It is rewarding to see the enterprise and people finally begin to reject the specious notion of 'best practices.' (?)  It has been a difficult campaign, but finally people are accepting the futility of best practices.

In the late 1990s, your Action/Research Clusters conceived the notion of "Next Practices^©."  It’s the how and why of your global Future of Networks communities.

Next Practices^© are fundamental methods, techniques, services and technologies applied in highly contextualized and future-focused settings to achieve the most favorable outcomes. Next practices are people-focused, networked and emergent. They depend on variation, mutation, evolution and complexity to achieve stunning business results and breakthrough innovation.

For example, in Enterprise 2.0 it is futile and ludicrous to attempt deployments without a solid foundation of the social network structures that underlie and comprise all enterprise activities. (Yeah, go ahead, deride and laugh now, just like you all did in the 1995, but mark these words, your will all starting projects with detailed network analysis very soon!)

Network comprehension, analytics and mastery are the predominate Next Practice^© for KM, social media and Enterprise 2.0 and will be years to come.

Remember today’s KM Mantra – “It’s about connection not collection!” Or, if you prefer to paraphrase, here is the James Carville version, “It’s the network, stupid.”

Network analysis is a critical Next Practice for KM, social media, communities, collaboration and Enterprise 2.0.

Please accept this invitation and discount registration to your Bay Area Network (formerly the KM Cluster) leadership retreat and action/research workshop -

Social Media Network Analysis:
Next Practices in Social Network Analysis, Tools and Media

Friday 30 April 2010, 8:30am - 5:00pm
Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California USA

Secure online check-in for the Social Media Network Analysis workshop is open and filling up fast. Registration includes meals, parking, refreshments, materials, Wi-Fi access, reception, group workspace and discounts.

Social media, communities and collaboration are defined by dynamic network structure. The success of social media is determined by underlying social networks. Success is not determined by technology, applications or social networking sites. Social networks are the complex, omnipresent foundation of all social media, communities and collaboration. Comprehension is critical.  

Social media network analysis visualizes, interprets and optimizes the complex network patterns and flows of social media, online communities and enterprise collaboration. Comprehension and mastery of social media network analysis fundamentally advances the success of applied social media and achieves the most favorable outcomes.

Network patterns of contribution and connection determines social media success. Visualizing these network patterns aids implementation, adoption, security and effectiveness of social media. In the workshop, a range of pervasive Internet social media including Facebook, discussion groups, Twitter, enterprise collaboration, communities-of-practice, blogs and email are presented, analyzed and visualized. Comprehensive network patterns are explored to illustrate the scope of variation among applications and between types of contributors. These patterns reveal steps to achieve continuous success with social media, communities of practice and enterprise collaboration.

Like the spreadsheet in the 1980s, the process diagram of the 1990s, social graphs and network analyses are the critical tools of 21st Century organizations, economies, the environment and civil society. Mastery of social media network analysis is critical to comprehension, performance and prosperity in all the new economies.  

The Social Media Network Analysis (SMNA) workshop is practical, hands-on, low-cost and high-value. SMNA is highly germane to commercial concerns, the enterprise, non-profit organizations, small/medium sized companies, startups, investors, consultants and entrepreneurs. Your SNMA workshop is a small-group, close-in configuration of authentic conversation, hands-on experience, skill development and participant collaboration. It is designed for all levels. All are welcome.

The Future of Networks  is the action/research successor to the Knowledge Management Clusters (KM Clusters.) The Future of Networks continues the long KM Cluster tradition of future-focused practice excellence, aka, Next Practices^©.

Besides your Bay Area Network, new action/research networks are sprouting up everywhere. Your popular Texas Network for "Next Practices in KM, Social Networks and Web 2.0" on 23 April 2010 was recently conducted at the University of Texas.

 Future of Networks Testimonials

Continuous skill development and relationships are critical to success. They are even more important under tough economic conditions. Low-cost action/research clusters and Next Practices equip you with tools, methods and key relationships to achieve far greater competitiveness under all economic conditions. Besides, it is important to put the social back in social media and networks! 

The Future of Networks
San Francisco, California USA
http://futureofnetworks.com/