The Promise of Networks: How Social Connections = Social Impact

The Promise of NetworksHow Social Connections = Social Impact

Diana Scearce, Monitor Institute

August 23, 2011

This work is under the Creative Commons attribution share alike 3.0 imported license

What’s a social network?

A group of people connected by relationships

network/ n̍ɛtˈwɜrk/― adjective: connected, transparent, decentralized

― verb: to connect, to spread, to organize into a network

― noun: a structural form for organizing

Many promising networks today…

― Have lots of participants

― Give space for self-organization

― Are fueled by new technologies

Networks aren’t new

But connectivity is growing dramatically

1984 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009

5Bn cell phones (2010)

3Bn (2007)

2Bn (2005)

1Bn (2002)

4Bn (2008)

Plus, there are new tools for sharing

content

…. and new online spaces for connecting

people

= a newly dominant form of organizing

Source: Adapted from David Ronfeldt, RAND

How can we harness

THE POWER

OF NETWORKS

for social impact?

Reed’s Law

The value of networks scales

exponentially with the size of the

network.

Source: Eugene Eric Kim, Blue Oxen Associates

Brooks’s Law


Adding people to a complex project

makes it take longer.

Network Potential vs. Network Friction


We Want Reed to Win!


Network potentialChallenge Traditional Approach Network Approach

Develop better designs& inform decisions

Gather input from people you know

Access new & diverse perspectives

Connect a community with shared interests

Hold a structured conference

Design for serendipity

Spread what works

Disseminate white papers

Openly share/build knowledge

Mobilize action

Organize tightly coordinated campaigns

Catalyze widespread action and ownership

Overcome fragmentation

Bring players and programs under a single umbrella

Coordinate diverse resources and action

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.”

Coordinate diverse resources & action

Network friction

• It’s hard to “see” the whole system. How do I know what’s needed and what’s working?

• It’s time-consuming work. What role(s) should I play?

• There are lots of players involved. Where does accountability lie?

• It requires spreading control and leadership. What if results are different than original intentions?

Source of image: Eugene Eric Kim, Blue Oxen Associates

How can we help Reed win?


It requires a network mindset

Traditional Mindset Network Mindset

Loosely controlled & emergent

Weaving connections & building

network-wide capacity

Effectiveness includes

intangibles

Public/open information &

learning

Decision-making

decentralized

Firmly controlled & planned

Strengthening

individual efforts

Effectiveness = concrete

outputs

Proprietary information &

learning

Decision making concentrated

in one organization

How can YOU work

with a NETWORK

MINDSET?

THANK YOU!Diana Scearce, Monitor [email protected]

Business

The Promise of Networks: How Social Connections = Social Impact