Knowledge Matters™

I’ve just finished reading “Net Work: A Practical Guide to Creating and Sustaining Networks at Work and in the World” by Patti Anklam , who is a recognised practitioner in network analysis circles. The central theme is we work through informal and formal networks, which may be tangible or intangible, but all have value. Her primary assumption is that all networks can be mapped. These maps serve to describe the network and provide a diagnosis of the health of the mapped entity, albeit the map is a snapshot in time. Patti’s premise is if the network can be mapped and described then the network can be managed and weaved – a premise I largely agree with, and which is an underlying assumption in my research .

"Net Work” has a five-star rating on the Amazon site and other book sites. Personally I would give it three and a half stars, as in some areas I think it a bit shallow. For example, it purports to be a practical guide but there are few examples of questions and even fewer how to examples. I also think the absence of a chapter on network measures and metrics is a major deficiency.

That said it is a useful adjunct to other books like Rob Cross’s “The Hidden Power of Social Networks: Understanding How Work Really Gets Done in Organization”, and Verna Allee’s “The Future of Knowledge: Increasing Prosperity through Value Networks”. Indeed one of the features of Patti’s book is the linking of social and organisational network analysis techniques with value network analysis. This approach is similar to my Business Network Analysis™ methodology . She also manages to weave David Snowden’s Cynefin framework into the book. All in all Patti has reconfirmed my belief that networks matter.

Regards, Graham