Network weaving

We think of networks not as fixed diagrams or structures, but as living systems made up of relationships that are:

• forming
• shifting
• deepening
• sometimes fading.

Sometimes we create maps or diagrams, as a way of noticing what is there, and what might be missing. But these are only ever snapshots. The network itself is something lived - in relationships, interactions, and shared practice.

Rather than a structure, we understand networks as a form of governance. This isn't governance based on hierarchy or control, but on relationships, trust, and shared responsibility. It is a kind of living governance, held through ongoing practices and processes of connecting, listening, and responding. This kind of governance is not always visible, but it shapes how decisions are made, how relationships are held, and how change happens.

Network weaving is the practice of paying attention to these relationships and gently supporting them to grow. Not by directing or managing, instead by noticing, connecting, and inviting.

What wants to grow here? Who might need to meet?

A network approach is different from more familiar ways of working. It isn't about isolated projects, fixed roles and central control. It is about:

• connections that emerge over time
• shared responsibility
• collaboration across boundaries.

These might be human and more-than-human. Formal and informal. Expected and unexpected.

Network weaving can take many forms. Sometimes it looks like:

• introducing people who might not otherwise meet
• creating spaces where relationships can form
• noticing where connections are missing
• supporting collaboration across differences.

Sometimes it is quieter:

• listening - a conversation over a cuppa
• checking in - a phone call or text chat
• holding relationships over time.

Often, it is about working at the edges, where different worlds meet.

Network weaving doesn’t stand alone. It is part of how we:

• notice what is happening (through practices like detectorism)
• imagine what could be possible (see collective imagination)
• and act in ways guided by our principles

Together, these practices help relationships grow - and with them, the possibilities for change.

We have Network Guardian roles in CoLab Dudley’s team. Their role is to notice when:

• new connections begin to form
• relationships deepen over time
• people start to act with a shared sense of care for this place
• ideas, practices, and support begin to flow more freely.

These changes are often subtle, but they matter. Because strong, connected networks create the conditions for new ways of living and working to emerge.

Network weaving is not a fixed role. It is something many people take part in, in different ways, at different times. You might already be doing it.

• By connecting people.
• By noticing where relationships could grow.
• By helping something take shape between others.