The Hidden Power of Invisible Social Networks

We may have this experience that "we are all dramatically affected by information flow and 
webs of relationships within social networks" . And for most of us, "networks have a great deal to do with our personal productivity, learning and career success".(Cross & Parker, 2014, p.3). More diversified networks are associated with early promotion, career mobility, and managerial effectiveness.

Research has shown that "whom you know has a significant impact on what you come to know", since relationships are crutial for obtaining information, solving problems, and learning how to do your work.

However there are often great disconnects in organizations which may affect organizational performance or personal development. How to cross the great divide? While the book <The Hidden Power of Social Networks> has illustrated the method of "Finding and Fixing Critical Disconnects in Organizations".

As is the phenomenon that most people of different countries prefer to interact with others of the same nationality, that is a cultural problem. And a "not-invented-here" mentality also contributed substantially to the isolation of subgroups in technical work.

There are several steps to go across the great divide:

1.  Revealing disconnects
2.  Cross-functional collaboration
3.  Post-merger integration
4.  Collaboration across the hierarchy
5.  Collaboration across organizational boundaries
6.  Alliances and partnerships

Although we cannot mandate people to develop relationships, we can still take a range of actions that increase the likelihood of effective collaboration at important junctures.

There are other relationship dimensions to promote the collaboration quality.

• Knowing What We Know-developing a sense-and-respond organizational capacity

        Mapping the awareness of "who knows what" gives you insight into the potential for members to tap the expertise of their colleagues.

        Usually, the physical separation preclude serendipitous interactions that often reveal people's expertise. Even when opportunities arise to integrate various kinds of expertise, specialists often don't know enough about what other specialists did to find a way to involve them.

        When people are dealing with complex problems and novel solutions, establishing trust can have a substantial impact on the quality of collaboration.

• Charged Up-Creating energy

        The high-energy projects are where things are getting done. Influential people are often described as being able to create energy and support for initiatives they are involved with.

        Energy lives in a sweet spot in five dimensions of conversations or group problem-solving sessions: a compelling goal, the possibility of contributing, a strong sense of engagement, the perception of progress and the belief that the idea can succeed. Hitting the midpoint of these dimensions, not the extremes, is the challenge for those who want to inspire energy.(Show a value for your effort and ideas that makes you want to do your best there and later)

        8 decisions that affect others' energy

1. Do you make an effort to weave relationship development into work and day-to-day actions
2. Do you do what you say you are going to do
3. Do you address tough issues with integrity and sincerity
4. Do you look for possibilities or identify only constraints
5. When you disagree with someone, do you focus attention on the issue and not on the value of that person's contributions
6. Are you mentally and physically engaged in meetings and conversations
7. Are you flexible, or do you force others to come to your way of thinking
8. Do you use your own expertise appropriately       

• Building Vibrant Networks
• Pinpointing the Problem-Understanding how individuals affect a network

        Identifying types of individuals in the network

        Central connectors, the unsung hero, boundary spanners, information brokers, peripheral people, intentionally peripheral

        Bottleneck - overly centered people (who play central roles to maintain an informational or power advantage ), people whose jobs have grown too big(work at a frenetic pace to keep up and don't realize that they are slowing others down by not responding quickly enough). In this case, executives might intervene by reallocating responsibilities.

        Biases in personal networks

1. Relative hierarchical position
2. Relative organizational position
3. Physical proximity
4. Structure of interactions
5. Time invested in maintaining relationships
6. Length of time known      

• Building bridges

1. Initiating relationships
2. Developing professional and personal relationships
3. Correcting unproductive behaviors

        Avoiding network lock-in, political tensions, redundant relationships

        Actions for building trust in relationships

        Act with discretion; Match words and deeds; Communicate often and well; Establish a shared vision and language; Highlight knowledge domain boundaries; Know when to step out of your role; Give away something of Value; Help people refine unclear ideas; Make decisions fair and transparent; Hold people accountable for trustworthy behavior.          

• Make the Connection