An essential part of Spille’s Toolbox For A Healthy Mind In The Music Business is the Network Tree. it is a great basis for everything that has to do with your network. I will use it as basis later on for other tools from Spille’s Toolbox.
A Network Tree is actually a combination of a (reversed) Family Tree and of the Mind Map technology, applied to your social network. Even though there are various apps to map your social media networks, I recommend to work with pen and paper for the Network Tree. You will discover that your network is far bigger and divers than you might think.
Imagine yourself as the trunk in the middle of the paper. From there, you start with the roots. The roots are your family, parents, siblings, their partners and children. Your uncle, aunts, nephews, nieces are part too, just as your school friends, teachers, neighbors from childhood. Everyone from your childhood is part of it, everyone who influenced you back than.
The crown is formed by everyone you know now. You can take branches for study, work, friends, music. Go on with specifying it. Music can be specified in musicians, agents, venues etc. In the end, you write concrete names at the end of the twigs. Once you have mapped all your social contacts, you can use it in many ways.
What do you see, when you look at your Network Tree? Are your roots dominant or the crown? Whats the geographical location of your contacts? Are your friends dominant or your family? Are all contacts involved in music, or is the network much broader? There is no right or wrong. It is good to know where the strength of your network lies.
As a musician, corona will give you a hard time, and it will continue for a couple of month at least. All shows that are still possible, are short-term booked local shows. Look at your Network Tree. What local people do you know? How can they help you to get short-term local gigs?
Just as important to use your network to get help, you can ask yourself where you can help the people in your network. Do you know what they are doing, what they are looking for? You can also use your Network Tree to look for people that can form a mental support group for you; people you can turn to for emotional support.
In coaching, the Network Tree is a great basis for everything that has to do with connecting to other people.