Wisdom Networks & The Dip

I like the idea behind the book, The Wisdom Network.  The premise is quite simple.  Traditional hierarchical leadership operates - more or less - in top-down or bottom up channels.  But, various persons from within separate organizational structures might share keen insight and "wisdom" into numerous ideas or processes - if these persons would be enabled to collaborate and connect outside of the organizational flow-chart.  "Companies already have plenty of effective project teams.  What they lack are these highly innovative and diverse networks."  (p. 11)  Categories of traditional project teams - set over against Wisdom networks are outlined on pages 16-17 - and the rest of the book creates a framework for how these wisdom networks can be fostered. 

The book is an attempt to get away from the "silos" that operate within so much of corporate and business structure - where persons contain (hide/hoard) their local knowledge and do not share it. 

The book has much to offer in the way of ideas - which are great - but they are presupposed on the idea that the corporate culture (business or whatever) has enough trust and support to actually make it work.  Networks do not develop, it seems to me, within (or between) groups of people where mistrust and deceit or being taken advantage of takes place.  In fact, networks best function within mutual relationships of shared accountability and shared solidarity and shared effort.  The ideas in this book are great - if only the larger culture exists to allow for the framework of networks that they articulate. 

It seems to me that the only way the ideas in this book can take hold is if the leader(s) of the company/network/business can genuinely be trusted.

Great ideas from the book - if the correct culture already exists to put into practice their insight.

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I like Seth Godin.  I read his blog posts weekly - if not more often.  He's got keen insight.

This book - like so many of his books - The Dip encapsulates a really simple idea - spread out over many pages.

"We fail when we give up too soon."  "We fail when we get distracted by tasks we don't have the guts to quit." 

The dip is the time in life when one is tempted to give up.  But, if a person persists beyond (or through) the dip - and presses forward, there is the possibility for success.  "We succeed when we do something remarkable," says Godin.  "We succeed when we are the best in the world at what we do [having persisted through the Dip.]"

That's it.

Quit what is unimportant to you.
Stick with what is important to you.