From Networking to Coordination and Collaboration

 How often do we attend networking events, with the hopes of making that one connection that will skyrocket our careers or events into a place of success? How often do we capitalize on the opportunities and connections that we make at networking events or have networking events simply become  platforms for us to brag about our professional accomplishments? Networking is defined as a supportive system of sharing information and services amongst individuals and groups that have common interests,  in hopes of creating some sort of collaborative effort that will benefit all individuals involved. However, according to Einbender, Robertson, Garcia, Vuskovic, & Patti (2000) " a dominate perspective on human behavior suggests that individuals( and by extension their organizations) are inclined to pursue their own self interests and thus are more prone to compete rather than to collaborate." So organizationaly how do nonprofits move beyond networking, to coordinating efforts and collaborating on new projects as opposed to duplicating efforts? I leave this as an open ended blog for us to discuss.

I look forward to your comments!


References

Einbender, S.D., Robertson, P.J.,Garcia, A.,Vuskovic, G., & Patti R.J., (2000) Interorganizational collaboration in social service organizations: A study of the prerequisites for success. Journal of Children & Poverty, 6 (2), 119-140.