Weak TiesDubuque Circles Initiative

Leadership Track Series

The Urban Tribe

• A makeshift family • These friends play a crucial, supportive role• Essentially the college buddies of adulthood• The ones who give us rides to the airport and vent about

bad dates with over burritos and beer• Almost in constant contact with the same few people

The Problem with the Urban Tribe

• Limits people to huddling together with like-minded peers

• Helps people survive, but not thrive• Those who never make it into our tribe are the ones who

will swiftly and dramatically change our lives for the better

• Research shows that it isn’t your close friends and family who are the most valuable during the job hunt

The Strengths of Ties

• “Strength” of interpersonal ties is based on:• Amount of tie• Emotional intensity• Mutual confiding• Reciprocal services

• Strong ties would be family, urban tribes, partners, and other close friends

• Weak ties would be people you have met, or are connected to somehow, but do not currently know well, such as acquaintances

Why Some Ties are Stronger

Strong Doesn’t Always Mean Better

“Weak-tie acquaintances were often more important than strong-tie friends.”

Why Is This?

• Our strong ties do not get people out of their comfort zone

• Weak ties give people access to social networks where they don’t otherwise belong

• Weak ties introduce you to new ideas and opportunities

BENEFITS OF WEAK TIES

“The disadvantaged hang out with folks just like themselves, while the advantaged engage folks

of diverse opinion and practice.”- Ronald S. Burt

Other Benefits of Using Your Weak Ties

• Research suggests that people who have a broad range of different kinds of social roles tend to be healthier and more likely to attain professional success

• Occupying varying roles across multiple domains can create a psychological safety net

How to Use These Weak Ties

• Grab coffee or lunch with an acquaintance• Brainstorm an idea with someone not in your “urban

tribe”• Attend networking opportunities• Online networking