Kurikulum Kepemimpinan/Networking

1. Business network

A business network can be defined as a group of people that have some kind of commercial relationship. It could be a boss-employee, buyer-supplier, colleague-colleague, etc.

An interesting approach is the one used by LinkedIn, openBC, IKarma, Wireless World Forum and ReferNet, in which the Internet is used to connect people with more than 1 degree of separation.

According to experts, business networking functions best when individuals offer to help others to find connections, rather than "cold-calling" on prospects themselves. Business networking can take place outside of traditional business environments. For example, public places such as airports, restaurants, and movie line-ups provide opportunities to make new business contacts if an individual has good social skills.

Networking consists of exchanging information and establishing personal connections. People network in many different settings: on the telephone, in hallways, in company lunchrooms, at professional conferences, at trade shows, company meetings, classrooms, lounges, hallways, elevators, airplanes, trains, busses, hotel lobbies and waiting rooms. Some networking is carefully planned and some just happens. Networking is friendly, low-key and essential in our complex society.

People network to: advance their careers, advance their own business, to increase their impact on the world and to improve their social lives. This discussion will focus on the first objective: career advancement. See Networking for details and examples.

   * Phase 1: Preparation
         o Evaluating one's career situation
         o Preparing one's "Accomplishments File (AF)"
         o Preparing a résumé
         o Obtaining information and making contacts

   * Phase 2: Basic Networking
         o Friends and family
         o Networking with alumni
         o Networking (cautiously) within one's employing organization
         o Attending professional meetings
         o Participating in professional organizations

   * Phase 3. Advanced Networking
         o Giving presentations
         o Publishing articles
         o Organizing a blog and/or a website
         o Arranging information interviews
         o Sending a broadcast letter
         o Using headhunters and employment agencies

   * Phase 4. Continuing to Network

1. Entrepreneurial network

Entrepreneurs need different types of resources to start or improve their businesses (or projects). Having adequate human resources is a key factor for entrepreneurial achievements. Combined with leadership, the entrepreneurial network is an indispensable kind of social network not only necessary to run properly the business (or project) but also to differentiate the business (or project) from similars.

Depending on the business (or project) this social network may be composed of:

   * specific lawyers,
   * scientists,
   * engineers,
   * suppliers,
   * government people or institutions,
   * local partners,
   * high skilled employees,
   * clients or any other kind of social contacts that can make the entreprenuerial business (or project) successful.

1. Social network

A social network is a social structure made of nodes which are generally individuals or organizations. It indicates the ways in which they are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close familial bonds. The term was first coined in 1954 by J. A. Barnes (in: Class and Committees in a Norwegian Island Parish, "Human Relations"). The maximum size of social networks tends to be around 150 people and the average size around 124 (Hill and Dunbar, 2002).

Social network analysis (also sometimes called network theory) has emerged as a key technique in modern sociology, anthropology, Social Psychology and organizational studies, as well as a popular topic of speculation and study. Research in a number of academic fields have demonstrated that social networks operate on many levels, from families up to the level of nations, and play a critical role in determining the way problems are solved, organizations are run, and the degree to which individuals succeed in achieving their goals.

Social networking also refers to a category of Internet applications to help connect friends, business partners, or other individuals together using a variety of tools. These applications, known as online social networks are becoming increasingly popular