How to Build a Network for Impact
Playbook + Chainlog + MetaAlliance + Open Roles
Intro
Here’s a little something different! Rather than writing a post specifically for the newsletter, we’ve decided to utilize & highlight one of the best playbooks we’ve received so far 🙃
A playbook on building impact networks by another pre-DAO DAO OG that goes by the name of David Ehrlichman. Without further ado!
How to Build a Network for Impact
“It's all coordination, and it always has been.” - Kevin Owocki
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.
This is what networks -- intentionally formed and purposefully coordinated -- can provide. Networks are the structures of relationships underlying DAOs, affecting how DAO members connect, communicate, and coordinate with one another to take on challenges that no single person could address on their own.
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 hierarchical systems.
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.”
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 coordinate action. These “impact networks” can be powerful vehicles for creating change. (Note: all DAOs, if sufficiently decentralized, can be considered impact networks, but not all impact networks are DAOs)
While the “why” (a network’s purpose) and the “what” (a network’s actions) differ widely from one impact network to another, the “how” (a network’s formation) is remarkably consistent. Forming, cultivating, and sustaining an impact network involves five core activities, referred to as the “Five Cs”:
Clarify the network’s purpose and principles
Convene the people
Cultivate trust
Coordinate actions
Collaborate for change
These five activities are dynamic and interdependent. Never fully complete and not strictly linear, they loop back and forth on each other as the network evolves, and they’ll be revisited over and over throughout a network’s life cycle.
Clarify the Network’s Purpose and Principles
A network’s purpose is its reason for being; it’s what inspires people to join and contribute their time and energy. Clarifying a common purpose is an essential early step in forming an impact network. Due to their self-organizing nature, impact networks can’t be controlled. They can, however, be oriented toward a shared purpose, and this shared purpose is how networks stay coherent—even as they grow.
As a network clarifies its purpose, articulating its shared principles is also helpful. Principles are fundamental beliefs about how network members intend to conduct themselves and work together in pursuit of the network’s purpose. They guide members’ behavior and decision-making by linking values with action.
Together, purpose and principles create a foundation for vibrant, and coherent, self-organization.
Try this tip: Use this exercise to uncover the personal motivations—the “whys”—that inspire people to join a network.
Convene the People
Fundamentally, cultivating a network is about bringing people together to create a more interconnected whole. Connections are central to what makes networks work.
There are many ways to create connections: one-on-one, through group calls, through online communication platforms, and more. However, one method consistently stands above the rest: convening your people.
Convening is the art of gathering people together simultaneously, whether in person or online. Successful convenings create a generative space where people interact, think, talk, and collaborate in new ways. Convenings transform members’ relationships and create moments where participants envision and build their future together, making them critical touchstones for emerging and mature networks alike.
Try this tip: Use this list of questions to help members open up and connect at your next convening.
Cultivate Trust
Impact networks are only as strong as the relationships that hold them together—and these relationships influence nearly everything a network aims to achieve, including how information is shared, how decisions are made, and how work gets done.
When relationships deepen to a point of mutual confidence—when two people feel they can count on each other to act in service to the network’s purpose—we call that trust. Trust is the fundamental element that establishes a culture of openness, commitment, and collaboration.
Importantly, trust shouldn’t be confused with people liking each other or agreeing. To work together, people don’t need to like one another. And they certainly don’t need to agree on every issue. Instead, trust within an impact network is about finding common ground and working together to achieve mutual goals.
Although it’s widely accepted that trust helps people collaborate, a network may be tempted to quickly “get to the action” and let relationships develop naturally over time. However, we’ve consistently found that trust is the single most important factor behind successful impact networks; networks move at the speed of trust. Therefore, trust should be deliberately nurtured within a network from day one.
Try this tip: Use this group exercise to build trust, form deeper relationships, and set the stage for courageous conversations.
Coordinate Actions
Impact networks aren’t just about relationships; they’re also about flows—getting information, knowledge, and resources to where they’re needed most.
When flows are accelerated across networks, people are better able to coordinate their actions: sharing new or promising practices with one another, reducing unnecessary duplication, and finding quick wins that demonstrate the immediate value of the network.
Try this tip: Use this exercise to quickly coordinate your members’ needs and what they’re interested in exploring.
Collaborate for Change
Increasing connections and flows across networks creates many positive benefits. But if the goal of your network is to bring about far-reaching, systemic change, you’ll need to dive deeper and explore possible leverage points. These are the places in a system where, as environmental advocate Donella Meadows once put it, “a small shift in one thing can produce big changes in everything.”
However, to create big changes in an equally big system, a network must first explore the system from many different perspectives. People and organizations are usually focused on particular pieces of the puzzle, and for good reason: each piece is important, and it takes focus to develop deep expertise and experience on particular issues. But if they continue to work in isolation, they’ll be limited in their understanding of the whole.
This is what makes a network approach so valuable. A network solves three basic problems:
Limited knowledge: People typically engage with different parts of a system, with expertise in “their piece of the puzzle.” Networks combine and distribute this knowledge.
Separation: Most people are disconnected; they’re unable or unwilling to share knowledge and resources with others. Not so in a network.
Complexity: A system is more complex than any one person can grasp on their own. Networks bring the pieces together so groups make sense of the whole puzzle.
Without seeing the whole system, we have little chance of creating the systemic changes we wish to see in the world. But by bringing people together in a network, we can address issues from many angles at once, see the big picture, and make decisions that benefit the whole system, not just part of it.
About David Ehrlichman
Author of Impact Networks. Catalyst of Converge & groundw3rk. Thinking about the way we work together and how it can be different.
⛓ Chainlog
🤝🏽 Community
tommy has:
Run more Innkeepers Aligns and is spearheading a push towards the next MetaFest, happening in May. 🥳 Workspace is here, created with Misanth and tenfinney, as well as the new 🎉-metafest-planning channel
Speakers & workshops are being sought for along with some shilling IRL
Misanth further streamlined the onboarding flow with:
Work on 🚦-signpost and 🐙-becoming-curious discord channels
Fixed ‘non-sticking bug’ with the🐙-becoming-curious role
More Cohorts calls
Community Calls Guests have been
Lonis of Dework
Livia De of GovernautsDAO
Gary Sheng of DreamDAO and Civics Unplugged
Eric Mack on DAODenver
The new system of structured uninterrupted reporting by Champions and collective addressing of Help Needed reports, being facilitated by peth, is working really well to make Champions Ring meetings more efficient.
peth also started assembling the Elders Ring. Comprised of veterans & adjacent to the Champions Ring, the Elders Ring will serve to advise us in the successful realization of MetaGame. So far, the members include James Young, Drew Harding, Michael Zargham & Griff Green.
Congratulations to HBesso13 and Anna for their announcement that they are engaged to be married! 💑
📱 Technology
Dave
Created the ‘Designers Path’ in Notion to facilitate onboarding of new designers
Updated the Designers Guild roadmap
New designers quests are updated to further enable better self-onboarding
Designed the Quests widget for MyMeta & Dashboard
Contracting capability for MyMeta & Quests - MetaCollab - is progressing with dan13ram & help from tenfinney, now having written the smart contract for enabling players to hire & make agreements with other players. High fidelity designs by CrisLeash to follow soon. 💪🏽🌉🚀
Yet another perfectly executed Mint was enacted by Michiel and luxumbra.
The epic Ceramic profile integration PR by dysbulic finally reviewed & merged
Onboarding of Guilds is refined and tested with Bloom and Giveth, by Alec.
vid builds the filtering into Quests & proposes to champion Quests & Raids
Michiel automated props for player rank graduation
luxumbra has become Champion of Achievements and kicked things off right away with this awesome first offering on OpenSea, that he also made. 🤩 Explore the plans and discussion around Achievement NFTs on the forum here. Congrats luxumbra! 🍾
🍰 Content
tenfinney ran another well attended Playbooks Call, which was well balanced and engaging, with more demos of the system on Notion. Also set out season objectives for Playbooks on Discourse.
UniPuff (PVF) has been working on making a better Playbooks Criteria filter and editorial process, which is in progress and helping being shaped by Gnomeski, who also made first version of Playbooks Roadmap.
He also wrote a decent first version of the House of Wellbeing, looking for input.
Gnomeski is stepping down from writing this and being Writers Guild Champion in the face of renewed IRL pressures. UniPuff stepping in as support for these roles. 💪🏽
An awesome contribution from newly onboarded octo Beti is a great 3D logo
Share What You’re Makin with Chair n Bacon have done another great podcast with OxJoshua from Opolis. This was edited and published to YouTube and Anchor by eowulia, with shownotes written by Rose.
Notion had some nice banners added by CrisLeash and Misanth.
🌱 Growth
peth
Officially onboarded CRE8R DAO to MetaAlliance and continued the onboarding process with others
Finished the pitch deck, made a new recording of his pitch, started sending it out & inviting people to the Seed Fund telegram chat
Continues to work on the Focus/Align Raid, see The Golden Path here
Web Three Prophet
Has plans for a big headhunting push through the Cross-DAO Headhunting event planned for during MetaFest
Is developing the Elder Scrolls Online guild ‘Web Three Gate’, as an experiment in onboarding/headhunting. Banner design by biux
Has been gathering MetaGame guild-specific requirements from Champions, to help pinpoint Headhunting better
Headhunting in Crypto Commons Association
Has onboarded 9tails.eth and ppal
Anna and Web Three Prophet have been working together in further crafting the Season 5 Shilling Strategy
Anna has
Onboarded a new shiller.
Working on Witnet collab.
Shilling in general despite regional internet blackouts occurring!
tommy has upgraded the Bridgebuilding board in Notion
UniPuff has made a page for MetaGame on GuildsDAO platform, go share the vibe over there!
⚔️ MetaAlliance
MetaAlliance welcomes CRE8R DAO
MetaCartel launches the MetaPod Accelerator
1Hive’s Agave sees 300% TVL growth this month
Raid Guild starts brewing Raid Brood - beer for slayers of Moloch
GIVbacks round 1 rewards out, claim your POAP. Round 3 already open
Giveth - What if giving gave back? Using web3 to evolve philanthropy
SourceCred hosts the Kevin Siegler & Auryn Macmillan fireside chat
Token Engineering Commons successfully hatches - learn more about how
1Hive hangs out with Hedgey Finance - learn more about their offering
Token Engineering Academy receives a grant from Boson Protocol
Commons Stack partners with Regen Foundation to help Regen Network
DAOhaus does another HAUS PARTY - is “moar DAOs” really “moar better”?
Token Engineering monthly update for January 2022
Commons Stack shares the first edition of the TS Project Showcase - Droplist
Commons Stack - Collaborative Economics: A Non-Violent Revolution
BuidlGuidl gets 400 buidlers on Speed Run Ethereum - join them
🎩 Open Roles 🎩
The above made you want to jump in & do shit? 🙃
Here are some of the open roles 👇
🐙 Normal Roles
Normal roles are entry level roles that anyone can take on without committing too much time or taking on too much responsibility.
🛠️ Builder - An evergreen role, always looking for more TypeScript & other kinds of builders. Know someone? Bring them? Its you but you got frustrated with stale PRs & bad PMing - give us another chance 😇
📣 Shiller - Promote MetaGame & the upcoming fundraise in any adjacent DAO or crypto community
💩 Shitposter - Come up with funny tweets & memes to post on twitter, drop in 🐤-tweet-arena
🧠 Educator - Come up with useful knowledge & tips we should be posting from MetaGame’s twitter account, drop in 🐤-tweet-arena
🐙🐙 Deputy roles
Deputy roles are more important, thus come with some responsibility & commitment. You will be working with Champions.
🤑 Rainmakers Guild Deputy - Rainmakers are about saving Seeds from the collapse & helping MetaGamers build through the Winter Season as well as the upcoming many & towards sustainability. Join peth in securing MetaGame’s future & secure yourself a spot in MetaGame’s history.
🙌 Meetup Master Deputy - To help Tommy with organizing community events with the focus on workshops - facilitating knowledge exchange by scheduling workshops based on 🧠-brain-exchange
🎨 Artists Guild - We're trying to make MetaGame into "an intersection of technology, philosophy & art". Well, we need more art! There is no lack of art that needs to be made, just ask about it in 🎨-artists-guild
🧚 XP Fairies - This one's for those who get frustrated with the injustices in the XP system. Sourcecred is great but its not a panacea & there are problems that can be fixed, things that can get balanced! Ask 🤗-innkeepers-guild & help.
🐙🐙🐙 Champion roles
Champion roles are of highest importance and highest commitment & responsibility roles. There are requirements that need to be taken seriously.
🤖 Bot Army - Bot army champion does what bot army champions do - work on bots. The needs for bots are many & varied, there is much to do
🛠️ Builders Guild 👀 - Michiel has some real life shit coming up soon, looking for someone to carry the Builders Guild torch, run meetings & organize sprint.
✊ Onwards!
Coming up:
Playbooks shifted to an hour later - need writers & editors!
Yahya of ScribeDAO & ??? of ???DAO joining our next Community Gathering
All other calls as per usual schedule 🙃
Much love,
Gnomeski & peth ❤️
Great piece. It was a very practical reading and I will save it as a reference for every future event! Thanks for taking the time to make it this useful.