Comments on: Networked community management

By: — Informal Learning Blog

— Informal Learning Blog — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 00:21:38 +0000

[...] Networked community management, September 23, 2009 [...]

By: Best of Tony Karr’s E-learning « Ramblings from Africa

Best of Tony Karr’s E-learning « Ramblings from Africa — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:47:41 +0000

[...] Networked community management, September 23, 2009 [...]

By: Stuart G Hall

Stuart G Hall — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:52:25 +0000

Thanks Harold, I am a firm believer in heuristic tools in this regard, see for example the tool for community managers at http://tinyurl.com/psmupy. The simple/complex one is the most fundamental tool, which when uses effectively helps move the complicated and the chaotic out of the picture.

By: Harold Jarche

Harold Jarche — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:11:58 +0000

@Stuart Good point. There is a spectrum from simple to chaotic environments, and we’re facing more complexity, while still dealing with the merely complicated. Maybe we need a four-sided coin [simple, complicated, complex, chaotic].

@Rachel I think many organizations will not be able to change.

By: Stuart G Hall

Stuart G Hall — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:29:44 +0000

A further useful paradox in this context is creating value through understanding the relationship between the simple and complex in an online community, say in terms of structure and process. I see them as two sides of the same coin (indeed using such an approach to complexity allows use of simple metaphor which embodies complex meaning). This perspective also relates to how conversations can surface value (simple and complex), or what are sometimes called ‘nuggets’ — no metaphor intended

By: Rachel Happe

Rachel Happe — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:59:13 +0000

Hi Harold -

Great post and I really like your chart. I am very interested in how organizational structures will have to change to adjust to a more networked, interconnected, and complex world and explore a lot of these topics at http://www.thesocialorganization.com. I am a believer that structures and policies drive behavior and if organizational structures don’t change, those organizations will not be able to take advantage of the dramatic efficiencies that are available with the changing information environment. There is more pressure on margins now that customers have more information but there is the opportunity to dramatically reduce the cost of sales/marketing. More strategists need to be thinking about networks, systems dynamics, and complexity theory.

Thanks for the great post!

By: Harold Jarche

Harold Jarche — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:13:43 +0000

Sounds like an essential skill for working in networks, Tom – comfort with paradoxes.

By: Tom Haskins

Tom Haskins — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:24:11 +0000

The complexity of networks will necessitate our adopting more complex concepts of our personal identities and of our interrelating with others. I suspect that complexity will play out as logical paradoxes, both/and conceptions. For instance, I could think of myself as both a talented, unique somebody and nobody special – just one of us. Then I would relate as someone with special needs, requests, motivations and value to contribute while also being free to respond and reciprocate as if I’m no different from anybody else. If every node in an interpersonal network adopts paradoxes like these, the network would function very responsively, resiliently and adaptively in its context.

By: Chris LaBelle

Chris LaBelle — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:44:04 +0000

In the university setting, we’re seeing online communities popping up around numerous content areas and surfacing dialog around content ownership, vetting and the like. In many ways, it’s forcing a redefinition of roles as faculty realize their role is more akin to that of a facilitator than manager. Your post provides some helpful info around how best to set the expectations of those who set up these communities from the standpoint of sourcing some community champions.