why social networks are overrated
JT Maloney
Long but good discourse on the early advantages and long-term
disadvantages of SNA.
http://bit.ly/15dK2n
Thoughts?
Entry-level advantages of soc/org/val analysis are enormous. For many,
they furnish the first network perspective. From there, for serious
business network optimization, soc/org utility drops precipitously.
Meanwhile, equipped with a basic network fluency, benefits of value
network analysis rises sharply, delivering continuous insight,
innovation, opportunity and refinement.
-j
JT Maloney
needed thread on SNA/ONA limits. Cheers, -j
David Meggitt
dyads and tryads being about relationships and knowing the type of
relationship needed by SNA/ONA in considering links between nodes.
This is further amplified by considering the case of parties being
present together and the impact of this on enabling communication
about meaning to be shared between those present as opposed to those
who were not.
In essence, it seems *to me* that the concept of a "network" in SNA is
different to that I adopt for value networks (VN). The links in VN are
to do with deliverables, not relationship types (as in SNA) , and the
so called actors actually contribute together in a co-creative
endeavour in VN.
>>>>> For instance, if you put A, B, and C in a room then they will all know what they have all discussed, right? Sure, but then you have just changed the meaning of what we mean by network. You have overlaid on top of the dyadic relations a separate structure that marks the three parties as privy to the same communications. You can call this a network if you like [I guess, Facebook does] but is something very different from what we conventionally mean by a network– i.e., a set of nodes joined by links. The point here is that these are different animals regardless of what you call them.
David Meggitt
John Maloney
structures. It is a valuable mathematical research tool for scientist,
academics, researchers and graduate students. VNA is focused on outcomes.
VNA is turnkey network analysis and optimization for individuals,
supervisors, managers, executives, leaders and all stakeholders. This and
its powerful SNA/ONA heritage are what make VNA so valuable to people,
businesses, institutions, the environment and civil societies. Cheers, John
David Meggitt
Nevertheless, the intimacy of actual relationships leading to
deliverables, particularly when considering informal / social network
deliverables (intangibles) tends to be diluted or non existent when
analysing, for example, innovation networks. (As in the EU innovation
networks study). This resembles an external consultant mode.
Accordingly, it differs from the facilitation mode. The latter,
implied for VN below, enables energised commitment to changing what is
discovered (what is really happening here?) to what is wanted as an
improved, optimised or otherwise transformed situation. Some may also
notice that this embodies what exponents of "Blue Ocean Strategy" call
"fair process."
It's all very powerful.
David
John Maloney
Yup. Very cogent and valuable. Thanks.
Mgmt consultants used to (and some still) call their work or offerings
'interventions' <gag>. Management would actually PAY for a deliberate, often
uncomfortable, interposition and direct interference of one person or group
in the affairs of others. Ridiculous.
The crowning achievement of this nonsense was the specious 'change
management' era <yeech>. Fortunately, there are scarce few consultants sill
practicing CM here in the 21st C. (Of course Change Management is still VERY
popular in Detroit... Good grief.)
Relationship intimacy is not a first order objective of longitudinal VNA
like the EU study. Rather VNA analytics are intended to inform an
appreciative narrative for implementation optimization moving forward.
Analytic findings and VNA deliverables sharply propel the facilitation mode
allowing participants and constituents to achieve new heights of meaning and
accelerated performance in very short periods of time. E.g, a picture is
worth a thousand words.
Too often well-meaning people depreciate the importance of intimate,
proximate, visual and relational context to achieving their objectives. They
are often hostages of structures, boundaries, function, technology and
closed systems. For example, through history, all management at Detroit
automakers had separate dining and lavatory facilities from workers, of
course.
VNA, both analytic and facilitative, fundamentally advances the capability
of people and networks to achieve positive outcomes. These outcomes
consistently far exceed the initial expectations of participants.
BTW, "It" is not powerful -- people are!
-j
-----Original Message-----
From: Value-N...@googlegroups.com
[mailto:Value-N...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of David Meggitt
Sent: Thursday, June 18, 2009 10:58 AM
To: Value Networks
Subject: Re: why social networks are overrated