April: All The Fellows Are Weavers, And Some Of Us Are Guardians

Editor's Note: Trish Tchume is the Network Organizer for the Sterling Network, a program of the Foundation. This is part of an occasional blog series about our Network initiatives.

Several weeks ago during a network committee checkin, I introduced myself to a consultant who had joined us in this way, “I’m Trish and I serve as the Sterling Network Organizer.  For reference, in other networks I think my role is usually identified as the Network Weaver.  But I intentionally call myself an organizer because everyone in our network has the opportunity to be a weaver.  As the Organizer, my job is to create the conditions for that weaving to happen effectively.” One of the Fellows on the committee paused before introducing herself, saying, “Huh.  I never knew that’s why you took that title, Trish…” 

So I filed it away for this blog:)

While network weaving is an ancient practice indigenous to many cultures, network practitioners often refer to June Holley’s definition as she literally wrote the book on the topic. In her guide, Holley offers:

“Network Weavers help people become aware of the web of relationships in which they are embedded and encourage them to become more intentional about those networks...network weavers help shape and weave their networks so that they become more intentional and effective.” Network Weaver Handbook, p.38

Holley further articulates the role of weavers by describing the four basic ways weavers tend to show up:

In the most thriving, impactful networks that I’ve had the privilege to be a part of, each person takes up the responsibility for these different weaving needs and lends their time and gifts in these various ways.  Sometimes the roles are defined - rotating facilitators or compensated project coordinators. But often they are fluid - members show up to a meeting and volunteer to facilitate or to connect key people in the network to the information and next steps post-meeting. It all depends on the needs, culture, and agreements of the given network. But the spirit of collective responsibility for weaving tends to be consistent across vibrant networks.

Though Holley places the “guardians” role on par with all other weaving roles, I have found that this is a role that requires special intention and a deeper level of network trust.  Network Guardians are those who not only see and hear network needs but take on the added responsibility of building systems and processes that respond to those needs in alignment with the values of the network.  For the Sterling Network, this critical role is reverently held by our Core Team.  While the focus of the SNNYC Core Team has and we imagine will continue to evolve as the network itself evolves, the Core team is grounded by this charge to be weavers who also build culturally-aligned structures that will last beyond their term and serve the network for as long as possible.  They are not the deciders.  They are servant leaders.

And my role as an Organizer is to simply create the conditions for their accountability and success. In service of our collective SNNYC goal of closing the racial wealth gap in this city that we love, once and for all.