Activity 1 Social Network Mapping

Social Network mapping is a tool you can use to identify community leaders. It is an organized approach to uncover leaders you may not think of initially, but who hold influence and are respected in the community. It is one way to expand the base of those involved in the outreach effort using a system that will prompt all involved to consider connections, obvious as well as obscure.

Download guide here: Social Network Mapping Facilitator Guide

Objective: To help participants visualize their connections within a group and identify relationships, influence paths to identify potential stakeholder partners.

Materials Needed

Large sheets of paper or a whiteboard (digital whiteboard works too)
Sticky notes or index cards
Markers in different colors
String or colored tape (optional, if physical)
Small stickers or symbols for labeling (e.g., stars for strong ties)

Duration: 1 to 1.5 hours

Introduction (10 mins)

Briefly explain what social network mapping is and why it’s useful. Emphasize that it’s about exploring relationships, not judging them.
Explain that relationships in social networks can vary (e.g., mentorship, support, collaboration) and have different strengths.

Define Relationship Types (5 mins)

Ask the group to identify types of relationships they find important in this context, e.g., “collaborators,” “mentors,” “advice-givers,” etc.
Decide on symbols or colors to represent these relationships (e.g., blue lines for mentorship, green for collaboration).

Mapping Key Relationships (20 mins)

Ask each participant to write their name on a sticky note or index card and place it on the large paper/whiteboard.
Participants draw lines or add string between their own and others’ names to represent connections based on the types you identified.
Use thicker lines, double lines, or colored symbols to represent stronger ties.

Analyzing the Network (15 mins)

Once the map is complete, ask participants to take a step back and observe the map.
Prompt them to look for clusters, isolated nodes, or “hubs” with lots of connections.
Discuss questions like:

- Who seems central in the network?
- Are there any isolated individuals or “bridges” connecting clusters?
- How do different relationship types cluster?

Discuss (20 minutes)

Discuss relationships and names of stakeholders identified
- Hand out 5 sticky dots to each participant in this exercise
- Ask each participant to place a one sticky dot beside names that they think should definitely be invited to participate on the Entrepreneurial Outreach and Engagement Strategy Committee
- Rank the names of those with the most votes
Identify next steps in educating the prioritized individuals about the BEFC and inviting them to join the BEFC committee to add their community insight as a key foundational member in the effort. Make sure they are well informed of the committee goals and duties of members!
Track progress on recruiting efforts to the BEFC stakeholder committee.

Follow Up

Consider scheduling a follow-up session after a few weeks to check in on the action steps and see if the map has changed.

This exercise encourages participants to identify, visualize and document their community connections/relationships. This awareness in turn leads to a stronger, more connected team.

Please click NEXT at the bottom of this page to advance through the module.