Network activity is more than a list of contacts; it is ongoing interaction and cooperation with various stakeholders, including colleagues, customers, subcontractors, industry experts, and other networks. Networking can take many forms, such as events, social media, mentoring, and professional organizations, involving the sharing of information, joint projects, and idea exchanges.
Network collaboration offers several benefits:
1. Sharing Knowledge and Learning: Access a broader range of skills, perspectives, and information, enabling continuous learning and professional development.
2. Sharing Resources: Resource sharing helps solve problems more effectively and achieve better results through collaboration.
3. Social Support: Strong networks provide support and encouragement during tough times, offering advice and shared experiences.
4. Career Development Opportunities: Open doors to new opportunities, such as jobs, projects, and partnerships.
A functional and productive network always exists for a shared task and purpose, requiring active engagement and common goals. Active engagement often necessitates an active person or a group of people who coordinate network activities.
Collaboration also needs structures and a model to get started. Over time, structures, models, and goals can change, and it can be said that network collaboration is continuous development and growth.
The mutual trust among members leads to commitment. Therefore, especially during the network formation phase, it is beneficial to invest in getting to know each other and spending time together face-to-face, as trust cannot develop without knowing the partners.
Network collaboration also requires tolerance to negative emotions. Sometimes working together can be frustrating if things do not progress as hoped. A strong network with high trust levels can overcome difficult emotions through open communication and collective support.
The KASVA – Sustainable Growth in Micro and SMEs -project exemplifies collaborative networking at multiple levels. It aims to unite actors from research and development organizations and public business services to promote business growth. By combining diverse expertise, the project addresses co-development challenges and improves customer service through regional peer networks and entrepreneur networks, which ideally support each other.
Networks are essential in today's work environment, especially for those working alone or in small organizations without internal support. At its best, network collaboration fosters creative and supportive interactions, significantly enhancing individual well-being and productivity.
Author: Tiina Pääkkö, MA, leader of work package 1, KASVA project, Faculty of Education and Psychology, University of Oulu
In Kerttu Saalasti Institute's blog we write about the topics of the Institute's research groups, micro entrepreneurship education and the Institute's general topics. The authors are researchers, experts and members of networks.
Our topics are: micro entrenepreneurship, future manufacturing technologies, regional excellence, micro entrepreneurship education