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MESHWORK

Mesh working is weaving the fabric to change norms. It is about creating the atmosphere and environment for change through our connections with others. In our case, mesh working moves beyond networking and generating critical mass. We believe an integral component of the concept is grounded in the theory of weak ties. Mark Granovetter’s theory of weak ties in a big picture context (i.e. macroscopic) goes a little something like this…

Each of us has a densely knit collection of colleagues, contacts, and friends in our professional lives. Most sectors, for example, operate as tightly connected social structures where everyone knows everyone else, and are in touch with one another frequently. These structures inevitably become “siloed” and fragmented within the much broader community. The good news is that each individual also has a collection of acquaintances, few of whom know or work with one another and often, lead professional lives in vastly different fields. Each of these acquaintances is likely to have their own closely knit network – yet, different from someone else’s. The weak tie between an individual and his acquaintance becomes a bridge between two densely knit collections of people. It is the strength of weak ties that allows new ideas to filter through and unconventional approaches to succeed. This moves communities to evolve and innovate.