Building Social Capital
Recently I had the opportunity to attend a local conference where someone was speaking about one’s “Social Capital”: who you know and what they know, as well as what people in that network are willing to do for each other. She started the presentation by asking us if we knew who we could count on in the event of an emergency: maybe a family member, a neighbor, a co-worker. As soon as she asked the question you could see the thought process playing out in the minds of the attendees as they mentally sorted
a list of potentials and rank ordered them. America is a nation on the move, and even with the advent of instant communication channels the threads of our personal networks continue to fray. Her point is it doesn’t need to be this way. The threads can be repaired and strengthened. Doing so is easier than one might imagine, but it takes time and some dedication on one’s part. The payoff according to James M. Kouzes[1] can be:
… more trust, reciprocity, information flow, collective action, happiness and, by the way, greater wealth.
Motivational speakers are like acupuncturists. As they speak, they are metaphorically placing the key points of their message as an acupuncturist would: gently and exactly where the listener needs them to be placed. A good motivational speaker can really get you going, but typically the effect wears off fairly rapidly (inversely as the distance squared!) unless one does something to reinforce the lesson.Â
Here were the key take aways:
- Our personal networks possess far more reciprocity than we might imagine. What we need to do is simply open ourselves to ask for assistance.
- Document your personal network and identify relationships that need to be repaired, strengthened, sustained and eliminated.
- Build on the existing trust, cooperation and goodwill by sincerely focusing on giving with no expectations of return. This is what enhances reciprocity.
And so as I left the conference and headed home I was in deep thought. I likened my network to a piece of sail cloth. I wanted to understand the structure and strength of the fabric and how well would it sustain stormy weather? I needed to document and analyze my immediate familial network. A company called humax provides Social Capital Assessment and Training, but this activity was not being done under the auspices of my employer.
This is what led me to start searching for a tool to document my network.
References:
[1] Dr. Wayne E. Baker, Building Social Capital as an HR Competence, IHRIM Journal April - June 2001
[2] Dr. Wayne E. Baker, Social Capital, Future - The Aventis Magazine
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November 2nd, 2006 21:10
“even with the advent of instant communication channels the threads of our personal networks continue to fray” - Wow; a great assessment, very timely.
“The payoff can be: more trust, …” - I’d add improved health to the list, as plently of research shows health is directly proportional to the number of connections in our social networks.
Very interesting story - thanks!
November 3rd, 2006 07:48
I agree that our feeling of connectness is an important factor towards our personal well-being. Thank you for pointing out that connection.
November 4th, 2006 19:52
In this regard I reccommend Keith Ferrazzi’s book “Never Eat Alone”. Ferrazzi is a highly successful marketing executive who believes networking should come not from exploitive motives, but from truly human-to-human needs and interests. I review the book here:
http://successbooks.blogspot.com/2006/10/success-book-review-never-eat-alone.html
November 6th, 2006 20:29
Manny,
Thank you for the recommendation! I visited your site as well as Keith Ferrazzi’s book and I have put it on my list of books to read.
December 4th, 2006 03:46
Sounds good at first, but I’m noticing that putting it this way makes my relationships be about ME - I become the center and the reason for the relationships, since it’s MY social capital. In other words, as soon as I’m not feeling fulfilled by the relationships, I’ll cut the “thread”, since the relationship isn’t bringing any return on my “investment” in them.
I think currency is not a good metaphor at ALL for relationships, if they are to truly be selfLESS rather than selfISH.