Below is a graphic that I shared in my July newsletter, and in my library.
In its introduction, the article says, "To win a campaign, you need to correctly identify who has the power to fix the problem you want fixed. Then you need to pressure them to make the right decision. Power mapping is a tool to not only identify who holds that power, but, crucially, who holds influence over that person, and, therefore, who to target with your direct actions and campaign activities."
This is a strategy that I've followed, and shared, for more than 45 years. The graphic below is a page from a visual essay showing the "operating principles" I followed in leading volunteer-based tutor/mentor programs in Chicago from 1975 to 2011.
This lists nine skills/abilities needed in planning and leadership teams to operate an effective program. I used this to try to find volunteers to help me lead a program that grew from 100 pairs of youth/students in 1975 to over 400 pairs by June 1992. Initially I used an Excel spreadsheet to list all my volunteers, their jobs and where they worked, then used this to sort for skills I was looking for. I could choose from three or four names based on where they worked, and how this might impact that company's support for us if the volunteer took on a leadership role.
In the 1990s I started using a FileMaker Pro database to collect information that I used to support my print and email campaigns, and used to invite people to networking conferences that I held in Chicago every six months from May 1994 to May 2015. That grew to about 13,000 people by 2003. That's when we were forced to stop sending print newsletters due to lack of money.
I continued to use the database to recruit volunteers and donors for Cabrini Connections until I left in 2011. And, I used it to invite people to conferences until the last one in May 2015. However, it did not translate very well to our email campaigns that began in the early 2000s. I estimate that we lost regular contact with more than half of the people we'd been sending print newsletters to.
It still has contact information for tutor/mentor programs in Chicago that I host on the Tutor/Mentor website. I still have it if anyone would like to do an analysis of the range of organizations I was sharing information with.
After forming the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1993 I began to attend a number of meetings focused on reducing violence and improving schools. I often thought to myself, "Who else should be in this conversation?" and "What other information should they be looking at?" Those two thoughts have driven my thinking about network analysis for over 30 years.
In the 1990s I created the graphic that I show below. It shows the design of a mentor-rich program, with volunteers coming from many different backgrounds and kids getting involved at one grade level and staying through high school graduation. Our goal was that those connections would continue after kids graduated. Today I saw a note on Facebook from one former student to a volunteer, celebrating the volunteer's birthday. It shows that what we hoped would happen is really happening, at least for some former students and volunteers.
I continued to use the database to recruit volunteers and donors for Cabrini Connections until I left in 2011. And, I used it to invite people to conferences until the last one in May 2015. However, it did not translate very well to our email campaigns that began in the early 2000s. I estimate that we lost regular contact with more than half of the people we'd been sending print newsletters to.
It still has contact information for tutor/mentor programs in Chicago that I host on the Tutor/Mentor website. I still have it if anyone would like to do an analysis of the range of organizations I was sharing information with.
After forming the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1993 I began to attend a number of meetings focused on reducing violence and improving schools. I often thought to myself, "Who else should be in this conversation?" and "What other information should they be looking at?" Those two thoughts have driven my thinking about network analysis for over 30 years.
In the 1990s I created the graphic that I show below. It shows the design of a mentor-rich program, with volunteers coming from many different backgrounds and kids getting involved at one grade level and staying through high school graduation. Our goal was that those connections would continue after kids graduated. Today I saw a note on Facebook from one former student to a volunteer, celebrating the volunteer's birthday. It shows that what we hoped would happen is really happening, at least for some former students and volunteers.
Both graphics visualize the wide range of people who need to be involved in helping kids in areas of persistent poverty move through school and into jobs and careers. In this visual essay, titled "Total Quality Mentoring" I use these graphics and show the role of leaders in mobilizing volunteers to support youth serving programs in every high poverty area of Chicago, not just the most visible areas.
Here's a graphic I created in the late 1990s that shows an application of this thinking.
The people in the first ring of your network may not be able to influence change. However, if they share posts like mine in their networks, a lager circle of people are exposed to these ideas. Ultimately, this can reach the "super hero" who has the most power and can be a "tipping point" in an organization's growth and ability to have an impact.
In the mid 2000s I began to learn about social network analysis (SNA). One of the leading thinkers was (and still is) Valdis Krebs. In 2009 I wrote this article, titled "Nudge the Net: - how do we mobilize personal network to solve problems of inner city violence?" I followed up with this article. In both, I featured Krebs' work.
In 2010 Valdis Krebs donated software to the Tutor/Mentor Connection and presented a "how to" workshop to interns who I recruited to do an analysis of conference participation. Below is a map from a blog article created by one of those interns, showing participation in the November 2008 and May and November 2009 conferences.
These maps build upon what I was doing in the 1970s and 80s. In many articles I've suggested that people use these as planning tools for building their own organization, making sure that someone has each of the talents highlighted. And I've suggested to researchers that instead of just mapping "who participated", use concept maps like mine to show "Who needs to be involved". Then compare the participation maps to the "aspirational" maps, to learn "Who's missing?"
In 2012 I created a network analysis map showing my Facebook followers. You can see the analysis in this PDF essay.
I've written about network building and network analysis often since starting this blog in 2005. Here's a 2009 article that uses the concept map shown above. And here's an article from 2023.
Are you doing this type of analysis?
How can we apply ideas in the Power Mapping article to better understand who is part of the ecosystem of people and organizations that need to be working collectively toward building and sustaining programs and policies that address all of the challenges shown on the concept map below?
This map shows many of the issues progressives want to address and that the current administration seems to want to make worse for immigrants, people of color, people living in high poverty areas, and people with special needs.
Using concept maps like I show above, researchers could build a database showing all the different people and organizations who need to be included in on-going learning and problem solving, for many years.
Understanding who is participating.
By tracking attendance at the Tutor/Mentor Conferences I was able to create maps like the one below, showing who attended. You can see maps from the 1998 and 2008 conferences on this page. These show a good representation from tutor/mentor programs, but low participation from key people who need to be strategic in supporting these programs, such as business, philanthropy, government, research and media.
By tracking attendance at the Tutor/Mentor Conferences I was able to create maps like the one below, showing who attended. You can see maps from the 1998 and 2008 conferences on this page. These show a good representation from tutor/mentor programs, but low participation from key people who need to be strategic in supporting these programs, such as business, philanthropy, government, research and media.
In the mid 2000s I began to learn about social network analysis (SNA). One of the leading thinkers was (and still is) Valdis Krebs. In 2009 I wrote this article, titled "Nudge the Net: - how do we mobilize personal network to solve problems of inner city violence?" I followed up with this article. In both, I featured Krebs' work.
In 2010 Valdis Krebs donated software to the Tutor/Mentor Connection and presented a "how to" workshop to interns who I recruited to do an analysis of conference participation. Below is a map from a blog article created by one of those interns, showing participation in the November 2008 and May and November 2009 conferences.
Unfortunately these interns were only able to help me for a short period of time and I've not found anyone to continue this work since then. Thus, I was not able to map more of the conferences and move to the next stage of understanding "Who is missing?" and "How do we get them involved?"
Around this time I created the concept map shown below, showing "talent needed" in any successful organization. A parallel map shows "networks needed".
Around this time I created the concept map shown below, showing "talent needed" in any successful organization. A parallel map shows "networks needed".
I've written about network building and network analysis often since starting this blog in 2005. Here's a 2009 article that uses the concept map shown above. And here's an article from 2023.
Are you doing this type of analysis?
How can we apply ideas in the Power Mapping article to better understand who is part of the ecosystem of people and organizations that need to be working collectively toward building and sustaining programs and policies that address all of the challenges shown on the concept map below?
Using concept maps like I show above, researchers could build a database showing all the different people and organizations who need to be included in on-going learning and problem solving, for many years.
I'm still connected to the boy I first tutored in 1973. He attended college and has to sons who have graduated from college.
As you read the above, one thing you may, or may not, be thinking about is, "How does an individual, or an organization, do all of this network building, mapping and analysis?" How do they keep doing it for 20-30 years? Where do they find the money?"
Read some of my articles about having universities adopt my work, with it funded by wealthy donors.
As you read the above, one thing you may, or may not, be thinking about is, "How does an individual, or an organization, do all of this network building, mapping and analysis?" How do they keep doing it for 20-30 years? Where do they find the money?"
Read some of my articles about having universities adopt my work, with it funded by wealthy donors.
Become the "YOU" in the graphics shown above and share this article. Maybe you, or someone you know, will use the Power Mapping ideas to identify one or more people who will move these ideas forward.
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