Networks, Complexity, and Relatedness

Networks, Complexity, and Relatedness
Inquiry and learning into social networks, organizational network analysis, and the relationships among people and systems in complex organizations and networks.

Monday, November 29, 2004

Leading in a Connected World (2): More on Innovation Social Networks

I blogged about Andrew Hargadon earlier. In my talk at the Ark SNA conference today, I was able to cite Hargadon's three principles for creating an innovative environment:

Build networks
Develop collaborative work practices
Find and reward the technology brokers

Came back from giving the talk to find the latest HBS Working Knowledge newsletter with a lead article on innovation by Lee Fleming of Harvard Business School. Fleming has also studied innovation networks, specifically looking at Silicon Valley and Cambridge, and the diffusion of ideas that comes from people changing companies frequently. I was sad to read his assessment that the collapse of Digital Equipment set back the Boston/Cambridge area by many years in the technology innovation race. (It was a great place to work and certainly a magnet/hub of activity that linked MIT and others.) The MIT influence has certainly kept Kendall Square going strong. Fleming also mentions the palpable excitement there these days.

I am working with a client in Kendall Square, and I love going there (except for the 3hour round-trip commute). I mentioned to a friend who also works in Kendall Square at the Center for Coordination Science that I have a lot of karma with that place. During college, I worked a semester at MIT's registrar's office. My first job with IBM a year later was at 545 Tech Square. And, I met my husband there.

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Thursday, November 18, 2004

Judith Meskill haikus Social Physics

Judith Meskill posts a haiku on social physics:

musings on an
open source social initiative…

social physics dawns
berkman reaches parity
based on an eclipse

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Tuesday, November 16, 2004

E:CO

Emergence: Complexity and Organization (E:CO) "is an international and interdisciplinary conversation about human organizations as complex systems and the implications of complexity science for those organizations. With a unique format blending the integrity of academic inquiry and the impact of business practice, E:CO integrates multiple perspectives in management theory, research, practice and education. E:CO is a quarterly journal published in print and online by The Complexity Society, the Institute for the Study of Coherence and Emergence, and the Cynefin Centre for Organizational Complexity in accordance with academic publishing standards and processes."

Articles from the current issue of the journal are available online from this site. The "Related Books" page appears to be a well-vetted book list on the topic.

My model for using social network analysis in organizations is founded on the ideas of Dave Snowden (formerly IBM, now the Cynefin Centre), from whom I continue to learn. I'm looking forward to seeing Dave in London in two weeks at the Ark Conference. (I"ll post the link to the Cynefin Centre when it goes live.)

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Sunday, November 14, 2004

Leading in a Connected World (1)

I wasn't able to continue blogging "live" from the University of Virgina, and it will take more days for me to process my notes and blog here about the essential new stuff that emerged for me. Short term, I came on this Darden School notice that summarized the conference. I came on this while doing some additional research on Andrew Hargadon, whose work on innovation, How Breakthroughs Happen, is inspiring (from a social network point of view, among others I am sure).

The gist, of course, is that innovation is work, and that a key part of the work is understanding how to tap into and manage networks. He has studied the role of "technology brokers," those individuals span multiple disconnected worlds and move ideas around. (This is another proof point for the strength of weak ties: having multiple diverse networks that can be easily accessed, even if they are not frequently accessed.) His examples, from Apple to P&G, validate the principle: To build an organization that is capable of innovation, build networks.

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Saturday, November 13, 2004

Lilia Efimova

[yes, I am catching up on my blogitems on this day of the first snowfall of the year in New England. Three inches.]

When I blogged about blogs on November 19, I failed to recognize the amazing insight and articulate observations of Lilia Efimova. Denham Grey reminded me that I should do so, and I'm grateful for that. I've also added her to my blogroll, which I should have done a long time ago. She currently has great tidbits from the KM Europe conference.

I notice from her recent post that she'll be stopping by various places in the US on her way home from the Hawaii conference (for which I did not submit an abstract because at the time they were due I had not finished my thinking for the Ark Report on Social Networks and KM, which is coming out in December, and wasn't sure what I would have to say). It's tempting to take off and attend, nonetheless. I'll have to check with Bill Ives and see if he's already snagged her for a stopover in Boston.

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Conductive Organizations

I had the pleasure last year of working with Hubert Saint-Onge and one of my clients. Hubert is known to many as one of the gurus of knowledge management, and particularly for his work in communities of practice. I have used his models extensively and always learn from hearing and speaking with him. His latest book (with Charles Armstrong), The Conductive Organization, has a web site.

One of the assertions at the heart of this new work leads to the heart of what networking is all about: Central to the highly conductive organization is a continuous flow of knowledge from the customer to the organization, where strategy, culture, structures and systems are all calibrated to customer needs.

I am thinking that networks sometimes look like rivers.

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Niche Communities November 17

Mark Bonchek sent a text summary of an article on building niche communities by Steven Van Yoder and David Steele. It had interesting insights on building a "niche community" as part of a marketing strategy for business development. The Get Slightly Famous Web site has some provacative materials. The "teleclass" on Building Niche Communities is November 17. The tips are:

Tips for a Successful Niche Community

Define your niche and do your market research.
A clear and realistic set of community goals.
Actively recruit new members.
Provide more value than expected.
Take responsibility for the leadership and outcome.
Involve participants
Don't do it alone.
Form strategic alliances.
Actively promote your niche community.

Copyright 2004, Steven Van Yoder. All rights reserved. Get Slightly Famous is a trademark of Steven Van Yoder.

These are not rocket-science, and apply to communities of almost any sort. But I really like "provide more value than expected."

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Wednesday, November 03, 2004

Live from UVA

The Leading in a Connected World conference has kicked off in Charlottesville, Virginia at the University of Virginia. Today's appetizer is an SNA tutorial, which I am attending just for the benefit of being in the room (and making connections). Rob Cross, Andrew Parker, and Valdis Krebs envisioned that about 20 or so people would want to attend the workshop. Over 85 people are here, soaking up the language of networks.

The University of Virginia was founded by Thomas Jefferson, whose vision was an "academical village" of learners, scholars, and "visitors" was realized on this gorgeous campus (which is treating us to a lovely warm and sunny fall day). The old part of the university, the original "academical village" has 47 student dorm rooms facing the "lawn." These rooms are highly coveted and awarded to students based on a stiff competition. Rob Cross, not surpisingly, has been mapping some of the networks here and introduced the afternoon by showin his map of the "go-to" network for information among the students who live in the village.

Some familiar faces here, from the old IKM (Institute for Knowledge Management) days, including Melissie Rumizen and Giora Hadar. Gennnova and advanced thinking colleagues, along with Rob and Andrew and Valdis Krebs, ground me in a sea of new faces.

Andrew did a quick (1hour!) tutorial on UCINET; Valdis did short demo of Inflow, If I hadn't already been using both of these, I think it might have been hard to keep up. The power of the method really comes through nonetheless. An attendee asks how do we get people connected quickly? Valdis says, "people aren't routers." It's about what conversations you want to create.

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patti anklam. How to make networks work.

Find me person-to-person !

KMWorld 2008 September 23-25, San Jose, CA. I'll be doing a session on Net Work and moderating a day with KM thought leaders.

links: network analysis

My ONA Page

Rob Cross
Bruce Hoppe
Valdis Krebs
INSNA
ONA-prac. The online community for learners and practitioners in the emerging field of Organizational Network Analysis.

links: blogroll

21st Century Organization
Anecdote
Bill Ives
Dave Snowden
David Gurteen
Denham Grey
Jack Vinson
Patrick Lambe
Ross Dawson