How Do You Navigate Networks In The Digital Age?

Lynda Gratton, a London Business School professor, suggests ways to stay connected in an increasingly mobile world particularly given the blurring of the lines between real life networks and on-line.The world of work and home is changing at a rapid rate as technology brings us closer together on one hand (online) and yet pushes us further apart on the other hand (think of what's happening to real life connections). 

You have to make hard decisions about the life you want to lead, and only then will you you be effective with your network in my opinion.

I like the way Lynda Gratton views the new types of networks for the digital age that she thinks will help navigate this new landscape. After all, today, your value and contribution to your community is not only the knowledge you have in your head, but that and whatever your network carries with it. 

• Who is your posse? Who are the people who share your skill set and background?
• Who is your regenerative community? These are the people you know in real life who regenerate you when you feel exhausted. You recharge when you have been in contact with them, so they leave you feeling good.
• Who is your "Big idea crowd"? This is the crowd whose point of reference is completely different to yours.

We're getting older and living longer, so how do we stop ourselves from being left out as the world changes and evolves. You can still determine the life you want to lead, rather than be led by a life that is determined for you.

How do your networks intertwine?