Task 3b – Theories relating to networking

Hey Guys

Who knew that there was so much to Networking. 

Really interesting but it was like reading through syrup at times. 

Anyway I hope you find it interesting. 

Task 3b – Theories relating to networking

CONCEPT – COOPERATION

Everyone is trying to make there own way in the world. Everyone is ultimately doing what’s best for him or her. If this is the case, on the occasions where it could be mutually beneficial to cooperate, how do you ensure that BOTH people gain?

1 – Who makes the first move (Initial Viability)

2 – Finding a way that works (Robustness)

3 – Keep it working, stop others from taking advantage (Stability)

Game Theory was my first great eye opener in this new exploration of the Professional Network.

There’s an audition tomorrow where they are looking for ONE guy/ TWO guys. I’m going, but do I contact my friend to see if he would like me to get him in to? Would they do the same for me in return. We both get the job, my friend gets the job and I don’t, I get the job but my friend doesn’t, neither of us gets the job. What is the end result of all of this? Would I help them, or others again if I get my fingers burnt?

Game Theory is very helpful to keep in mind as I am naturally a little too trusting. Keeping this idea in my head will keep fresh, that people are out for them selves and that you cannot assume that they have the same intentions/desired outcomes as you.

Obviously the potential scenarios are almost limitless, each one would change the probable outcomes so this limits, in part, the usefulness of this concept, but still the theory is an interesting one to keep in mind, and a large wake up call as to the self benefiting motivations that drive people (combined with the lack of wanting the other to benefit if you are not).

The Tit for Tat theory, the idea of repayment in kind or of equivalent retaliation, does not factor in alliances, friendships and is not as effective against groups. So the concept of using this, if they are nice I’ll be nice, and visa versa idea, does not work in anything other than the theoretical world.

It does however raise some very interesting ideas.

The first of these is Reciprocal altruism. This is a behaviour whereby an organism acts in a manner that temporarily reduces its fitness while increasing another organism's fitness, with the expectation that the other organism will act in a similar manner at a later time. The concept was initially developed by Robert Trivers to explain the evolution of cooperation as instances of mutually altruistic acts.

I don’t like the idea of only doing something with the expectation that the favour must be returned.

I would much prefer to deal/network with people who were superrational. The concept of superrationality (or renormalized rationality) was coined by Douglas Hofstadter, in his article series and book "Metamagical Themas". Superrationality is a type of rational decision making which is different than the usual game-theoretic one, since a superrational player playing against a superrational opponent in a prisoner's dilemma will cooperate while a game-theoretically rational player will defect.

This means that we would both have the others best interest at heart which is the value of carefully selecting your joint venture partners. As a result you would be much more effective together as you would not be having to look over your shoulder to check that the other is doing as he should.

What have I learned from the above? Many people are out for themselves, which is OK as long as you bare this in mind. I can use these lessons to more thoroughly vet my potential partners and finally that things are potentially much easier, you are much more powerful, when in a group.

CONCEPT – AFFILIATION

The affiliation section was very interesting as it raised more questions for me than it answered.

I found the concept that different people require different levels of need for affiliation fascinating. It goes some way to explain why some people appear to have the need to know and be friends with everyone whilst others are content with a more compact network. It also helps me understand that these people are not using this mass of contacts anymore than a person with a small group. They merely have an instinctive need for greater levels (in this case numbers rather than strength of relationships) of affiliation. They are not false, users or bad people they simply are wired differently towards feelings of connection.

It talks, in Reader3, of growing our professional network sideways (to others of an equivalent level) and upwards into the established hierarchy. My experience has been that those sideways of me offer support and to an extent also teaching, whilst those contacts upwards of me are for advancement/job opportunities. Are these upward associations (with the exception of some genuine contacts) a little more false and merely relationships of convenience. Are sideways contacts more likely to be genuine, stronger bonded relationships. Is it Quality or Quantity of contacts that is most important. Is there an element of having to sell yourself out to an extent to increase the chances of career advancement. Unless you are lucky enough to have a genuine contact that is upwards of you or a current sideways contact that gets a step up to upwards of you to who is then able to help.

People naturally hunger for affiliation. I do not think that many would dispute the huge benefits a healthy supportive network of people around you brings. However we are discussing Professional Networks here. I do not think that affiliation is as important in this area as it is in your personal network.

I really struggle with “playing the game”. It feels like I am compromising my integrity. Unless, as I said above, you are lucky enough to have a true relationship as an upwards contact, do you have to pander to upwards people in the hope that either now or in the future this could be of benefit to you?

If affiliations were “a network of support that will help us when we are in need” (Crisp & Turner 2007 pp266), then would these upward contacts really help us? What is in it for them, if they are truly upwards of your current position?

If nothing else I now have a greater understanding and therefore a new tolerance of those Professional networking beavers that strive to amass huge numbers of contacts for their professional gain.

CONCEPT - SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM

“all knowledge, and therefore all meaning…is…constricted in and out of interaction between human beings and their world” (Crotty, M 2005).

Having finished the last section of this module not that long ago this of course instantly made me think of the need to notice that you are having an experience to have any chance of turning it into knowledge through the process of critical reflection (learning).

Constructionism brings together objectivity and subjectivity. (Humphrey 1993) explains that before we were around on the planet all the ‘worldstuff’ was here. It was only named, characterised and feelings about them formed when we arrived. So the stuff that existed before we were aware of it is fact, objective. The subjective or opinions only came to pass only once we arrived and began having classifying and attempting to understand our surroundings.

“we do not create meaning…we construct meaning” (Crotty, M 2005). When you add this to the above idea of reflecting on the subject and forming an opinion this only tells half the story. It is only as you reflect and, most often, unbeknown to you put your own views onto it that it becomes Constructionism. You cannot help but see things through your own set of experiences (put your own colour on it).

Through writing this I have discovered that I have been looking at certain points through my own learned experiences, resulting in a missed opportunity in my professional networking. If it is us who give our own meaning to the different aspects of our world, we can decide if something is going to be interpreted by us as good or bad. Previously, in the affiliation section, I was discussing how I did not like playing the game, how these advantageous to your career contacts seemed a little false and made me feel like my integrity was being compromised. I now realize that this view was being strongly influenced by my own learned negative social baggage. I can choose to see it this way or I can choose to re frame this opinion. I can reconstruct my views on professional networks to see them as a more positive, helpful and necessary connection.

CONCEPT – CONNECTIVISM

I love the idea of choosing what you learn and the effectiveness in the way that you are choosing to learn within the context of the changing world.  You can have the best information/knowledge in the world at you disposal but unless you make the connection with a way to use/apply it then it is useless. “The value of pattern recognition and connecting our own small worlds of knowledge are apparent in the exponential impact provided to our personal learning”(Siemens, G. 2004). In many industries the person who earns the most money/success is the middleman, the one who puts (connects) two mutually beneficial elements together, an agent, Google or stock broker for instance.

Our networks used to be our Google search and are in some ways now of much less use than the Internet with its speed and wealth of knowledge. However the Internet can never replace the personal one to one advice and living the actual experience. Take an audition as an example. You may be able to find someone’s top audition tips/techniques but it cannot give you the personal and individualized advice, help and support that a colleague within your professional network can provide and visa versa. It also cannot provide you with that reassuring feeling that someone out there cares, and is rooting for you, and will probably call you afterwards to find out how it went. “Amplification of learning, knowledge and understanding through the extension of a personal network is the epitome of Connectivism” (Siemens, G. 2004). How can I apply this principle? By realizing that networks are not just about getting a foot up the ladder, they are about an almost endless source of everything and anything you need or want. Through your connections you become infinitely more than just you on your own.

CONCEPT – COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE

This is my personal favourite way of learning. By submerging yourself into an environment you not only learn through association you also have a sense of identity, a shared vision that enhances learning (such as learning Italian by living in Italy rather than in a classroom). I attend many Professional networking events but the ones from which I get the most are the relaxed, informal gatherings for a meal. I love the fact that whatever level you are at you can ‘bring something to the party’ and contribute something to the group as a whole. You form incredibly strong bonds and develop a real sense of belonging, pick up contacts and potential joint venture partners as well as answers to problems you did not know you had yet. When meeting with these same people in a more formal settings (which you could argue are no longer communities of practice as there is now a definite hierarchy) you can gain most of the same advantages but they are more intentionally done rather than a happy byproduct. One of the main benefits that I had not realized until reading through the information was the benefit of identity and standing for something that being part of a group can bring. As an attendee of the above group I gain a huge sense of pride and identity (what I stand for) as well as confidence in the work that I & we are doing.

CONCLUSION

I will definitely explore more my feelings towards the upward contacts and my relationships with them. If I can reset my preconceptions about them being rather disingenuous then it can only help me in my career advancement. I am delighted to have realized that through the less formal (therefore more fun) interactions within our communities of practice I can feel better placed to contribute and take from it a clearer sense of identity in the way I choose to work. I can now ensure that my communities are only those that I am proud to be associated with. With my new understanding of Connectivity I will have my eyes wide open for opportunities as well as feel endlessly resourceful. I hope that through my critical reflection, to continue making connections within my own life that will help me both professionally and personally. Finally I feel that I have more of an understanding of what makes people tick when networking. Most people are out for them selves in any given situation and people naturally have different levels of need for affiliation. This I can use to both tolerate the many frustrating behaviour's often associated with networking as well as realizing the importance of fully trusting, and thereby fully vetting, potential cooperators to ensure we have the same mutually beneficial outcome in mind and the others best interests at heart.

That's it folks. 

Hope you are all doing really well on your own works of art.

I look forward to looking over and commenting on your own take on this task.

On to the next Task. 

Stay safe - Phil

Task 3a: Current Networks

I spent a couple of days thinking, talking, drawing and writing about my Networks. I tried looking at them in various ways to see if it would reveal any interesting points.

First I tried looking at my life in general to see all the places and people in my whole life. Following major events, jobs, places I lived, study, relationships etc and all the people/contacts made during each of these points of my life.

Then writing down all the areas on which I spend the majority of my days.

Then I categorized these into the 7 areas I have previously used to attempt to keep balance in my life. Hobbies, Relationship, Friends & Family, Money, Personal Development, Career, Giving/Contribution.

Finally I used a Balloon map to see where the current flow of my energy into my Networks is going.

Could also do:

Time I have known people

Where I know people from

People in my address book

Frequency of contact with them

Who helps me/ who doesn’t and whom I am helping

How they relate towards my ultimate goal of Financial Freedom

Connections within my Network, who knows who else.

Layers of connections

Network applied to a specific goal

Primarily I ring or meet up with people within my Network or that I want to become within it. I have in the past, but infrequently, emailed, Facebooked, txt and skyped them to. Almost never write letters, and have just signed up to Twitter, Linked In and Blogging so will continue exploring their use in Networking.

I know that many successful Networkers use the same approaches as those I have identified already but through their use of a built up database of contacts they regularly txt, email, Facebook and even cold call people to achieve their objectives in Networking. Not sure how I feel about this blanket approach but I have seen it in action and it does work to an extent. It certainly saves energy but seems a little cold and inpersonal.

I could look to exploit these new technologies and use their easily scaleable power more. I could also use my calls and meetings to more of a Networking benefit and concentrate more on using Networking to find and vet potential Joint Venture partners to take businesses forward and plug my skill inadequacies. I need to become more efficient in my ways of Networking as at the moment I easily become spread to thinly.

Three years ago I decided to go through all of my personal Network of friends and identify which were the ones I would miss most if I no longer had them in my life. I made the decision based on whom I enjoyed spending time with and got the most, both socially and emotionally, from. In addition to this I thought about to whom I enjoyed giving to most. I felt as though I did not have regular enough contact with these most important people in my life. I was spreading my self too thinly trying to be everything to everyone and achieving, at best, mediocrity at it all. I wanted to devote the lion share of my time and energy to those I got the most from, my closest, nearest and dearest. I am much better than before and do have much more regular contact with them. Most months I send them all an updating email entitled The Flipper Chronicle. In which I write my thought and activities, events of that last month or two so everyone keeps up to speed on my life and future wishes. I have recently also started using it to get those most important to me to hold me to account. I will let them know what I intend to do that month towards my goals and then next issue/month I will tell them what I have accomplished, to great ridicule if I have not, without a very good reason, completed what I set out to. I still need to work on the format of how this works but the principle is there.

My personal Network is the most important to me. They keep me balanced and are my true success. I realized recently that no matter how much financial or career success you feel you have, they count for nothing if you have no one to share them with.

My Personal Power Network will lead me forward. It will be a strong close core of loved ones (15 or so people). Then very clearly defined bubbles of ethical people I enjoy working with in each of the 3-4 other areas of my career. The other areas will just be as needed acquaintances but nothing that I spend much time maintaining. This to me seems clear, manageable, easy and fulfilling, with no energy drainers or others who do not have your best interest at heart. Then you can relax, open up fully, and trust all those around you.

To do this I would need to clearly define, and therefore decide on the definite areas of my career. Find suitable joint venture partners and mentors/coaches. Continue nurturing my core relationships. And further making the difficult decisions on who can be in it and who is not.

Moving my Flipper Chronicles onto a Blog that my loved ones can view and comment on could potentially improve upon whilst still achieving what my current method, The Flipper Chronicle, of keeping in touch with everyone.

I don’t know if they would all be into interacting on the Blog. Some may feel it’s a bit cold or too technological for them.

How much do I actually offer to my Networks, how much do I take and how do they view me. I can only imagine that, in my business, to some I offer my expertise to and to others more advanced than me the possibility of a sale. In performing, I would say that I do not offer anything other than my skills to employers but to others…only my social self. My personal Network I support in many ways and in return I get advice, love and fun. I think that I am generally viewed as a unique, alternative, loyal, friendly and personable person. Possibly a little erratic but very focused.

The amount of time and energy I have and where I spend it has come out as very important throughout this exercise.

Task 2d: Inquiry

Common themes and possible lines of enquiry to take forward from my Blog and reflective journal.

I found so many of the points that came out of my review interesting. I asked myself the questions which were suggested in the Module handbook:

What in my industry do I Love or what makes me Excited, Sad, Angry, Confused.

This is what came out, although it may look a lot it has been condensed already.

Excited:

Finding my own voice

My new daily planner

Being the front runner or trend setter

Love:

Helping others and the idea of teaching others to better learn yourself

The Beliefs that people hold true

The “Another point of View” writing style

Angry:

Being told what I can/can’t do, being limited by people/situations

Sad:

That I still let thinking/over analysing get in the way of doing

That I’m still making the same mistakes as last year

Not always being honest with my feelings/self

Confused:

Why I think that being busier is better, Quantity over Quality?

What makes me push so hard/discontented?

Why do people self sabotage?

Why do I have Academic writing issues?

What do I want? What would I regret not having done if I died?

Why do people link self worth with failure/success, why are mistakes bad to some, not others?

Why am I resistant to change/close minded, why must I have all answers before I start things?

Why am I all questions and no answers, What does this mean, How can I use it?

Living in the now compared with planning for the future and controlling your present?

From this I have a leaning towards:

Finding my own voice – Who will listen, What do I want to say, How will I use it?

My new daily planner – How it developed, how it works, how to improve it, if it works for others.

Why do people think that busier is better - busy fools as the expression goes, rather than productive.

Why are some people more affected by failure and why does failure/ success define some people and not others.

Living in the now compared with planning for the future and controlling your present? – The balance of these I have wrestled with all my life.

The people who inspire me/I admire in these arenas are:

Anthony Robbins – Life coach and international motivational speaker

TED talk on Why we do what we do

Richard Branson  - Entrepreneur and visionary

Interview - How to get over failure

Simon Zutshi - property expert and friend

A short talk on What you want

Ekhart Tolle – Author of “The power of now”

Web Site

Oprah Winfrey - business woman and talk show host

Inspirational talk

I hope to find other people who inspire as I explore these fields further.

Let me know if you are interested in any of the topics I have mentioned above or any of the material you see/hear on the above links. I would love to know if you like any of it.

Stay safe – Phil

Assessment Task - Clarification

Alan went over the Assessment task at the end of the Campus session. 

It really helped a number of us so thought I'd post it for any of you wanting more clarification.

I have written below the notes that I took but they are key points that helped make the objective of writing the assessment clearer to me. I hope that they help you to, read them alongside your module handbook, page 7. They are generally a series of leading/prompting questions. 
What key themes have emerged, are you more or less sure about, which do you intend to pursue. It should not be - I know X or Y. Consider your engagement thus far in the program and the things you have done as well as not done. It's just as valid to say - I wish that I had done more of X or Y. You can say - I cannot get my head around, I need to find a better way to understand this. You need to show that you have taken a more distant and critical/reflective view - where does it leave me, why, what do I intend to do about it. X was an instrumental moment for me, now I need to explore that more. 

Everything up until now, the tasks, only provide the experiences to learn from. People in professional practice will not tell you that X is right or Y is wrong, you are your own manager. You must find your own voice, manage you own professional practices. 

Hope this has helped in some way

Stay safe - Phil

Campus session 3

Hi all. Here's a quick summary of yesterdays Campus session for anyone who couldn't make it, or those who did. 

We broke into groups and discussed Networks. The whole point was to Start exploring this word, as a first layer of thoughts. This is why the outcomes were so broad, no less interesting but very diverse. 
I will try, to cover the points as I understood them below for you, but keep in your minds as you read that these are nothing more than first explorations for you to begin your own personal thinking on the subject. 
We covered THE Network being different from MY Network again being different from PROFFESSIONAL Network. I would post a picture of our groups mind map on our discussions but it is quite abstract and without having been there at its conception, it would probably confuse rather than help. 
Types of networks; family, friends, social, corporate, work, artistic, academic, BAPP, colleagues, tutors, mentors, students, parents/children of any of the above etc you get the idea. 
The following have an influence over networks; social media, casting forums, YouTube comments. 
Other interesting points; you must make decisions on your network they don't just happen, you can look at your network from past, present and future as well as in the frequency, method, context of your contacting them or indeed by category. Category could be; you know them through a common interest such as kite flying (?!?) or through common location such as school chums (likely to have a variety of different interests). 
Also discussed was the amount of energy or time spent on a certain area or group of people amongst your networks and how this grows and shrinks depending on what you are doing at the time or what need them for. In addition we covered the give and take of relationships within networks and how this changes as your position/status within that same network grows. 
As well as this we discussed if you only have a finite amount of energy, time, resources to share or spend on your networks. One of the groups came up with a time line, project planning model, which they compared to being a bit like snakes and ladders. Alan picked up on this and added to it saying that as you learn and develope through your network it causes you to grow so if you were to hit a snake, sacked or injured, that you are able to start higher up on the next ladder you start to climb. 
I know that this is awfully vague and a bit general but it gives us all a chance to 'puzzle' our own way through using it to begin the thinking and questioning process. 
I truly do hope that even just one of the ideas mentioned above gave you cause to think, hmm interesting, not thought of that. If not... Then... (shoulder shrug)...sorry(?!?)

Let me know if this has been of...ANY help at all. 

Lovely to see those of you who were there at the session.

Stay safe - Phil

Task 2c: Critical Reflection on Reflective Practices

After much over analysing and much getting lost in the project, despite constantly reminding myself that it is the process that is most important.
Here it is, I hope you enjoy it.

Critical Reflection on Reflective Practices

Wow!! "Another View"

Hey everyone

Really quickly, I have just finished my Journal entry trying the "Another view" method.
If you have not yet tried this or are not keen (as i was not as it seemed a bit...wanky) then put all your concerns, fears and preconceptions aside and TRY IT!!!

I just had an incredibly insightful conversation with my sub-contious mind via writing about my day from the point of view of my car keys (i know i know...cheese-arama).

If you have tried this technique already PLEASE let me know how you found it, if you have not yet tried it, PLEASE do, and let me know how it goes.
WOW!!!

Stay safe - Phil

Task 2b: Journal Writing Experience

Which of the 9 suggestions have really made me think and is there one i'd use again? What have i, been surprised by, returned to, and have there been any common themes?
When i started my Journal "Description" was the natural style i fell into without even knowing it at the time. My journal was, and still is to an extent, a bit of a log rather than a journal, merely noting the activities of the day and where they took place (despite my best efforts - I'm getting better though).

On occasions i would also touch on "Reflection" in terms of mentioning thoughts i was having and how i was feeling about everything.

On one of my last entries i have tried "Evaluation". I remembered about this technique just at the end of writing, and on reading back over what i had written, I ended up adding a number of useful points. These additions were related to my daily to do list and how i was managing it. The learnings i made really helped me realise the adaptations that would be of most benefit to adopt, to improve the system i was employing to get the most out of the next day.

I don't really want to try "Graphs, charts & diagrams" as i don't think that it will work or help me. Saying this though i have just started using colour coding on my daily planner to more easily see where I'm spending my time. In a few weeks i will be able to go back and review the number of hours spent on work (earning money), fun activities, BAPP and my business etc. Perhaps this, when combined with my journal, I'll be able to see the recipe of the above that make me feel most productive, happy or otherwise. I do use charted information to motivate and monitor my fitness, business stats and budget monthly money. So in actual fact, after thinking, and writing about it, I have just convinced myself that maybe this method could be of some use.

I have not used the "What if?" technique. After reading through Jo Bradley's Blog I got the idea of using my journal pre-emptivley. I can use the "What if?" to predictively reflect, and thereby form insights, on events i am about to have (I'm sure that this will have a name which i will discover as i further read up on this subject) before they happen. Although you cannot predict future events, having clearer objectives and given reflective thought to those you know about, will most likely mean that you will be able to get more out of the experience and be in a more resourceful/tuned in state for those that are unexpected.

I am intrigued by the "Another view" as I'm sure it will be an interesting exercise, if not a little challenging, and I look forward (dread) to finding out the results. I shall try this one tonight.

The suggestion I am most reluctant to try (but i will anyway) is the "List" approach. I spend every minute of every day following lists (never ending lists) and i am concerned what effect this will have on my, newly forming and fragile, free creative and reflective self. Also what will be the outcome if it is merely a list of thoughts, suggesting that it will be nothing more than a series of un-answered questions or noticing. Again I have just answered my own question. I have just realised that it is likely to be in the reviewing of the Journal, and its many different types of writings that the connections will be made.

I'm glad I did not let myself be closed minded towards these technique as they could, on "reflection" (check me out reflecting), turn out to be very useful tools.

You can't see the wood for the trees. 
By capturing these thoughts, yes, i may make some connections and learn about myself whilst doing it, but it is much more likely to be in the overview of all the entries that proves most helpful.  Consistency of journaling and time will at some point afford me the ability to step back and see the overall/whole picture that will make sense and hopefully see the answers I'm looking for - as clearly as when the camera zooms out from Rolf Harris's seemingly random brush strokes to reveal the whole painting and therefore its subject.

Common Theme?
The common theme that i keep coming back to suggests that I can, despite feeling that i am very open to new ideas, be quite resistant to new ways of doing things. I know that having conviction in your decisions is important to success, but there is a line i was not aware of before, that crosses into being more of a hinderance, than a helpful character trait.

Final thoughts.
Interesting how the very writing of this Blog is actually acting as my Journal and helping me reflect - ask questions, challenge my current thinking/ ideas and connect the dots.

However there has been no "How can i apply or how have i applied this to my own practices" certainly none that i am aware of. I will be asking my self this question at the end of each Journal writing session from now on to see if i am able to tap into this untrained section of my task orientated brain.

I am still struggling to dig down into my thoughts to ask what does this mean and how can i use it. To be honest i did not really know that that is what we should be doing until reading for the 12th time the module handbook. Maybe now i have identified that i am missing something (and that i can at times be a bit closed minded) i can start to look for it (and stop doing it).

Stay safe - Phil