Introduction

The only lasting truth is Change.

—OCTAVIA E. BUTLER, Parable of the Sower

We live on an amazingly rare and beautiful planet spinning around a midsize sun on the outer arm of a spiral galaxy in a boundless universe. Our vast, living world is incredibly complex.

Across the globe, we face extraordinary challenges: climate change; lack of affordable shelter; food insecurity; racism; sexism; social inequities; large-scale displacement, migration, and resettlement; biodiversity loss, habitat degradation, and animal abuse; continuing violence; and declining mental health. Just to name a few.

Not only are these challenges complex; they are systemic and structural. They are constantly changing and evolving. A variety of actors, organizations, and institutions are involved, each bringing their own motivations, priorities, and entrenched thinking and practices. These issues are so tangled up, so nonlinear and volatile, that they have no obvious answers or straightforward solutions.

Yet, despite these challenges, I believe we also live in a time of unparalleled possibility for change. Mass social movements are arising all over the planet, systems of oppression are becoming exposed, and our collective capacity for sharing information and knowledge is at an all-time high. Even though in some ways it seems we have never been more divided, it also has never been more possible for individuals and organizations to work together across boundaries and create change.

“Change is coming whether you like it or not,” cautions climate activist Greta Thunberg.¹ The great uncertainty is what the world will look like on the other side.

Our Complex World

One way to think about multifaceted and systemic issues, whether addressing climate change, community health, or homelessness, is that they are not merely complicated—they are complex. The Cynefin framework is helpful in differentiating simple, complicated, complex, and chaotic issues:²

Simple issues can be definitively solved, with a clear beginning and end, such as cooking a meal.

Complicated issues involve many moving parts, but they can be defined and understood. They are technical in nature, with predictable solutions that can be implemented effectively by people with the right expertise.³ Planning and implementing the logistical operations for an event is complicated but not complex.

Complex issues are difficult to define, as they have no clear beginning or end. They also have no readily apparent solution, and we cannot accurately predict the path ahead. Consequently, we have to be able to adapt to changing circumstances and modify strategies as we learn what works and what does not. An example of a complex challenge is equitably eliminating greenhouse gas emissions across a large region. We will return to this issue later.

Chaotic issues, like their complex counterparts, cannot be accurately predicted or controlled. They are also turbulent, dangerous, and rapidly evolving. Chaotic situations—such as a humanitarian disaster—often require that we act quickly to save lives or tend to emergencies before working to establish some sense of order. They call for a rapid response to distribute information and resources to where they are needed most, before addressing the underlying issues.

To a large extent, humans have mastered simple issues, and organizations and institutions have excelled at addressing complicated issues with their efficient and reliable structures. However, in this “century of complexity,”⁴ the approaches we have used to address simple and complicated issues are falling short when it comes to dealing with complex (and chaotic) issues. What got us here is not going to get us to where we need to go. “A new type of thinking is essential if [humanity] is to survive and move to higher levels,” as Einstein famously said.⁵

Complex issues are experienced very differently by different people. As a result, it’s difficult to get people to agree on even what the issue is, much less what the solutions might be. Addressing climate change is extremely complex, not only because of the environmental science involved, but also because it is so intertwined with social, economic, and political issues (among others). Creating change at the scale that the world needs will require many individuals, organizations, and governments to work together to agree on the nature of the particular issue they face and to coordinate their responses accordingly.

To address the challenges of our time, we must embrace complexity and work collaboratively across systems of diverse stakeholders, even and especially when the path forward is unclear. It is not an overstatement to say the future of civilization and the planet depends on it.

Most people love the idea of collaboration . . . as long as it promises to do exactly what they want it to do. But that is not how collaboration works. Collaboration (as we talk about it) is not forced or coerced. It requires you to give up control. And because it’s not predetermined, it requires you to give up certainty.

Working with others forces us to have our assumptions challenged and our patience tested. It often leads to personal and professional disagreements about the right thing to do. It may require forging alliances across philosophical divides. It pushes us to be comfortable with ambiguity. It can involve partnering not just with individuals but with their organizations and institutions, which have their own self-interest to protect and layers of hierarchy to manage.

In our era of complexity, we need ways of working together that span our traditional boundaries. We need collaborative structures that are flexible enough to shift on a moment’s notice, that are resilient enough to withstand turbulence and disruption, and that bring people together as equals to share leadership and decision-making.

Fortunately, whether we are aware of it or not, we have already evolved methods of coordinating actions across many different stakeholder groups. From the title of the book, you can probably guess what they are. Networks!

Organizing for Complexity

Humans have always formed networks. Our social networks grow whenever we introduce our friends to each other, when we move to a new town, or when we congregate around a shared set of beliefs. Social networks have shaped the course of history. Historian Niall Ferguson has noted that many of the biggest changes in history were catalyzed by networks—in part, because networks have been shown to be more creative and adaptable than hierarchial systems.⁶

Ferguson goes on to assert that “the problem is that networks are not easily directed towards a common objective. . . . Networks may be spontaneously creative but they are not strategic.”⁷ This is where we disagree. While networks are not inherently strategic, they can be designed to be strategic.

When deliberately cultivated, networks can forge connections across divides, spread information and learning, and spark collaborative action. As a result, they can “address sprawling issues in ways that no individual organization can, working toward innovative solutions that are able to scale,” write Anna Muoio and Kaitlin Terry Canver of Monitor Institute by Deloitte.⁸ Networks can be powerful vehicles for creating change.

Of course, networks can have positive as well as negative effects. Economic inequality and the advantages and disadvantages of social class, race, ethnicity, gender, and other aspects of individual identity are in large part the result of network effects: certain types of people form bonds that increase their social capital, typically at significant social expense to those in other groups. Much of the world has become acutely aware of the harmful network effects arising from social media and the internet. This includes the proliferation of online echo chambers that feed people what they want to hear, even when it means rapidly spreading misinformation.

In our globally connected and interdependent society, it is imperative that we understand the network dynamics that influence our lives so that we can create new networks to foster a more resilient and equitable world. The choice in front of us is clear: either we can let networks form according to existing social, political, and economic patterns, which will likely leave us with more of the same inequities and destructive behaviors, or we can deliberately and strategically catalyze new networks to transform the systems in which we live and work.

A case in point is the RE-AMP Network, a collection of more than 140 organizations and foundations working across sectors to equitably eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across nine midwestern states by 2050. From the time it was formed in 2015, RE-AMP has helped retire more than 150 coal plants, implement rigorous renewable energy and transportation standards, and re-grant over $25 million to support strategic climate action in the Midwest. RE-AMP’s work is necessary in part because other powerful networks are also at play to maintain the status quo or to enrich the forces that profit from pollution and inequality.

We can look to the field of education for another example of a network creating significant impact. 100Kin10 is a massive collaborative effort that is bringing together more than three hundred academic institutions, nonprofits, foundations, businesses, and government agencies to train and support one hundred thousand science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) teachers across the United States in ten years. Founded in 2011, 100Kin10 is well on track to achieve its ambitious goal and has expanded its aim to take on the longer-term systemic challenges in STEM education.

The Justice in Motion Defender Network is a collection of human rights defenders and organizations in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua that have joined together to help migrants quickly obtain legal assistance across borders. Throughout the ongoing family separation crisis created by US immigration policies during the Trump administration, this network has been essential in locating deported parents in remote regions of Central America and coordinating reunification with their children.

Or consider a network whose impact spans the globe, the Clean Electronics Production Network (CEPN). CEPN brings together many of the world’s top technology suppliers and brands with labor and environmental advocates, governments, and other leading experts to move toward elimination of workers’ exposure to toxic chemicals in electronics production. Since forming in 2016, the network has defined shared commitments, developed tools and resources for reducing workers’ exposure to toxic chemicals, and standardized the process of collecting data on chemical use.

Networks like RE-AMP, 100Kin10, the Defender Network, and CEPN—along with many others you will learn about in this book—were not spontaneous or accidental; rather, they were formed with clear intent. These networks deliberately connect people and organizations together to promote learning and action on an issue of common concern. We call them impact networks to highlight their intentional design and purposeful focus, and to contrast them with the organic networks formed as part of our social lives.⁹

We think of impact networks as a combination of a vibrant community and a healthy organization. At the core they are relational, yet they are also structured. They are creative, and they are also strategic. Impact networks build on the life force of community—shared principles, resilience, self-organization, and trust—while leveraging the advantages of an effective organization, including a common aim, an operational backbone, and a bias for action. Through this unique blend of qualities, impact networks increase the flow of information, reduce waste, and align strategies across entire systems—all while liberating the energy of multiple actors operating at a variety of scales.

All around the world, impact networks are being cultivated to address complex issues in the fields of health care, education, science, technology, the environment, economic justice, the arts, human rights, and others. They mark the next evolution in the way humans are organizing to create meaningful change.

In the Pages Ahead

This book delves deeply into what impact networks are, how they work, and what it takes to cultivate and sustain them. It is meant to be read from beginning to end, as the concepts and references build on one another. That said, feel free to skip ahead if one section is of particular interest to you; for the most part, each section has been written to be able to stand on its own.

As you read, you’ll find references to an assortment of free tools and resources that can help your network grow, indicated in boldface and accompanied by the symbol shown here. You can find all these and more in the Converge Network Toolkit, hosted at converge.net. There you will find a library of free tools and facilitation guides, color versions of the network maps contained in this book, invitations to learning experiences, and opportunities to connect and share with other network leaders.

Following is a brief summary of what you’ll find in the pages ahead:

Part 1, “Working Through Networks,” provides an overview of what networks are and how they work. Chapter 1, “The Web of Change,” introduces the different forms of impact networks and explores two case studies illustrating how networks develop and grow their impact over time. Chapter 2, “The Network Mindset,” defines the core tenets of the network approach, how networks and hierarchies are distinct yet related, and how working through networks changes the way we think of leadership and strategy. Chapter 3, “Making Networks Work,” expands further on the primary forms of impact networks, with diagrams explaining how they are structured. It also summarizes the process of cultivating impact networks, outlining five core activities that are expanded in detail in part 2. Chapter 4, “Network Leadership,” describes four network leadership roles along with four fundamental principles of network leadership: foster self-organization, promote emergence, embrace change, and hold dynamic tensions.

Part 2, “Cultivating Impact Networks,” dives deeply into five core activities of impact networks, offering a practical guide for network leaders. Chapter 5, “Clarify Purpose and Principles,” describes how to catalyze a new impact network, find common purpose, and define shared principles to guide networks as they evolve. Chapter 6, “Convene the People,” explores who to bring together and offers key considerations for designing and facilitating transformative network gatherings. Chapter 7, “Cultivate Trust,” provides practices for weaving connections, deepening trust, and holding courageous conversations. Chapter 8, “Coordinate Actions” contains tactics for accelerating the flow of information across a network, practicing reciprocity, and responding to moments of crisis. Chapter 9, “Collaborate for Systems Change,” describes practices for making sense of a system and identifying high-potential areas for action. It also presents pathways for catalyzing systemic change, including shifting social norms and growing a movement. Chapter 10, “The Enabling Infrastructure,” concludes the body of the book with practical advice on how to structure an impact network, how to craft agreements for participation, how to make decisions collectively, how to embed evaluation to generate key learnings that will inform the network’s development, and how to resource networks, including pivotal practices for network funders.