More than ever, we need to learn how to harness the power of networks to tackle the complex issues we're facing as a society. Here's a quick guide to the basics of social network analysis.
The urgency and scale of social problems, coupled with the limited results to date, cry out for new approaches. - Jane Wei-Skillern, Nora Silver and Eric Heitz “Cracking the Network Code”
Organizations have been the lever through which we try to create social change for far too long. ! We have to bring people together across sectors, from within and outside government, and from all walks of life.
The status quo is a result of the web of relationships and incentives among stakeholders (including us). ! It’s not that we’re “stuck” — it’s that competing interests provide a balancing effect that resists change.
Data can be collected via survey, pulled from existing data sources or populated via personal knowledge. surveys Data Knowledge Pull from spreadsheets, CRMs, public data, email traffic, social networks and more Surveys ask participants both relational and demographic questions Use the wisdom in the room to identify stakeholders and key relationships
• Who do you work with? • Who do you turn to for new ideas? • Who do you turn to for advice? • How does working with this person affect your energy levels? Examples of Relational Survey Questions
Examples of DEMOGRAPHIC Survey Questions • What is your age? • What sector do you work in? • What is your job title? • How many years experience do you have?
Metrics provide an unbiased way to interpret relationships. You’ve got a few to choose from… degree INdegree OUTdegree ties pairs CLOSENESS farness reach betweenness eigenvector katz pagerank percolation cross-clique
Metrics provide an unbiased way to interpret relationships. You’ve got a few to choose from… but we’ll focus on these three for now. degree INdegree OUTdegree ties pairs CLOSENESS farness reach betweenness eigenvector katz pagerank percolation cross-clique
Closeness Identifies those with high visibility about what’s happening across the network by measuring the distance from one element to all other elements
Identifies key bridges and those who control the flow of information by counting the number of times an element lies on the shortest path between two other elements Betweenness
let’s recap 1. SNA helps tackle complex social problems. 2. Use surveys, data, and local knowledge to build the network. 3. Calculate metrics to identify key players within the network. 4. Apply what you’ve learned to make a difference. 5. Don’t forget to use common sense!
Jeff Mohr is the cofounder & CEO of Kumu, a web-based platform that gives influencers the tools to track, visualize and leverage relationships to overcome their toughest obstacles. ! Learn more at kumu.io or say hi @kumupowered Thanks!
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