As more and more organizations attempt to gain agility and nimbleness by creating a network of autonomous teams, more and more of the people in those organizations are struggling to visualize or realize how they can be a contributing factor in this new world.
In Part One, we reviewed the key characteristics of network. New roles and responsibilities are often introduced during a transition to this new environment. Behaviors and results once rewarded and promoted in traditional structures are now recognized as detrimental to the network.
Managers are unsure of where they belong. Often asking “How do I lead in this environment and has my role lost importance?” Individual contributors are now told they are “empowered” but have no idea what to do with this power and in reality, don’t believe they really have it in the first place.
All of this change creates turmoil, unrest, and bewilderment. All the while, we are expected to deliver results at the same time. Doesn’t sound fun or easy that’s for sure.
If you find yourself in this predicament, I have a few thoughts and pieces of encouragement to help you navigate this situation (or maybe make it a little better.)
Become a connector. A thriving network is one with a strong sense of community. As mentioned in the previous post, connection is the lifeblood of the network and without it the network will disintegrate.
For you to thrive in the network you must be in community with others and to be in community you must be a connector. A connector is one who is looking for ways to meld unique perspectives into group wisdom and creative outcomes. Connectors actively seeks out those who are “lost” and brings them back into the fold. A connector bridges introverts with extroverts, loud people with soft people, long-timers and newbies, novices and experts, and those who are hurting with those who can help heal.
How can you become a connector? A couple of thoughts come to mind:
Embrace the storm. In Part One, emphasis was placed on members of the network being able to connect, disconnect, and reconnect quickly. To do this, they will need to navigate the storm of team development (the period of conflict in the Tuckman stages of team development). Be on the 
lookout for a special video episode of the Illustrated Agile Podcast modeling how I help team members navigate this journey.
Build triads. Always think in threes. A powerful way I have found to quickly connect is to do things in threes when possible. Build things in threes, talk about things in threes, generate ideas in threes, give each other feedback in threes. One tip to know if you need to create a triad is when the name of someone else comes up in a conversation. Instead of talking about them or wondering if they can help, go find them.
Be open. Sharing who we really are – our hopes, dreams, vulnerabilities, hurts, successes, and failures – paves the way for trusting connections in the network. Openness allows newcomers to the network to feel like they were a long lost friend we’ve just reconnected with.
If you are not a natural connector, intentionally surround yourself with people who are. Their characteristics will begin to rub off on you. By the way, some days are hard for me to be connector so I need to be intentional about openness, building triads, and working through the storms myself. I am still a work in progress but my best days of coaching are when I can do it.
Become a multiplier. A thriving network builds on the skills, competence and diversity of the people in the network. Skills and capabilities are additive to the network; meaning we can always hire more talent. While the network can always be made larger the network may not be getting stronger with each addition.
In fact, this is often the complaint when small companies become large companies. They pine about “the good old days” when it was such a fun place to work and 
when they were able to make things happen without politics and bureaucracy.
So a strong and growing network learns how to add talent to the network by multiplying the impact of that talent. This is done through a strong belief system anchored in the culture the company desires for their network.
Becoming a multiplier of talent requires:
Sacrifice. Give of your time. Let all of your knowledge and experience flow out of you. Be gracious in your words and quick to forgive. Rebuild bridges damaged in the past. Shrink your ego. Be small so others can be big.
The Transfer of Responsibility. People with more capabilities and leadership experience willingly transfer responsibilities, decisions, and rewards to others. This is what empowerment really means – a transfer. The impact of this has a profound multiplying effect by reinforcing the foundation of the network with trust. Every transfer of responsibility says “I trust you!”
Encouragement. The “turbo boost” ingredient to multiplying the network are meaningful words of encouragement. The network should be flooded with positivity. Add the words “I’m proud of you!” to the words “I trust you!” and sit back and watch the multiplying effect.
Become oriented. A thriving network works when the people in the network are passionate about being there. The enemy of the network is apathy. When people in the network lose hope and don’t care anymore they 
begin to subtract from the network instead of adding to the network (never mind being able to multiply the network.)
So never go a day without purpose. If you find yourself questioning why you show up at work or if you find yourself passionate about what you are doing but without direction, seek it. If you have purpose and passion around your place in the network, be grateful and share it with others.
Become a sensor. A thriving network has a heightened sense of their surroundings. Both internally and externally, members of the network are aware of what is happening to them (from competitors and market conditions), around them
(macro trends), and what is being self-inflicted by them (poor behaviors, weak connections, and unaligned systems).
So what should those in the network be sensing at all times:
Threats. Those things prowling inside and outside of the organization nipping at our strengths. Small threats become big fractures in the network if we don’t catch them early.
Opportunities. Those things we can use to our advantage including how to multiply our talent and creating the environment for innovative ideas to
flourish. The network should be in an athletic position at all times waiting to pounce when opportunity knocks.
Injuries. Those things impacting the health of our network. This includes anything keeping everyone in the network from contributing to the purpose of the network with full-force.
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