Draft:NetWeaving

• Comment: In accordance with Wikipedia's Conflict of interest guideline, I disclose that I have a conflict of interest regarding the subject of this article. ChiefNetWeaver1 (talk) 16:44, 23 September 2026 (UTC)

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NetWeaving is a concept created by Bob Littell before the turn of the century. It takes the concept of networking, which tends to be self-centered (e.g. "Can you help me?" or "Do you have something I need?"), and instead helps people focus on introducing and connecting others as well as positioning him or herself as an information and resource provider. In order to be effective at both, Littell proposes that a NetWeaver must, over time, assemble a trusted resource network made up of individuals whose skills, talents, and reliability have either been verified by the NetWeaver, or by a person who comes highly recommended by someone whose opinion the NetWeaver trusts. == History == Littell had always felt that traditional networking was too superficial, consisting of little more than short conversations, an exchange of business cards, and little or no follow-up afterwards. Because he enjoyed meeting new people and then introducing or connecting a person with someone he thought might have things in common, or helping the two find some way they might be of help to each other, that became the foundation for NetWeaving. The first published article on the concept appeared in the Atlanta Business Chronicle and was written by Jim Molis in October 2001. That article also cited Donna Fisher, whom Littell had discovered after reading her book Power Networking. He found that they shared many similar thoughts about building trusted relationships as an alternative to the more self-centered networking approach: "NetWeaving is all about putting other people together in win/win relationships that will solve problems, satisfy needs or result in new or expanded business opportunities." They collaborated in co-authoring Power NetWeaving: 10 Secrets to Successful Relationship Marketing, published by the National Underwriter Company. Later, an article appeared in the Danish business newspaper Børsen covering an interview of Littell by Danish journalist Torben Riise. That article cited a real-life example of NetWeaving that Littell had carried out, involving a presentation to Xerox Global Services, which printed Littell's second book, The Heart and Art of NetWeaving. It also mentioned that proceeds from sales of the book went to Junior Achievement, a national organization dedicated to developing young leaders. In August 2001, Littell was contacted by John Casey, an executive search consultant in Dallas, Texas. Casey had formed a group of mainly in-transition executives — mostly former CEOs — who met and shared potential job leads among the group. Casey invited Littell to come to Dallas and present the NetWeaving concept. Casey later asked Littell for permission to name the group CEO Netweavers. Although his first presentation was to a small group at a bar in Las Colinas outside Dallas, Littell later returned to speak to a group of over 300 at the SMU auditorium. Later, a group of four individuals from Atlanta traveled to Dallas and together created a new chapter back in Atlanta. Although the Dallas chapter eventually folded, the Atlanta chapter grew, stressing a servant-leader mindset, largely through the leadership and efforts of Jim Deupree, one of the original four Atlanta founders. In 2021, the Atlanta chapter formed the CEON Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization. In addition to forming small all-volunteer groups that work with and advise small-to-medium-sized companies on a pro bono basis, the foundation partners with the Ron Clark Academy, providing mentors and scholarships to Academy alumni attending universities. Business and sales author Jeffrey Gitomer took an interest in the NetWeaving philosophy and wrote several articles and columns about NetWeaving and Littell in syndicated business journals. In one, he described Littell as the current master of networking, having attended and presented at one of Littell's meetings in Atlanta, which he later covered in a column. A later Gitomer column, syndicated from the Atlanta Business Chronicle, appeared in Perth's Business News, an Australian business publication. In the sales trade publication Selling Power in 2010, journalist Heather Baldwin described NetWeaving as "an elevated form of networking that focuses entirely on helping others." Around the year 2000, Littell coined a term for what he recommended people do after a NetWeaver hosts a meeting for two others. He found that often, at the end of such a meeting, one or both of the people who had been connected would turn the tables and ask, "How can we help you?" His response was to suggest that each of them "PIONTTO" — Pass It On To Two Others. After several people told Littell that the PIONTTO concept resembled the film Pay It Forward, he read the novel, saw the film, and then telephoned Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of the novel on which the film was based. Littell described NetWeaving to her, and with Hyde's blessing NetWeaving came to be described as the "business version" of pay-it-forward. Littell later became the first elected president of the Pay It Forward Foundation, which Hyde founded, and served on its board for several years. Also in 2010, Littell organized the first of several NetWeaving – Pay It Forward Weeks in Atlanta, in which individuals were encouraged to host NetWeaving meetings. Littell maintains that the most effective form of NetWeaving involves setting up and acting as host and facilitator of meetings introducing two people to each other, with the goal of helping them discover people they know in common and uncover each other's needs, problems, and opportunities. A further aim of the week was to encourage the two people who had been introduced to "pay it forward" and host a meeting for two others. In April of 2012, 2013, and 2014, Nathan Deal, the Governor of Georgia, issued official proclamations designating a week in each of those years as "NetWeaving – Pay It Forward Week" statewide. Following the article in Børsen, Littell was invited to Denmark to speak about the NetWeaving concept. One of those presentations, in September 2010, was covered by the Danish regional newspaper Fyens Stiftstidende, which reported on a session at the Odense Congress Center that drew roughly 450 attendees. The article described Littell as a "networking guru" (netværksguru) and called his afternoon session on the NetWeaving concept the highlight of the day. In October 2013, Littell was engaged to lead a NetWeaving workshop at the Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit convention, a major trade event for the produce industry. The trade publication The Produce News described Littell as the "creator of the word and concept" and quoted his definition of NetWeaving as "the practice of consistently looking and listening for ways to constructively position one's self as a strategic connector of others as well as a trusted resource provider." In 2019, Littell gave a virtual online NetWeaving presentation to TEDxKoprivnicaLibrary, an independently organized TEDx event in Koprivnica, Croatia.

Reception

In a 2025 article, the Human Change Management Institute, an international change-management training organization, described NetWeaving as "a relationship-building philosophy based on generosity, active listening, and collaboration," and credited Littell as its originator.

Description

According to Littell and Fisher, being a skilled NetWeaver involves adopting a philosophy "that engulfs the heart and soul," and they describe NetWeavers as "non-traditional thinkers who are attracted by the harmony of the NetWeaving Philosophy." They emphasize that NetWeavers must also learn and embrace skills and strategies that make NetWeaving effective. It centers on offering help, information, or introductions to others without an immediate expectation of reciprocity, on the premise that value returns — sometimes directly and immediately, but more often indirectly over time. What differentiates NetWeaving from more self-serving forms of networking, in Littell's account, is the difference in strategic approach; conventional networking strategies "are more aimed at taking advantage of their networks of contact in order to benefit themselves." Littell describes the strategies as built on three skill sets: becoming a better "connector" of others based on their needs, problems, and opportunities rather than one's own; positioning oneself as a "no-strings-attached" resource provider of information, introductions, or assistance to others; and, in support of the second skill, continually building a "Trusted Resource Network" of individuals whose expertise and reliability the NetWeaver has personally vetted, or who come highly recommended by a trusted source.

See also

• Pay it forward
• Business networking