Sunday, October 29, 2006

Location, location, location

In an adaptive, networked environment, the primacy of location moves from geography to netography.

In the netography, it matters whether we're in the core or the periphery. Location in the core puts us in a prime position to be guardian of the network's core principles, values, assets, and relationships. Location in the periphery puts us in a prime position to be boundary spanners, inter-network weavers and the shameless idea butterflies and bumblebees. Moving from and between core and periphery in any network changes the scope of our opportunities for strategic serendipity.

Saturday, October 21, 2006

Expanding our scope through our networks

I continue to get good traction from the distinction of our 3 circles. Our first circle includes people we know well - we and they have a "relationship." Our second circle includes people we know of, but don't have a relationship with. Our second circle people are usually our first circle's first circle. Third circle people are those we don't even know exist, yet we are nonetheless connected to in 2 steps - we know someone (in our first circle) who knows someone (in our second circle) who know them (in our third circle).

Increasing the scope of new knowledge, ideas, or resources can happen in at least 3 ways:

1. Interacting more with first circle people who we only interact with infrequently
2. Interacting more with people in our second circle
3. Interacting more with people in our third circle