The Reliants Project #44
How networks shape our lives
Thanks for signing up to all the new readers! Here are some nuggets about how networks shape your wellbeing, relationships and community to help you actively cultivate yours.
Wellbeing
Stumbled on this fantastic visualisation for the value of different networks in the context of developing your own ‘Personal Knowledge Mastery’. You can imagine how the network starts in the bottom left as small and tight-knit. As you move to the top right, the network becomes increasingly spread out and loosely connected. There are clearly benefits to both! Unsurprisingly, this works both at the individual and organisational level, which he talks about here.
“This is about individuals making the best use of their networks and other sources of knowledge so that they can keep up to date with the most effective thinking in their area and practice new ways of doing things. Leaders who take responsibility for their own effectiveness through PKM create leverage and value for their organisations.”
Relationships
What has happened to our work friendships in this hybrid and remote-first world? Historically, having a good friend at work was highly correlated with work satisfaction and retention. These days, it’s not clear how things are changing. Some early surveys indicate that 73% miss socializing in person, while others suggest that Employees No Longer Value Work Friendships. What everyone can probably agree on is that It’s Tough to Build a Corporate Culture in a Remote-Work World.
Community
Just finished reading Build Your Community by Richard Millington. While it doesn’t touch on networks directly, it provides tons of actionable advice about how to think through an online community strategy from planning to technology to execution. One of the things I liked most about the book is how he differentiated between different types of communities and how to build with the individuals’ goals in mind:
Support - trying to solve a problem (e.g. customer support)
Exploration - learning and knowledge sharing (e.g. community of practice)
Influence - trying to change something (e.g. collective action)
Keep that in mind as you reflect on the community you are building and what your members are trying to achieve.
Like what you read? Share The Reliants Project with one person that you think would benefit:
About The Reliants Project
Reliant is my word for a person that someone depends on, an essential component of our social networks. With each edition, I’ll share useful nuggets about how networks shape your wellbeing, relationships, and community to help you actively cultivate yours. Whether you want to make better introductions, build better social products and services, or activate networks to make an impact in the world, let me help you reach your goals.
You can find more about The Reliants Project here.