There are two ways of managing (orchestrating) the network:

 Dominating mode means that the manager makes decisions unilaterally. It doesn’t mean the manager does all the work, but rather that they define the “rules of the game” (governance principles) and often control the outcomes of collaboration.

Consensus-based mode means that while the manager may facilitate discussions, they have no more authority than any other member to make decisions.

Isn’t consensus-based mode always better?

Perhaps, but it’s not always feasible for large networks. Here’s why:

1. Harder to Maintain Agreement: As the number of partners grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to reach and sustain agreement among all parties, leading to inefficiency and potential conflict.

2. Less Clarity and More Free-Riding: With more partners, it becomes harder to identify each partner’s contribution clearly. This can lead to "free-riding," where some partners contribute less but still benefit from the collective work. As trust between partners weakens, informal governance methods, like relying on trust, become less effective.

Is dominating mode more effective for big networks then?

Only if your partners are very similar to each other (e.g., schools of similar size). When partners come from diverse backgrounds, they are less likely to trust a manager in dominating mode (the manager will lose legitimacy). Here’s why:

1. Orchestrators Lack Specialized Knowledge: When partners have different areas of expertise, the manager may know less than the participants in specific areas, as knowledge is spread across many experts.

2. Conflicting Objectives: When partners have different goals, any decision the manager makes will likely dissatisfy a significant portion of the group, leading to perceptions of unfairness or bias.

These issues are often addressed by rotating the role of the manager, but this becomes problematic in larger networks (10+ partners).

So, what should we do?

You need to constantly switch between these two modes. You may already be doing this out of necessity, but let’s aim to be more strategic about it.

At the beginning of a partnership, you'll likely need to spend more time in dominating mode, as partners don’t know each other well and rely on formal structures. For example:

• The manager sets goals;

• The manager assigns tasks;

• The manager has partners sign formal contracts outlining their contributions.

As time passes and partners develop a shared vision and trust, you can spend more time in consensus-based mode. Here’s how that might look:

• The manager allows members to deviate from set goals and renegotiate them together;

• The manager permits members to select their own tasks;

• Informal agreements may take place between partners without the manager’s direct involvement.

You will need to first create smaller teams in most cases though.