Keystone, connectors and netweaving

by Byron Woodson II

Keystone species are species that have a dramatic impact on their environment. For instance, bears transfer a lot of energy by eating salmon from the rivers, and throwing the scraps on land. Other species then take the scraps, move further from the river bank and feed. Other species then feed on what they left, etc. So by a bear throwing its scraps on land, other species actually fuel the energetic cycle of the river bank. Take away the bear, the ecosystem falls apart.

In human social networks we also have keystones. The person that tends to know everyone, is on a couple boards, and even encourages people to join their and other boards. There are the people who pass along job information or business opportunities. These people are keystones in their social networks. If you take these people out, the network around them isn't as dynamic, and it may unravel. Malcolm Gladwell calls these keystones 'connectors'. Connectors aren't people who are simply connected, they consciously introduce people to one another.

If you want to be a networker, make connections for yourself. If you want to be a netweaver, make connections between other people. By introducing people, you're not just passing along job information and business opportunities, you're developing the relationships that can lead to these. It's the difference between buying a vehicle to go over a rocky hill versus paving a road. If you buy an offroad vehicle, only you can get across the rocky hill. If you pave the road, many people can travel on it. And just like highways link towns and cities, more connections can be made, i.e. more travel and commerce happens, because of the paved road.

So when you meet someone, start to think who you know that they can help, or vicer versa.