Map Informal Connections and Strengthen the Network With Social Network Webbing

Liberating Structures are a collection of interaction patterns that allow you to unleash and involve everyone in a group — from extroverted to introverted and from leaders to followers. In this series of posts, we show how Liberating Structures can be used with Scrum.

If you get right down to it, organizations are social systems made up of people who are organized into networks. Those networks can be formally defined as teams, working groups, committees, or departments or informal, as groups of colleagues who have lunch together, go for beers after work, or share a hobby. Many of those networks extend well beyond the organization and into other kinds of organizations (like the Lions or the Rotary, churches, political parties, non-profits, etc.).

One of the great things about these networks is you can use them to drive change in, across, and beyond organizations. There are often remarkably few “hops” of social connections between you and anyone else in the organization — or beyond. And because the impact of any change is often constrained by the power that a group has to influence itself and its environment, this also means that this power can be rapidly expanded by tapping into these networks and connections.

The purpose of Social Network Webbing

As its description on LiberatingStructures.com so nicely states, Social Network Webbing exists to “quickly illuminates for a whole group what resources are hidden within their existing network of relationships and what steps to take for tapping those resources”.

This structure illuminates how your group is connected to others and gives you insights into how you can tap into those relationships to achieve a purpose.

It is an excellent structure to use when your group is trying to change the environment, and you need to reach beyond just those in your group to make that happen. Social Network Webbing is also a great way to draw in new ideas, fresh inspiration, and creative solutions from your environment.

“It is an excellent structure to use when your group is trying to change is the environment, and you need to reach beyond just those in your group to make that happen.”

This structure was created by Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless, inspired by June Holley (a “network weaver”).

Steps to facilitate Social Network Webbing

While there is no best way to facilitate Social Network Webbing, the following steps are helpful (and resemble what is on LiberatingStructures.com).

1. Create a virtual wall, or use the floor for the social map. Bring stickies with different colors.
2. Start creating the social network map by asking the participants to write their names on stickies. Put them in the center of the social network. These people are the “core group”.
3. First individually (1 min), then in pairs (2 min), and then with another pair (4 min), ask people to identify the key groups or departments you need support from to remove impediments. Limit to a maximum of ten groups and create a legend where each has a different color or symbol (10 min).
4. Invite everyone to write down the names of people they know in their (relevant) environment on separate stickies using the legend. Ask people to place the stickies on the map based on how close or distant they are to the people currently present (10 min).
5. First individually (1 min), then in pairs (2 min), and then with another pair (4 min), ask people to answer, “Whom would you like to include to achieve our purpose? Who has influence, a fresh perspective or the skills we need?”. Write down the names on separate stickies, making use of the legend. Map the stickies on the network based on their current and desired involvement. Update the legend as new groups are identified (15 min).
6. Ask everyone to look at the map that is emerging and ask: “Who knows whom? Who has influence and expertise? Who can block or boost progress?” Based on the answers, draw lines between people and groups to connect them (15 min).
7. Revisit and update your map periodically to expand and deepen the network.

Examples of Social Network Webbing

• Use Social Network Webbing to start initiatives in your organization and find and draw in the people you need. One example of this could be to bring all Scrum Masters, Product Owners, team members, and other Scrum practitioners together and ask: “What are the biggest impediments we face? What in this organization is making it difficult for us to work empirically?”. Then use Social Network Webbing to reach the organization to overcome those impediments.
• Use Social Network Webbing from the perspective of your product and plot which groups of stakeholders exist and how you are connected to them. Who are the people that can help you decide what is important to work on next? To whom should you reach out more often? Can you distinguish between your “real stakeholders” and your “audience”?
• We often use a highly simplified version of Social Network Webbing to close Liberating Structures Immersion Workshops. Here, we ask everyone to walk to one other person in the (large) group in response to three consecutive prompts: “Who first connected you to this group?”, “Who would you like to check in with afterward?” and “Who would you like to thank for their contribution?”. If people mutually feel comfortable with this, they can put (and keep) their hand on the shoulder of the other person while that person also moves to the person they have in mind. This visually shows networks in the group, how they are connected, and how they are shifting.

Combinations With Other Liberating Structures

Each Liberating Structure has a specific purpose. With its purpose of tapping into the wisdom of a group, “Social Network Webbing” can be preceded or followed-up by the following structures:

• Start by clarifying your core group's purpose or initiative with Nine Whys. Based on a clear purpose, it is much easier to determine who is relevant to achieving that purpose.
• Use Panarchy of Ecocycle Planning to clarify systemic challenges that you’re facing, then use Social Network Planning to draw resources and support from your network to overcome them together.
• Use the 15% Solutions to generate strategies for involving influential people who are distant or to work around blockages. How can you leverage your network to involve the right people? This can be as simple as making a phone call, email, or asking someone closer to you to connect.

Closing

Changing a system is hard when you only consider the people currently in your group. Social Network Webbing helps groups understand how they are connected to others and how they can draw resources and support from their broader networks to drive the intended change. Give Social Network Webbing a try and see how it drives change for you!

Interested in learning many different Liberating Structures in an intense 2-day workshop? Check out our agenda for upcoming Immersion Workshops. If you want to join, book early — they are exceptionally popular.