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Help me prepare and run the exercise below. First ask for my participant count, time, setting, access needs and intended result. Check these against the stated limits. Use the supplied rules and materials. Explain any proposed changes before using them, and label them as adaptations. Do not invent source claims or require personal disclosure. Give me one step at a time when I say start. I manage the people, physical activity and clock; do not claim to observe the room. Ask me what happened before choosing a next step.

Reference revision: bd46172ae34680b0e16420f3f3eda746e708161d43290f4309fd79bf73724bd3

# Social Network Webbing

A working group maps real relational connections on a wall using color-coded sticky notes and drawn lines. They analyze clusters, hubs, and gaps, then commit to concrete outreach actions to advance their purpose.

**Time:** 60 minutes. 60 minutes matching the standard full session in the source evidence.
**People:** 5 to 15. Whole group working simultaneously along a shared wall surface.

## Choose this exercise

**Purpose:** Make informal working relationships, systemic gaps, and bridging opportunities visible to plan direct outreach for a shared goal.
**Use it when:** A team needs to spread a project or practice and wants to identify who they can reach through existing personal relationships.
**Skip it when:** The group lacks a shared concrete objective, or low trust prevents participants from openly naming contacts.

## Materials and tools

- 3 continuous meters of butcher paper or taped flip-chart paper fixed to a wall
- Sticky notes in 6 to 8 distinct colors (at least 2 pads per color)
- Bold black chisel markers (1 per participant)
- Thin markers in 3 contrasting colors (blue, red, green; at least 5 of each color, 15 total)
- Roll of masking tape
- 1 flip chart pad and stand for legend and action notes
- Smartphone or camera for documentation

## Before participants arrive

1. Mount 3 continuous meters of butcher paper horizontally on an accessible wall.
2. Set sticky notes and black markers on a central table.
3. Write the core purpose prompt clearly at the top of the wall surface.

## Say this to open

We are going to map our real network of working relationships on this wall. This will show who we already reach, where we have gaps, and who can bridge us to new partners for our shared goal. We will map people by name, link them with lines, and agree on three practical steps to weave new connections.

## How to run it

### 1. Define categories and build legend (10 minutes)

State the shared purpose. Ask the room: 'What broad groups or sectors must be involved for us to succeed?' Group responses into 6 to 8 categories maximum. Assign one sticky note color to each category. Write the color key on a flip chart beside the wall. For example: Blue for frontline staff, Yellow for internal leadership, Green for external community partners.

### 2. Place the core group (5 minutes)

Each participant writes their own first and last name on a sticky note matching their category color. Everyone places their note in a tight cluster at the center of the butcher paper. Clarify that this central cluster represents the present working group.

### 3. Map existing connections (10 minutes)

Prompt: 'Who do you personally know and work with right now on this effort?' Participants write individual names on matching color notes, one name per note. Have everyone walk up and stick notes on the paper simultaneously. Regular collaborators go close to the center; infrequent or loose contacts go further toward the middle ring. Insist on individual names rather than department titles.

### 4. Map desired connections (10 minutes)

Prompt: 'Who else needs to be included, or who holds resources and influence that we cannot currently reach?' Participants write names of aspirational contacts or secondary connections on appropriate colored notes and stick them on the outer edge of the paper.

### 5. Draw relational lines (15 minutes)

Post a drawing legend on the flip chart: blue lines for existing ties, green lines with arrows for progress boosters, and red dashed lines for blockers or bottlenecks. Hand thin markers to all participants so everyone holds at least one marker. Invite everyone to step up together and draw connections between notes. Ensure participants across the room draw concurrently so no single person controls the mapping.

### 6. Analyze patterns and commit to actions (10 minutes)

Stand back as a full group. Choose two or three questions from the debrief list to guide the analysis of clusters, bottlenecks, and isolated nodes. Record three collective outreach priorities on the flip chart. Go around the room once: each person names one specific contact on the wall they will personally reach within two weeks. Photograph the wall before wrapping up.


## Debrief questions

- Which sectors or colors are well represented, and which remain isolated on the periphery?
- Where are we relying too heavily on a single person to reach an entire group?
- What is one structural gap on this map that we can bridge this month?

**Finished output:** A physical wall map showing relational clusters and ties, plus a flip-chart list of three network strategies and individual two-week contact commitments.

## Remote

Run on an online whiteboard (such as Miro or Mural). Start with a blank workspace. Facilitate Step 1 to collaboratively create the color legend. In Step 2, participants place their digital sticky notes at the center. Participants add colored sticky notes for Steps 3 and 4, placing existing ties near the center and desired ties toward the outer space. In Step 5, participants use digital connector tools following the color legend. Nominate one participant to tidy overlapping labels. Add 10 minutes if the team is unfamiliar with digital line routing.

## Hybrid

To avoid passive remote observers, run the mapping on a shared digital whiteboard accessed by all participants. In-person members use laptops or tablets to place notes and draw lines directly on the shared board alongside remote members. Project the live digital board onto the physical room wall so in-person participants can stand, point, and talk together while everyone retains equal editing access.

## Access and participation choices

- Provide a seated workstation with miniature butcher paper or printout for participants unable to stand at the wall.
- Participants may pass on naming sensitive personal contacts and may choose to support note writing or line drawing instead of sharing private contact networks.

## If the session gets stuck

**Participants write vague group labels like 'HR' or 'Funders' instead of people.**

Prompt them immediately: 'Who is one real person in that office you can call?' If no name is known, place it as an open question mark note on the periphery.

**One or two people dominate the marker drawing while others stand back.**

Hand markers directly to quiet participants and ask them to trace lines specifically for their own immediate quadrant.


## Terms used here

- Network weaving: The deliberate practice of connecting people and groups to share knowledge and resources across boundaries.
- Peripheral nodes: People or groups placed on the outer edge of the map who have weak or no current ties to the core team.

## Sources and adaptation

Observed in WorkshopBank, which attributes the method to Henri Lipmanowicz and Keith McCandless as part of Liberating Structures, inspired by June Holley's network weaving work.

Retained the 6-step core sequence, timing allocations, color-coding legend, and distance logic from WorkshopBank evidence. Standardized thin marker counts (at least 15 total) so all participants can draw simultaneously in Step 5. Simplified the drawing legend to use specific colored markers for ties, boosters, and blockers without requiring complex symbols. Removed references to pre-drawn boundary rings in the remote instructions to align with the organic placement mechanic used in-person.

[WorkshopBank](https://workshopbank.com/tools/social-network-webbing)

Current run sheet: https://unitedwetransform.com/exercises/social-network-webbing-workshopbank/