Levels of "Deepening"
While I outlined the importance of deepening one's capabilities in THF, I did not articulate a way to think about levels of deepening. I'll pose a simple way to think about this here and add a longer treatment in the second edition of the book.
Within each of the three types, we can think of developing one's capability simply in terms of the number of connections being made by the individual. Specifically:
Level 1: one-to-one
Level 2: one-to-many
Level 3: many-to-many
For example, if we were to think about a Relater:
Level 1: has a few ad-hoc friendships and relationships
Level 2: actively cultivates relationships and develops a network around himself
Level 3: brokers connections between members in his network
The levels are additive in that each successive level incorporates the capabilites of previous ones. Malcolm Galdwell's notion of a "Connector" is a Level 3 Relater. Closer to home, my friend, Steve Harper, is an example of a Level 3 Relater. Not only does he have a large personal network which he actively cultivates, but he constantly brokers new relationships among the individuals in his network. He does this via phone, email and at events.
Evolving through the levels of capability poses a challenge because the very thing that gives power at one level must be discarded to move to the next level. For example, a Level 2 Relater derives power by being a central node through which all conversations occur. Precisely because everyone knows them, they protect their power by keeping their relationships close. However, to move to Level 3, the Relater's mind set must shift. Power now comes from actively facilitating connections between members of his network. Steve's book is a call to action to move from a Level 1 or 2 mind set to Level 3.
One word of caution: it's very hard to "skip steps" in the deepening process. As you think about your next level, do an honest assessment of where you are currently. Are you comfortably operating in this level? If not, keep practicing! Otherwise, take baby steps to step out of your comfort zone to the level ahead.
We can also establish a connection between personal evolution through the levels and the increasing power of networks as established by Sarnoff, Metcalfe and Reed's Laws. The correspondence goes this way:
Level 2: Sarnoff
Level 3: Metcalfe
Level 4(!): Reed
Returning to Steve, we can make a great case for him being a "Level 4" Relater. He currently leads the Bootstrap Ambassador Program, an initiative making connections between Bootstrap Austin and other related organizations; he's not just connecting individuals, but groups!
The levels apply to Mavens and Evangelists in terms of knowledge and actions, respectively.
Within each of the three types, we can think of developing one's capability simply in terms of the number of connections being made by the individual. Specifically:
Level 1: one-to-one
Level 2: one-to-many
Level 3: many-to-many
For example, if we were to think about a Relater:
Level 1: has a few ad-hoc friendships and relationships
Level 2: actively cultivates relationships and develops a network around himself
Level 3: brokers connections between members in his network
The levels are additive in that each successive level incorporates the capabilites of previous ones. Malcolm Galdwell's notion of a "Connector" is a Level 3 Relater. Closer to home, my friend, Steve Harper, is an example of a Level 3 Relater. Not only does he have a large personal network which he actively cultivates, but he constantly brokers new relationships among the individuals in his network. He does this via phone, email and at events.
Evolving through the levels of capability poses a challenge because the very thing that gives power at one level must be discarded to move to the next level. For example, a Level 2 Relater derives power by being a central node through which all conversations occur. Precisely because everyone knows them, they protect their power by keeping their relationships close. However, to move to Level 3, the Relater's mind set must shift. Power now comes from actively facilitating connections between members of his network. Steve's book is a call to action to move from a Level 1 or 2 mind set to Level 3.
One word of caution: it's very hard to "skip steps" in the deepening process. As you think about your next level, do an honest assessment of where you are currently. Are you comfortably operating in this level? If not, keep practicing! Otherwise, take baby steps to step out of your comfort zone to the level ahead.
We can also establish a connection between personal evolution through the levels and the increasing power of networks as established by Sarnoff, Metcalfe and Reed's Laws. The correspondence goes this way:
Level 2: Sarnoff
Level 3: Metcalfe
Level 4(!): Reed
Returning to Steve, we can make a great case for him being a "Level 4" Relater. He currently leads the Bootstrap Ambassador Program, an initiative making connections between Bootstrap Austin and other related organizations; he's not just connecting individuals, but groups!
The levels apply to Mavens and Evangelists in terms of knowledge and actions, respectively.
posted by Bijoy at 8:05 PM
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