Weak Ties
- 1. Weak Ties Dubuque Circles Initiative Leadership Track Series
- 3. The Urban Tribe • A makeshift family • These friends play a crucial, supportive role • Essentially the college buddies of adulthood • The ones who give us rides to the airport and vent about bad dates with over burritos and beer • Almost in constant contact with the same few people
- 4. The Problem with the Urban Tribe • Limits people to huddling together with like-minded peers • Helps people survive, but not thrive • Those who never make it into our tribe are the ones who will swiftly and dramatically change our lives for the better • Research shows that it isn’t your close friends and family who are the most valuable during the job hunt
- 5. The Strengths of Ties • “Strength” of interpersonal ties is based on: • Amount of tie • Emotional intensity • Mutual confiding • Reciprocal services • Strong ties would be family, urban tribes, partners, and other close friends • Weak ties would be people you have met, or are connected to somehow, but do not currently know well, such as acquaintances
- 6. Why Some Ties are Stronger
- 7. Strong Doesn’t Always Mean Better “Weak-tie acquaintances were often more important than strong-tie friends.”
- 8. Why Is This? • Our strong ties do not get people out of their comfort zone • Weak ties give people access to social networks where they don’t otherwise belong • Weak ties introduce you to new ideas and opportunities
- 10. BENEFITS OF WEAK TIES
- 13. “The disadvantaged hang out with folks just like themselves, while the advantaged engage folks of diverse opinion and practice.” - Ronald S. Burt
- 14. Other Benefits of Using Your Weak Ties • Research suggests that people who have a broad range of different kinds of social roles tend to be healthier and more likely to attain professional success • Occupying varying roles across multiple domains can create a psychological safety net
- 15. How to Use These Weak Ties • Grab coffee or lunch with an acquaintance • Brainstorm an idea with someone not in your “urban tribe” • Attend networking opportunities • Online networking