Category: networks

Amplify: The social networks of refugees

kevinsblogKevin Harris, on his terrific Neighborhoods blog, offers a quick analysis of what looks to be a very interesting study on social networks, Social networks, social capital and refugee integration from Birmingham and Cardiff universities. I just want to quickly amplify this to my network with no further comment beyond a thanks to Kevin. DO visit and subscribe to his blog. I’m always getting great bits of thinking from Kevin!

The social networks of refugees

A research report on Social networks, social capital and refugee integration has just been published by the universities of Birmingham and Cardiff. The study was based on an analysis of The Survey of New Refugees (SNR), augmented with a short online survey.

Among the findings:

  • Social connections have a clear impact on health and language.
  • Those who participate in quality English language learning get more help and have more frequent contact.
  • There were clear social capital benefits from family reunion.
  • Frequent contact with kin has no impact on access to employment.
  • Those in contact with a formal group are less likely to need emotional support.
  • No kind of social network is anti-integrative.

And there are a couple of surprises (to me at any rate). First, there seems to be comparatively low interest in associating with ‘co-national or ethnic groups’. When asked to rank 15 priorities, respondents placed greatest importance (understandably) on ‘Absence of verbal or physical attack’ (9.5) and ‘Housing’ (9.29). The lowest priority was accorded to ‘Volunteering’ (7.09) (understandably); and (surprisingly) association with ‘co-national or ethnic groups’ (7.49).

Secondly, the research challenges the model which suggests that if you spend time and energy investing in strong ties (e.g. for emotional support) that detracts from investment in weak ties and bridging social capital (e.g. for getting work). The researchers say there was ‘no evidence that having strong kin networks precludes getting support from formal networks’:

‘The positive correlations between different types of contact… provide compelling evidence against the argument that immigrant and ethnic minority communities are ‘inward looking’ and only ‘invest’ in bonding social capital… There is no evidence that receiving help from relatives and friends (widely considered as ‘bonding’ capital) is mutually exclusive with gaining ‘bridging’ social capital from ‘out-groups’ and more formal organisations.’ (p11-12)

via Neighbourhoods: The social networks of refugees.

Jessica shares “Decide to Network” by Robert Muller

From: Endless Knots: Decide to Network by Robert Muller.

Jessica Lipnack reposted a beautiful poem on May day, originally posted back in 2010. It is so wonderful, it deserves amplification across my network. Will you amplify it across yours?

From Jessica Lipnak

Decide to network
Use every letter you write
Every conversation you have
Every meeting you attend
To express your fundamental beliefs and dreams
Affirm to others the vision of the world you want
Network through thought
Network through action
Network through love
Network through the spirit
You are the center of the world
You are a free, immensely powerful source
of life and goodness
Affirm it
Spread it
Radiate it
Think day and night about it
And you will see a miracle happen:
the greatness of your own life.
In a world of big powers, media, and monopolies
But of nearly seven billion individuals
Networking is the new freedom
the new democracy
a new form of happiness

Robert Muller (1923-2010) was former Assistent Secretary-General of the United Nations and Chancellor Emeritus, UN University for Peace, Costa Rica. He wrote the poem for Jessica Lipnack and Jeffrey Stamps in honor of their first book, Networking: The First Report and Directory.

Teaching Empathy: hey, that’s networked leadership!

IMGP3454I’m currently working with an intelligent and courageous core team working to implement a very different way of working in a very large bureaucracy. It is really HARD work, but these three people are showing energy, resilience and graceful humor. As I read this article on Forbes tonight, Teaching Empathy: The Ancient Way Is Now Cutting-Edge it struck me that the four things they suggest we teach for empathy also represent network leadership.

  1. Teach listening as a core skill and expect it as a cultural practice. Start by being an active listener yourself and give people the time they need to reflect. Time not made for someone is time wasted.
  2. Make dialogue a primary team, group or classroom practice. Dialogue opens the doors to exploration—what Peter Senge in his guide “The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook” calls “skillful discussion,” where thoughtful decisions can be made that honor all participants (or, in business, stakeholders).
  3. Identify roles, not organizational charts. When people are able to articulate their role, what they need to be successful and what gets in the way of their success, an empathic understanding is present and the beginnings of a healthy team, class or group takes shape.
  4. Lead with consistency, authenticity and honesty. Be clear as to why you are doing what you are doing. Do not lead or manage through personality but rather through articulation. To articulate is to clarify.

By networked leadership, I mean leading where you don’t always have authority. Where multiple reporting lines mess all the normal power plays up, rendering the old style of leading obsolete.

I see this team doing more and more active listening and they have refined their conversational skills to demonstrate both listening and bridge potential understanding gaps using the “what I heard you say is… ” before they add their thoughts. In an organization with a practice of “I win if I look smartest,” a lot of people’s attention is wrapped up in preparing their next statement, not listening.

In the formation of this big new plans, emphasis is placed not on large, plenary sessions to hash things out, but breaking into small conversations and building meaning outward. There is a strong invitation for others to describe what they understand and need about this big transition they are all navigating.

The new structure now distributes resources across divisional lines, so the idea of one’s formal boss is being tossed on the waves of change. The idea of roles, not organizational charts is one I want to bring up at our next meeting as a way to help with this.

Finally, this team is composed of a very senior leader, a senior researcher and a more junior staff member. I see them leading with honesty, authenticity and striving so hard for consistency. What I hope I will see soon is more and more people around them recognizing and appreciating this, so it will encourage more of the same.  I think it is possible. Hard work, but possible. And when it becomes more common, I suspect I’ll see both better results, and more joy.

I think these are four terrific things. What else do courageous, networked leaders need to know and do?

Edited PS: see also Eugene Eric Kim’s post on Balance Bikes for Changemakers. It’s all about the learning/experimenting!

mar ruiz: “No se puede moderar en una red sin límites “

Mar Ruiz of Spain has been posting a series of questions and answers she has cultivated with people who have been facilitating online for a while. I wanted to answer the question she posed, but I can’t seem to get a blog comment to stick, so I’ll do it here and hope the trackback works! From:mar ruiz: life & interests: Nancy White: “No se puede moderar en una red sin límites “. The gist of our conversation was the differences in facilitating in a network, vs bounded community context.

The blog post, in Spanish:

Nancy White: “No se puede moderar en una red sin límites “

Y esta es la respuesta de Nancy White, pionera en esto de dinamizar comunidades:

“Hay un número asombroso de las similitudes y diferencias, que me parece fascinante. Pero ya que la pregunta es sobre las diferencias, aquí están mis tres mejores!

1. Ahora se trata más de redes sin límites que de comunidades delimitadas, lo que cambia fundamentalmente lo que queremos decir por “construcción de la comunidad y la moderación.” No se puede moderar en una red sin límites. Puedes influir. Puedes estimular las conexiones de red. Puedes hacer lo que June Holley llama “network weaving  (“tejer en red”) – pero no se pueden gestionar las redes.

2. Las comunidades delimitadas deben tener mayor número de propuestas de valorque antes porque la gente está recibiendo una gran cantidad de lo que quieren y necesitan en las redes abiertas (es decir, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc). No quieren tener que entrar en algún otro lugar. Por lo tanto la integración de las actuales identidades digitales (y contraseñas) es más común, pero esto también hace que se rompan algunas de las distinciones de las comunidades anteriores. Se convierte todo en algo borroso.

3. Es más difícil entrar en conversaciones más profundas en el mundo en red, mientras que al mismo tiempo, tiene un alcance más amplio y potencialmente mayor diversidad y por ello mayor riqueza.”

La verdad es que leyendo esto, me he quedado con las ganas de saber…¿y cuáles son las similitudes?
Por otro lado entiendo que ambos necesitan de profesionales que lo dinamicen y procuren contenidos. Hace días leía en twitter que sea quien sea el Community o Social Media Manager, por favor, que sea un profesional:

“Los peligros de que tu primo (o “ese chavalito que parece que sabe”) se encargue del #socialmedia en tu empresa http://bit.ly/KnYxtF #comma vía @commaradas”

At the end, Mar asked about the similarities! Here is my answer, Mar: Both communities and networks give us access to the experience and resources of HUMAN CONNECTION. Thus they are both critically important. Learning how to work with the dynamics of these different forms is therefore valuable!

 

Edit: see this related post from Jessica Lipnack on the challenges of scaling collaboration!

The web makes it possible for, in effect, infinite numbers of people to collaborate. But how do you collaborate with infinite numbers?

You don’t. You can’t. Thus network thinkers are trying to solve this problem. INSITE, the European Union’s program on innovation, sustainability, and information technology, is including this issue as a worktrack in its Masters of Network symposium later this month in Venice.

Inspiration from Jennifer

Weeks ago when I started my KM Singapore prep, Jennifer Dalby offered me some great inspiration for my talk. She also pointed me to her great new, inspired Experience | Portfolio.

There is so much to learn here about sharing and digital identity, but I wanted to point out one particular thing. The “Connections” section where Jennifer invited her connections to make themselves a bit more visible as part of her portfolio. In a beautiful world, our network connections speak volumes about us. Brava, Jennifer! The responses you received sure are a great community indicator!