts Effectiveness = concrete outputs Proprietary information & learning Decision making concentrated in one organization Loosely controlled & emergent Weaving connections & building network-wide capacity Effectiveness includes intangibles Public/open information & learning Decision-making decentralized