Maximum selfishness and maximum selflessness in Networks
I am working with a team that is promoting the emergence of a global topic-specific #network in a multinational corporation. The topic and the branch are not relevant, for I have seen the same in many contexts.
Internal networks need a critical mass of net-givers, people who are willing to give more than they will ever receive. This critical mass doesn't need to consist of many people, but their commitment needs to be sustainable and sustained over time. They are not saints, just people who are committed to the topic, understand the benefits of a networked way of working and have a strategy to work within the constraints of a corporation.
A challenge for the critical mass of net-givers is to do their thing without becoming sacrificial. This they avoid not only because of personal maturity, but by developing ways of working specific to networks.
At the same time most of the rest of the networkers ( not necessarily all) need to balance their rightful maximum selfishness (I connect to receive the best I can get) with maximum selflessness (I connect to give the best I have to give)
A challenge for the net-takers is not to stop taking, but to develop a generosity that balances their greed. This they achieve not only through personal maturity, but also by accepting ways of working specific for networks, that support maximum selfishness and maximum selflessness without guilt nor shame.
Internal networks need a critical mass of net-givers, people who are willing to give more than they will ever receive. This critical mass doesn't need to consist of many people, but their commitment needs to be sustainable and sustained over time. They are not saints, just people who are committed to the topic, understand the benefits of a networked way of working and have a strategy to work within the constraints of a corporation.
A challenge for the critical mass of net-givers is to do their thing without becoming sacrificial. This they avoid not only because of personal maturity, but by developing ways of working specific to networks.
At the same time most of the rest of the networkers ( not necessarily all) need to balance their rightful maximum selfishness (I connect to receive the best I can get) with maximum selflessness (I connect to give the best I have to give)
A challenge for the net-takers is not to stop taking, but to develop a generosity that balances their greed. This they achieve not only through personal maturity, but also by accepting ways of working specific for networks, that support maximum selfishness and maximum selflessness without guilt nor shame.