The document discusses the concept of "six degrees of separation" which suggests that any two people on Earth are six or fewer acquaintance links apart. It provides background on the concept and research showing people are on average six steps away from any other person. Examples are given of how the concept has influenced popular culture through plays, films, social networks and more. The power of networking using weak ties to connect separate social groups is discussed. Basic principles of networking based on laws of abundance, reciprocity and giving without expectation are also covered.

1. Six degrees of Separation &
Management of Relationship
Abhishek Sharma FT13300
Arjun Choudhry FT13312
Garv Sharma FT13325
Irene Eltham FT13337
Mrityunjay Arya FT13350
Ramachandran FT13362
Sonali Das FT13374
Vijaykumar Bale FT13386

2. • First mentioned in 1920’s by
Karinthy.
• 30 years later, became a research
problem
• The idea that everybody in the
world is connected by six
degrees of separation
– Where 1 degree of
separation means you know
(or have met) somebody else.
• In other words, everyone is on
average approximately six steps
away, by way of
introduction, from any other
person in the world

3. Stanley Milgram experiment showing that people are all connected by an average of six steps
• A citizen in Nebraska was instructed
to mail a letter to someone who they
thought would know a particular
business man in Boston
•The goal was to measure the number
of steps for the letter to reach the
business man
• On average, required six steps
• Replicated on global scale with same
results!
It’s a small world after all
Photo by Dan Coulter

4. • No longer limited strictly to academic or
philosophical thinking, the notion of Six
Degrees recently has become influential
throughout popular culture.
• Further advances in communication
technology—and particularly the Internet—
have drawn great attention to social networks
and human interconnectedness.

5. • PLAY: American playwright, John Guare, wrote a play in
1990, and later released a film in 1993 that popularised the
notion of Six Degrees.

6. • FILM: 1993 film drama featuring Will Smith, Donald Sutherland and
Stockard Channing. 2007 film BABEL is also based on the Six Degree
concept.

7. • INTERNET: SixDegrees.com was an early social networking
site developed by Kevin Bacon. FACEBOOK has a Six Degrees
application.

8. • TELEVISION: Shows like LOST, The L Word, The Fresh Prince of
Bel-Air, & Six Degrees of Martina McBride have adopted this
concept.

9. Six degrees & Weak Ties Theory
The power of networking using Six degrees of separation supports developing weak ties :-
• We have both friends and acquaintances. Our friends are often a part of a close-knit group who
largely know one another. Our acquaintances are far less likely to know one another.
• Societies and social systems that have more weak ties are more likely to be dynamic and
innovative. If the system is mostly made up of strong ties, then it will be fragmented and
uncoordinated.
• Some weak ties are better than others. Weak ties to friends of your friends are not as useful as
weak ties elsewhere as the information and further connections are likely to be similar to those
of your friends. Weak ties that join separate social groups are called bridges.
• You can also find absent ties, where you might expect a tie but it does not exist, for example in a
group of friends where two people are still distant from one another.
• The modern approach to business networking is based on the principle of weak ties: having a
wide range of acquaintances can be far more helpful than having just a few good friends. Weak
ties are also useful for activists who need to mobilize large protest or action groups.
• Weak ties are the channels of culture and are woven into successful organisations where many
know many others on first-name terms. Three types of weak ties that may be found in towns
and cities are social (casual friendship), community (eg. neighbors) and profesional (job-related)

10. Line = a relationship between two people
more embedded = central
less embedded = periphery
Node = a person
“embedded”: the degree to which a person is connected within a network

11. The basic principles of networking discussed here are based on the following
three universal laws:
• There are plenty of opportunities for everyone – plenty of
ideas, clients, customers, jobs and so on. Just because your diary is empty does
The law of abundance not mean that there are no opportunities around. Great networkers believe in
an abundance of opportunities.
• What you give out comes back tenfold. If you give out help, you get back help;
give out love, you get back love; give out information, you get back information.
The challenge, of course, is that although for you the giving is instant and in the
The law of reciprocity short term, the receiving may not happen for some time. Also, what is returned
may not come from the person to whom it was given. However, great
networkers believe firmly that what you give out comes back tenfold.
• This occurs when you give without an expectation of receiving something. You
The law of giving without
do something for someone not to get something back, but because you want
expectation to help them achieve their goal.

12. 1. We determine structure of our network:
how many people we are connected to
The average American has 4 close social contacts known as their
“core discussion network”
The same number of people can be arranged and connected in different
ways, and have different topologies

13. 2. We influence the density of interconnections
between friends and family
we introduce friends from separate groups to one another

14. 3. We control how “central” we are within the
social network
Are you the life of the party?
Or the wall flower?

15. • Motive
– Personal
– Business
– Social

18. • These days a lot of us spend more time in a work
place, so managing relationships become vital and takes
a new and different importance.
•In the workplace, managing relationships assumes
significance due to the hierarchies- your
peers, superiors, subordinates, partners, clients, custome
rs, etc - and for everyone there's a different code of
conduct.
• Y manage relationships?
 Relationships cannot be allowed to get static, they must
continually develop and grow in a work environment.

19. DO’S &
DON’T
 
 Look at the big picture.  Don’t block
Exhibit positive and cheerful attitude at
communication.
all times.
Proactively communicate with others.  Don’t make promises you
Respond promptly. cant keep
Anticipate misunderstandings.  Don’t be judgemental.
Focus on issues rather on personalities. Don’t be defensive.
Change interaction pattern by Don’t hold grudges
identifying positive traits and expressing  Don’t force the
appreciation.
Relationship for business
Validate facts.
Embrace new ideas and change. Don’t mix personal and
Send a powerful action message. business relationships
Respect others time, privacy and space. Don’t give up!

20. Mutual
respect
Willingness
Acceptance
to work
and
through
flexibility
obstacles
Honesty
Relationship and direct
Trust
Factors communica
tion
Some
shared Preparation
values
Commitme
nt

21. You will be more aligned with the team
You will be more committed
You can expect the best from the members (Team)
Your needs will be looked after
Working culture accepted
Your contributions will be well acknowledged
You will be onboard and motivated

22. How people see you: • Misunderstandings crop when things are fuzzy. Team should know what you think and feel.
Everyone should be aware of the parameters of the relationship and you remain clear and
negotiate and set clear goals direct.
• This is a key communication skill. If you see things from your side, you provide solutions
Seeing others point of view from that perspective and waste precious time. So, see and accept others point of view
too.
Gauging others' • This is simple but is often overlooked. It's easy to assume what a other people want
without checking it out. Find out what supports them; you show your concern and care.
expectations Don't make assumptions: be straight in asking, making the relation transparent.
Initiate solutions as • Don't hope problems go away or wait tn they get bigger and out of control. Try and solve it
and nip it in the bud and set precedence.
problems come
• Keep your relations dynamic by offering insight, ideas and support. Recognise and
Give more acknowledge their contributions. This creates valuable loyalty points.
Develop your • Be a good listener. Respond and deal conflict with blan by negotiating skills, learning to say
'no' and 'yes' when appropriate.
communication skills

23. Thank You!