NetworkThis is Noded
1. The Noded personality
The main characteristic of us Noded type professionals is our desire to set our own goals, and build businesses based on our own values.
In traditional employment this is not an option; company policies dictate how and when employees can further their careers and what if any impact they can have on the companies direction.
This is why the Noded philosophy is so appealing to us knowledge workers. Individualism is celebrated, there are no set values or visions to subscribe too, and the only agenda is our own; but within a collaborative atmosphere.
2. The Noded team
In a Noded network each member is an individual professional, running his or her own business. We come together to work on projects, as and when a project calls for it. Sometimes we all work together, some times only a few of us. It’s up to who ever brings the project in to choose who, and when, someone contributes.
And our only obligation is to ourselves; if we don’t want to participate in a project we don’t have to. No hard feelings.
3. Noded leadership and roles
A Noded team cannot and must not have a leader. For us team members to develop and reach our goals, we need to own our client relationships and our individual ways of working, acting, planning and executing in our individual businesses.
This way of working ensures that we can take on different roles in different projects. From Project Manager in one project, to developer in another, to Account Manager in a third.
This rotation of _project_ leadership, as opposed to _team_ leadership, also keeps us open minded.
4. Noded goals
The over-reaching goal of a Noded team is to function as a vehicle with which we, the individual team members, can reach our individual goals.
The Noded network itself should not have a goal. The minute we start defining common goals and values for the team we start acting as a traditional organisation.
Traditional organisations care about the long-term organisational development. The individual employees and their goals are interchangeable. Noded teams exist to facilitate the individual team members’ goals. The organisation is interchangeable.
Noded teams must be 100% about the team members, or else it’s not a Noded team.
5. Noded is for everyone
Anyone can fit in to a Noded team. The traditional member is a freelancer but it can just as easily be a person who is building a 15-person company, or even employees at large companies.
A single Noded team can accommodate them all and everyone will benefit. The freelancer can help the entrepreneur launch his or her 15-person company, while the entrepreneur may learn from the person who is employed by someone else.
This type of collaboration will bring everyone closer to his or her individual goals.
6. No Noded branding
A Noded team should never be branded.
Everyone, whether they are an individual freelancer or a small company, likely have their own identities and brands that have a value on the market and among their clients. A new brand, aka the Noded team, would have a diluting effect.
One small piece of “labelling” how ever is encouraged. Using the Noded icon and linking to a description of the team members, and why they are so good at what they do, is a very good way of introducing the Noded network without branding it.
This allows everyone’s existing clients and partners to learn about the Noded network, but not to the detriment of the individual brands. See www.noded.biz/network/ for an example of a team page.
7. Noded means business
Noded means business. In fact it’s all about business: doing a fantastic job for clients, growing and learning as individuals and professionals, loving what we do, and being able to make a living out of it.
Noded is about business, but with you the individual, your goals and your way of doing it, at the heart of it all.
Noded in conclusion
With new contributors, clients and projects constantly being rotated in and out of a Noded team, a truly flat and pro-active team set up is the only way to accommodate it all. It guarantees the highest possible level of output, while at the same time ensuring that each participating team member gets the most out of it. And it works wonders.
