[iDC] The right questions for creative collectives

[Abdul-Rahman Advany]

Hi everyone,

I have been following this list for a long time, someone suggested I
contribute a post I recently wrote. Two days ago I blogged about "The right
questions for creative collectives" on
http://blog.socialbytes.com/2007/12/the-right-questions-for-creative-collectives/.
I would love your comments/suggestions to this approach of networking (lets
discuss it on this list, Ill post a link on the blog to this thread).

The right questions for creative collectives

[image: questioning.jpg]

One of the tools that make creative networking powerful is the way people
get to know each other by asking the right questions. When you don't know
the right stuff about people its very difficult to determine what you can
ask them and how you can help them (or how they can help you).

One of the articles I recently read on the topic of collective creativity by
Haragadon <http://atypon-link.com/INF/loi/orsc> gave me a very clear insight
into "creative networking" and the interaction between people. Let me
briefly explain a part of this model to emphasize my point.

Haragadon mentions three behaviors, giving seeking, help giving and
reflective reframing. The first two behaviors matter a lot for creative
networking. People tend to work alone, and only together when teams are
formed. However this removes flexibility of people being involved, and
thereby reduces creativity. When you tell someone what you are doing or ask
them help, you inform them what you are involved in. When you give help or
are involved in a project you inform people of what you're good at. This
information about you travels by informal communication through your
network.

[image: haragadon.gif]

http://blog.socialbytes.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/haragadon.gif

*What do you do?*
The first think after their name most people tell each other is what they
do. I have even been told to prepare a first line containing my name,
current job/activities. For me this would be "Hi, I am Abdul, Entrepreneur
and researcher in the field of IT". However I am a little hesitant to use
this as I have a lot more roles in life then those two, but sometimes I do.

Most of the time there is always room to ask someone what they do. Some can
describe it in couple of words while others need couple of minutes (or
sometimes people are unable to shut-up about what they do ;)). I sometimes
ask what a person does when someone joins a group conversation or approaches
me and looks like he feels uncomfortable.

Recently I forgot to ask some people what they did, it seems like such a
basic thing. But when you don't know how people fill most of their day, its
difficult to position them inside your network. And what kind of people you
can refer to them.

*What are you good at?*
Looking at the model of Haragadon, this question of "What are you good at?"
falls right under the wing of help seeking. By asking this question you will
know when to approach this person. And what kind of information this person
might have.

I had until recently never met people who where good at discovering the
underlying cause of pretenses. The guy I met had a method of questioning to
find the reason behind pretenses. I helped him with some analysis of his
business idea and in return we explored some of the pretenses I had. In the
process of him telling me what he was good at and me experiencing it, it
established a very good feeling of who he was as a person.

I continued to ask people this question and found that I got the essential
information needed to learn what kind of people my network contained.
Currently I know what people are good at, I didn't know by only asking them
what they did. People have so much to offer then what they give at their
daily jobs.

*How can I help you?*
Most of the people I know like to help others, if its in a academic setting,
corporate setting or if its just what they like to do generally. However
most of them ask for something in return, a objective exchange of value from
both sides. They are not interesting in building social capital as a way of
helping each other. Social capital they can use later on because they know
what other people are good at.

Some people I mentioned in my previous
post<http://blog.socialbytes.com/2007/12/a-new-way-of-creative-networking/>work
based on the concept of valuation afterwards. They help other people,
by giving away information and contacts. They don't loose anything by giving
away those two things. Sometimes they get involved, and donate their time.
By doing this they build a lot of social capital and get the right
information, from the right people and sometimes at the right time. I will
dedicate a post to this effect of networking on information and on the
principle of valuation afterwards.

Couple of weeks ago I met someone who informed me of her plans. I
immediately thought of connecting this person with the other person I spend
some time with. They are currently working together on some very interesting
things. After some time, a classmate of mine needed some info, I didn't
hesitate to ask this person for this information and got a response quickly.
I wonder if I could find an agency who could provide me with that
information that quickly, and they would probably charge my classmate a lot
of money. And only in this case I have build social capital at three sides,
connecting two people and giving one person information by asking the other.

There is one more reason to ask someone this basic question of how you can
help them. Its very difficult to get to know someone by only talking to
them. If you haven't worked together or don't know someone who has, you will
only know what someone tells you. In the years of working with people I have
discovered that you really get to know people when you or others you know
experience how the person in question interacts, what he delivers, what he
contributes, enc. Recently I met someone who seemed to be very
knowledgeable, but when working together I found out how little (s)he knew
about the practical application of her field of expertise.

*Dare to ask yourself*
Helping people is good but you should also ask for help yourself. Sometimes
if you only tell what you are involved with people will offer their help but
its good to ask people for help because that gives people time to provide it
to you and return a favor. People are very eager to help each other, don't
forget that.

*The network effect*
When you get people involved in your network, they form a other powerful
node that adds value to the entire network. They spread around who you are
in their network, they get to know you by working with your network, and
they form a bridge between networks and making it a larger. Just read The
Starfish and the Spider <http://www.starfishandspider.com/>, great book by
Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom, to understand this effect in more detail.
-- 
Abdul-Rahman Advany

IM:  abdulrahman at advany.com
W: http://blog.socialbytes.com/
Skype: abdulrahmanadvany
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