Topic 3 Recognising nods and connections
When developing the network it is important to recognise what nods already constitute it. Thus, before making new connections looking through all connections and assigning them to particular group might help to understand what type of relationship it is and how it can be exploited in the best way. Here all types of networks – personal, social, or business – can be used for several purposes.
Weak ties are used to pass and get the information and services that would be impossible to get from close ties. In contrast, strong ties are used for getting the most important resources and help. Strong ties are less diverse but more efficient.
In cultural sector formal and informal aspects usually overlap and cannot be separated very clearly.
Talking about the beginning of the network, family members start and continue to play a crucial role for getting any kind of help and support. Family members are crucially important in the beginning when the network is small and consists of homogeneous nods. Than the number and variety of family nods may even outnumber the outsiders.
Source: Miguel Bruna on Unsplash.
However, by recognising and exploiting family network it is important to continuously develop the network outside the family, because dependence on family members may restrict the network. For this reason, it is essential to form a network of nods offering diverse expertise, skills, and occupations. On the other hand, it does not mean that new contacts must always replace old ones.
People are likely to concentrate on the maintenance of existing social ties rather than on replacing old ties. Moreover, successful networkers must use existing connections to create new ones. Therefore, all the networking process must be seen as a continuous process of searching for the new relations and establishing new ties, than spreading the network and finally exchanging information and services within the network.
The network has no value at all by itself and is useful only when it has active relationships. The inability of
keeping strong ties with all the network agents comes from the fact that developing and maintaining is not only profitable but costly as well.
