How To Harness the Power of Networks

Alright alright alright -

We are back to one of my favorite learning outcomes of 2019 - networks + how to harness the power of network analysis.

Last week, I referenced David Krackhardt and Jeff Hanson (1993) when it comes to knowing when to fire someone (or even when to quit your job) but this week is even more beneficial for those in management positions.

“Learning how to map these social links can help managers harness the real power in their companies and revamp their formal organizations to let the informal ones thrive” (Krackhardt, Hanson, 1993, pg. 104).

As a manager:

-Do you know who your team trusts the most when it comes to technical or institutional knowledge?

-Do you know who is the most trusted individual on your team by others?

-Do you know the informal network structure on your team?

If you think these are random questions and you don’t know the answer - that is okay. This is new, which is why we are discussing it today.

“Managers often pride themselves on understanding how these networks operate. They will readily tell you who confers on technical matters and who discusses office politics over lunch. What’s startling is how often they are wrong” (Krackhardt, Hanson, 1993, pg. 104).

Career Civility is here to help you uncover the informal structure within your team or organization by analyzing 1) communication styles, 2) communication patterns, and 3) collaboration amongst key players.

Most managers know who they can rely on, who has the most technical knowledge, and who is most likely to be connected throughout the organization. But what they don’t know, is how to utilize that knowledge for productivity and problem solving.

That is what we will help with - you already know the what, and Career Civility can help with the how.

References

Krackhardt, D., & Hanson, J. R. (1993). Informal networks. Harvard business review, 71(4), 104-111.