CULTURE | RULES – The Network Band

THE NETWORK IN PRACTICE

BACKGROUND on the infrastructure behind the scenes!

CONNECTIONS | CONVERSATIONS | IMPACT | ENERGY | POTENTIAL

Network Principles

– We are all smart, have something to offer. Equal, egalitarian. Mutual respect.
– Neutral and independent, global and individual.
– Making it personal. Individual and non-transferable membership/involvement.
– Be part of the co-creation process of designing the network. Active, in the culture/intent of the network
– Part of something bigger – both local and big picture impact.
– Be a doer! A practitioner, a continually improvement learner. Show, not tell others.
– Unique because of the people in it, and how they interact with CI and each other.

Our Network Culture is Purple

Operating in a world of complexity, engagement, empathy, collaboration, adaptability, purpose for good, uncertainty, self management, constant improvement, innovation, change, tension, learning, curiosity, respect, openness… collective intelligence, emergence, creatives, diversity, with shared energy, passion, purpose, and human perspectives. It’s neutral, independent, organic, collaborative, co-created! Does it work!? YES! Check out the rest of the site for feedback, inspiration and testimonials.

THE FORMAT, STRUCTURE, AGENDA, CULTURE

One of the unique points about the network is these are not cookie cutter events.
The value is that they are individualised, curated, like a bespoke product. Details may and should change, based on who shows up!

WHO – for Practitioners:

All events are based around people actually out there doing it themselves. This means that the stories presented are your stories, not someone else’s.
Improvement practitioners, the executors, the drivers, the forward doers, the self-directed, the activators, those out making it happen.
At all levels, sites, functions, locations, roles, industries, demographics…. you’re doing it and want to contribute and collaborate with others.
Everyone is considered active. There may be different experiences, approaches, levels in the room, this doesn’t impact the sharing as we are all doing it!

CONNECT:

Prior knowledge of who will be in the room provided, so you have an idea of the people, their experience, capabilities, roles, locations to connect personally.

WHERE:

On Zoom. Why? Because this format leaves no one out, location and time not a factor. Nor is cost of travelling for attendance.
We have been running online meet ups in NZ and globally since 2019! On all sorts of topics, and in a variety of combinations. They work!

The ‘ROOM’:

The zoom room is always open prior to the start time, and will remain open for a period afterwards.
Think like a physical meeting room. Some like to come early, some like to hang and chat afterwards.

MICs and CAMERAs, ATTENDANCE:

For these events to work as intended, people need to walk in with the expectation that the camera will be on the majority of the time.
Mics are on as much as possible, unless noise is disruptive to the conversation and talking.

It is also expected that you are present for the whole event. Otherwise it leaves holes in the conversation if you drop out.

CURATION:

There is scene setting, but as brief as possible to enable maximum interaction between those attending.
One of the magic elements is holding the space for our collective excellence and potential. That means space for all voices.

COMBINATIONS, breakout rooms:

This is dependent on the size of the gathering, and who is there.
We have done many combinations. It will be clear in advance which variation and combination will be happening.

Great feedback is coming in as to how we can use these to greater effect and impact.

SELF FACILITATING:

Currently all rooms, groups are self-facilitating.
Your aim is maximum co-sharing. We provide some ways, ideas and tools to enable that. Desire is that all voices are important and to be heard.

THEMES, focus, direction:

It will be clear in advance what the focus, theme for the meet up is. This can go as wide and varied as we like it to.
This can be as broad as, general growth and curiosity right through to co-solving and engaging in a particular problem, or around a theme, i.e. CI & Time, or a particular tool, approach.

GATHERING the insights, learning:

This will happen as much as possible. Through the chat, and other formats participants like. All meet ups will be recorded.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to also create a central open source resource and exchange platform.

POST EVENT SHARING platform and connecting:

Platforms for sharing: Email, Linked In, You Tube.
We have not found a best community forum platform yet, not one that aligns the connections up in the best way. (We have tried many, none quite work).
We need to design our own, but in the meantime we will use the platform that most people prefer.

OF NOTE:

We are not consultants, people attending are not our clients. We purely network and connect amazing improvement minds for collaborative success and excellence!
We are all active, and sharing the stories, challenges, wins, learnings, energy of our activation.

FURTHER DETAILS

MATCHMAKING:

Connections of the type that we do are not a straight line. So not everyone at every event will resonate.
Feedback is around 30:40:30. 30% Amazing! 40% Great to know! 30% Nice but no. That’s a 70% +ve strike rate.
Part of the magic is in you communicating this back into the network. That’s where the real energy happens.

FEEDBACK:

This is vital! The NZ in person conferences became exponentially better thanks for feedback from each previous group.
The feedback will be brief, and via Google forms. Example here: Google forms, event feedback for even more improvement.
What did you love, should we improve, favourite story, person, ideas for more events.

CHARGE/COST:

This element is bespoke, personalised. Some activity is charged, some is not, but it is not ‘free’.
Why? Because there is huge value in how this works. The feedback from 8 years proves it. It’s about value exchanging, provision including from the network.

ROI: If you get even one connection, additional resource, tool, idea, or benefit that is way beyond the entry/ticket fee.

TERMS & CONDITIONS for BOOKINGS

Link: EXAMPLE | NOUS Events Ts and Cs 2021

ATTENDANCE

The team does reserve the right to respectively produce, curate and convene the groups, events, meet ups for maximum mutual benefit.
If there is a consideration this might not be happening, personal contact will be made to ensure smooth flow, energy and engagement.

If you have booked and don’t fit and gel with the intent, the Network Team will work with you on this, perhaps book you in a different event, or as a final solution, a refund.
Though if you have read but not not thought they apply to you, then a refund may not be on offer.

If bookings are made, but for some reason need to be transferred to another event this will be entirely possible and communicated.

Attendance is expected unless you personally contact the Network with apologies. No shows, will most likely mean non-inclusion in the future.

FAQs | Answers to what people ask | THE NETWORK IN ACTIONWhat the network is and what it isn’t. What it does and doesn’t do.

IS – for the doers

This network is for the forward doers, the self-directed improvement people. Those who are doing. It isn’t really for the ‘helpers’, for the externals, unless you can demonstrate equity with everyone, a willingness to learn as much as share, and your stories are current improvement activities. I.e. this is what I did yesterday!

IS – curated

Access to the network is open, but not automatic. Imagine musicians jamming together, not all combinations will work.

IS – A professional enterprise.

Both a full time endeavour, a vocation and also for the greater good. Finding a way to sustain that is a key part of the network.

ISN’T – a consulting collaborative

While we collectively create an amazing resource. We are not a group that actively goes out to help others in any kind of consulting consortium.

Has – a brokerage offering.

We just get to know so many people, we are getting good at brokering the right connections.

Do you/the network consultant, coach?

The Network of Us is about connecting improvement minds, so currently the Network doesn’t participant in consulting, coaching or training. There has been talk about a collective of external support but this doesn’t fit the mindset that we are all in this together, and have as much to offer as the next person.

How many events do I get for my money?

The network is personal and individual. As such setting this at the beginning of a year, a calendar of events has not proved useful. What has been better is an organic nature built on and from the needs of the people in the network. It’s about enabling everyone to come in the ‘room’ and be a participant in what they need from everyone else. The format has and continues to evolve based on the feedback and interactions from the network.

Can consultants/externals join?

This is a tricky one. On the whole externals change the dynamics of conversation. Consultants are there to sell, tell you what they know, they are not there to share what they are doing. Big difference. The network is more for doers than external resources. They have their place but not in here. Consultants are welcome to enquire. There are an extraordinary number of external people, coaching, consulting, training, offering resources. However most find that the network isn’t for them. It is , it is an improvement network not a business network. The point is to share and learn in an equal exchange. Share not tell or help.

Is there a central repository of knowledge, electronic, online platform?

So far the experience has been only about 10-20% at most are present online, only 5% participate, and 2% are truly active. So it’s misses 98%. Currently, how people interact with the network, is they still like the personal. They don’t want to read or consume lots of content, there is more than enough out there. They want to tap into a real human being who gets them, where they are coming from, and who is happy to co-create collaborative improvement solutions together.

Catalyst?

Doesn’t it rely on one person too much? It’s Your network? No, I just love what I do. I do my thing and people want to be a part of it. It seems a central catalyst, spark is needed. It is a key part of the network magic. Though with the two levels (see below), when the spark is lit and the people are together – then the catalyst is x%. 10 people, 10%, plus perhaps 2-5% extra as you occasionally have a need for a navigation tweak, but see Icebreakers, most people are up and in amongst it really quickly. It’s amazing.

Who funds it?

Good question. There is no consulting or coaching attached to the network. We are not government funded, or corporate backed. We therefore need to generate and awesome value exchange model to match the interactions. We are working on that here: Find out more.

What about webinars, etc.

At this stage there is more than enough on offer in that space. And most of the time people aren’t coming to the networking for a one way, they want multiple way exchanges, where on balance people want to be an equal participant in the process, no passengers.

Our focus point is connecting practitioners, for story to story, person to person, shared learning.

Icebreakers?

Funnily enough the nature of the network, people involved and comms mean these are very rarely needed. People just launch in, and the magic begins

There is a lot of background set up put in place prior to events! It’s like having a host for a dinner party. You trust the host so you trust the others.

ONGOING

Your ongoing involvement, participation will be based on your engagement and contribution.