Nurturing a network mindset

Network Reflections Part 1

Image description: Cute cartoon cats spread out and talking to each other via string/cup “telephones.” Image by naobim from Pixabay.

I had the pleasure of visiting with June Holley recently. June is well-known for her leadership in network weaving and using networks to accomplish social change. Her work is grounded in place-based community organizing work in Appalachia but extends to global networks such as Fito, an international network of networks. Speaking with June inspired me to write about networks.

Networks are a powerful way of accomplishing nonprofit missions. They allow small nonprofits to have outsized impact. Networks tend to be more flexible and adaptable to change and bring diverse perspectives to bear on the complex, systemic issues we hope to influence.

June gave me some clues about how leaders can adopt more of a network mindset in their work. Some characteristics:

· Openness to experimentation – does your organization allow for experiments, building on successes and learning from failures?

· Flexible organizational structure, such as an umbrella organization that supports various semi-autonomous projects led by individuals or small teams

· Requiring a collaborative approach – June shared that when she was at ACEnet, there was a commitment that all grant applications were collaborative.

· Support and facilitate cohort learning – bring people together with peers for learning, sharing not “what we did” but “what we learned.”

· Shift your mental model, including practicing “micro-processes” that support network weaving (for example, setting up a “speed networking” exercise).

· Celebrate and promote each other – feature the work of others in your newsletter or social media feeds.

As humans, I think we intuitively gravitate toward a networked approach. We find it joyful and rewarding. Unfortunately, we sometimes get caught up in pressures to do things in a siloed manner, which I will discuss in my next post.