The Demonstrated Power of Networks

Network Reflections Part 3

Image description: A murmuration of starlings. Image by Unachicalinda from Pixabay

Networks, ranging from informal mutual support to highly structured collective impact initiatives, do produce results. They are often the glue that helps us develop and advance knowledge in our fields, connect to a larger movement for change, and scale our impact. We may just need to equip ourselves to talk about networks in new ways.

Jane Wei-Skillern is an academic who has documented the power of networks for many years. Her work and that of the network she has developed around her are available at The New Network Leader. I especially recommend the case studies available on the site. These stories help us grasp the power of networked action and provide evidence to support the four network leadership principles that Wei-Skillern outlines: focus on mission before organization, manage through trust not control, promote others, not yourself, and build constellations, not stars.

Collective impact is a structured form of collaborative network. The collective impact model has pros and cons and tends to have difficult power dynamics as funders often have active involvement. Still, one of the interesting core principles of collective impact is shared measurement. We can learn from their determination to set community-level outcomes and collect data across a number of organizations to demonstrate progress. Road Map Project and Eastside Pathways are two local Seattle-area examples of this approach.

There are also many more examples of network impact, often presented as a compelling narrative. When a network has momentum, we feel it. One powerful result of effective networks is that member individuals and organizations are inspired to do great things both inside and outside of the network frame.

Learn more about networks: Network Weaver