The power of networks and the strengths of weak links

“Worth a read?” is not your ordinary book review; it is a meta-review. In other words, it provides an overview of the opinions contained in a variety of book reviews published in the media at large. This week, we take a look at "Superconnect: The Power of Networks and the Strength of Weak Links", written by Richard Koch and Greg Lockwood, and released in South Africa in July 2010.

What is it all about?

No management book or entrepreneurial course is complete without a section on the importance of networking. As the world has become increasingly globalised, our capacity to network has come under the spotlight. Whether it is your ability to chat up a potential business contact at a cocktail party, or keep a sales representative on the move by maintaining cordial relations, your networking strength is often equated with your potential to grow a business.

In “Superconnect”, authors Koch and Lockwood argue that there are three types of networks. "Strong links" are our networking relationships with close friends and family; "hubs" are the networks within which we operate in our daily lives (such as the business environment); and "weak links" are those people who feature only on the fringe of our networks.

The authors' central argument is that "weak links" hold the most potential for significant change and improvement in our lives. A chance encounter with a friend of a friend, a quick coffee with an old acquaintance, or a phone conversation with the guy sitting three seats to the right of you at your last business meeting – these are the people who can offer fresh insights and ideas that will improve your ability to succeed in life.

Who are the authors?

Richard Koch is a successful investor and entrepreneur. He has authored or co-authored a number of books, the most successful being “The 80/20 Principle” which sold over 750 000 copies.

Greg Lockwood is a venture investor specialising in businesses that connect people.

What do others say?

To date, “Superconnect” has received relatively limited media attention, most likely as a result of the heaps of books on networking that have been forthcoming from the likes of linguists, biologists and computer scientists.

Although some critics hold that the case studies are interesting – specifically the authors’ investigation into how networking has been a key to success even before globalisation – others maintain that the case studies are viewed uncritically and that scientific backing for the conclusions is nonexistent.

Furthermore, the book has received criticism for assuming that all people are natural networkers; and for the fact that it offers no advice on how to hone networking skills as such.

However, at the very least, reading this book will give you a new excuse the next time you get caught on Facebook while at work: "But Boss, I’m investigating the weak links in my networking structure!"

“The Independent”: "[T]ake these 300 pages of advice as one might read a horoscope. Superconnect relies extensively on anecdote and, where real scientific research is used, it is so uncritically done so that I would remind you of another far more succinct truism that your parents probably handed down to you years ago: 'Don’t go into business with friends or family.' It works just as well as a rule of thumb."

“The Sunday Times”: "Most examples are drawn from the authors’ professional experience, and the strongest parts of the book are when they are doling out advice to aspiring entrepreneurs. But it is when they try to develop their argument beyond their area of expertise that they are less convincing. They suggest that if we think of ourselves as 'autonomous hubs with a useful network in tow', we could free ourselves from a 'wage-slave' mentality and all become self-asserting entrepreneurs like them – which, in the current economic climate, may strike most people as naively optimistic."

How do I get hold of it?

“Superconnect: The Power of Networks and the Strength of Weak Links” is published in South Africa by Penguin Books. It is available at Exclusive Books at a price of approximately R220.00.