Impact Networks: Create Connection, Spark Collaboration, and Catalyze Systemic Change

learning networks convene one to two times per year on average, while action networks convene one to four times per year on average. Some networks may only ever convene remotely—because of distance, cost, and accessibility—while others mostly convene in person.

cycle of planning and iteration allows networks to integrate both deliberate and emergent strategies for action.

Convenings bring all participants together to simultaneously build relationships, learn from one another, and make decisions for the future.

Network leaders (weavers, in particular) connect people together directly by making introductions and setting the context for a conversation.

you’re unsure how to proceed, ask yourself, “Who is this network for first?”11

the amount of time needed for a meaningful full-group conversation is about five minutes per person.

our experiences have taught us to start somewhere between twelve and twenty-four participants for the launch of most new action networks.

center people who are affected by the issue at hand, as well as those who typically are excluded from networks—from the very beginning. This doesn’t mean “letting them participate,” it means listening and following their leadership.

Whoever is invited to join a network first is likely to significantly impact the makeup of the resulting group, as the social structures that are present at a group’s founding are likely to be retained over time.