360° Degree Report
Jane Doe
February 24, 2017
More Connectivity
Is Almost Always Not
The Answer
The collaborative intensity of work has exploded over the past decade, making networks of both
formal and informal relationships increasingly the means by which employees innovate, execute
and thrive at work. Unfortunately, most people have only a vague idea of the networks around
them and often don’t invest in relationships in ways that can boost success. Contrary to popular
belief, performance and well-being are not enhanced by simply building a big network, but rather
by establishing one that is managed across five benefits that effective networks confer.
This workbook enables you to reflect on network dimensions that two decades of research have
shown to be critical to success. It will then help you to build a network that:
1.Produces Innovative Solutions: Crafting
non-insular and collaboratively efficient
personal networks promotes your ability to
frame/solve problems broadly and envision
unique opportunities.
LEARN and
ADAPT
THRIVE
EXECUTE
SCALE
2.Executes Work Efficiently: Engaging key
opinion leaders in networks to drive influence
without authority and addressing four common
performance improvement opportunities in
networks – center, fringe, silos and
responsiveness – helps efficiently advance
projects and drive results.
3.Scales by Building Trust and Energy to
Unlock Hidden Potential in Networks:
Creating competence- and benevolence-based
trust and energy in networks attracts better
information, opportunities and talent.
4.Thrives Via Physical and Mental WellBeing: Building networks that provide task and
social benefits positively impacts your physical
health and resilience/well-being.
5.Allows You to Learn and Adapt:
Leveraging relationships to build capabilities in
times of transition and avoid career derailing
network traps is critical to individual
performance during times of change.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
2
Personal Network of
Successful Leaders
Networks Help Successful People To…
Produce Innovative Solutions
Crafting non-insular and
collaboratively efficient personal
networks promote your ability to
frame/solve problems broadly and
envision unique opportunities.
Execute Work
Efficiently
Learn and Adapt
Leveraging
relationships to build
capabilities in times of
transition and avoid
career derailing
network traps are
critical to individual
performance during
times of change.
LEARN and
ADAPT
THRIVE
Thrive Via Physical &
Mental Well-Being
Building networks that provide a
range of task and social benefits
positively affect physical health
and resilience/well-being.
EXECUTE
Engaging key opinion
leaders in networks to
drive influence and
addressing four
performance
opportunities in networks
– center, fringe, silos and
responsiveness – help
efficiently advance
projects and results.
SCALE
Scale by Building Trust & Energy
to Unlock Hidden Potential in
Networks
Creating competence- and
benevolence-based trust and energy
in networks attract better information,
opportunities and talent.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
3
Reducing Collaborative Overload
Is Critical To Performance &
Building Networks That Innovate
As the volume and diversity of collaborative demands have exploded over the past
decade – typically as much as 90% of time in a given week is spent on email, phone
calls and meetings – a key competency of more successful people lies in efficiency of
collaboration. Our research has shown that more successful people are proactive in
engaging in a set of practices – cognitive, behavioral, structural and technical – that
enable them to manage collaborative demands much more efficiently.
Perception
affected by mind-set
(e.g., gratitude, carpe
diem)
Proactivity
(e.g., bench strength,
setting expectations on
response time,
choosing NOT to check
email constantly
(64 second
recovery)).
Collaborative overload is a function of volume, diversity, complexity and affect of collaborative
demands so there is no single solution. Rather more effective people do a series of seemingly
small things that cumulate to save them 15% or more time compared to average collaborators.
Please follow the guidelines on the next five slides to develop a personal approach to reducing
collaborative overload.
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4
Beliefs and Values that Cause
Collaborative Overload
Decades of research demonstrate that one way effective networks help people to be more
successful is by enabling them to be innovative in their work. Two core network disciplines are
critical to forging networks that yield performance enhancing innovation:
1. Driving down collaborative overload, and
2. Investing in boundary spanning collaborations.
Beliefs and values that – often unconsciously -- create collaborative overload
These questions focus on beliefs and values that can cause unnecessary collaborative
demands. Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to guide your actions.
My self-worth is closely tied to accomplishment, and this
sometimes results in accepting collaborative work, answering
emails and helping others in efforts that yield a short-term sense
of gratification but does not contribute to my professional or
personal goals.
I sometimes derive too great a sense of identity or power from
being “in the know” or “needed” and this tends to consume my
and others’ time unproductively. This creates too great a
reliance on myself in expertise domains that have become less
central to my success.
I sometimes fear losing control of the trajectory of a project –
or believe that I am the only one that can do it well or that it
would take too long to teach others – which drives me to hold
on to tasks or relationships when I should be diffusing
ownership and connecting people around me.
I often feel a need to help others directly, which makes me an
easy outlet for many requests, instead of connecting people
around me and teaching them how to solve a problem to free
up my time and build bench strength.
I tend to believe that my worth is created by OUTCOME (e.g.,
knowing the right answer or being the smartest in the room)
versus PROCESS (e.g., being able to find the answer or solve a
problem) and this often results in excessive time spent preparing
for and engaging in collaborative activities.
I sometimes fear being labeled a poor performer or colleague,
and this sometimes results in me accepting excessive requests
for help or engaging in collaborations that take me away from
important work or personal activities.
My fear of missing out (or enthusiasm to be involved) sometimes
results in engaging in collaborative work – driven by scope of
accomplishment, career advancement possibilities or desire to
please those that asked – that result in taking on too much.
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Mean
5.0
4.0
Mean
2.0
5.7
Mean
3.0
3.5
Mean
5.0
6.0
Mean
6.0
2.3
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Strongly
Agree
Mean
4.0
5.5
5
Cognitive Practices to Reduce
Collaborative Overload
Decades of research demonstrate that one way effective networks help people to be more
successful is by enabling them to be innovative in their work. Two core network disciplines are
critical to forging networks that yield performance enhancing innovation:
1. Driving down collaborative overload, and
2. Investing in boundary spanning collaborations.
Cognitive practices to reduce collaborative overload
These questions focus on how you think about your work and network that can cause unnecessary
collaborative demands. Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to guide your actions.
I envision projects/work as activities that I map onto
people in my network, engage them in and step out of the
way, in order to scale accomplishments beyond my
individual capacity.
I seek input and co-create problem and solution spaces with
stakeholders and clients early and so avoid unnecessary
collaborative demands downstream to address deficiencies
and/or secure buy-in.
I sometimes have an excessive need for closure and this can
result in my pursuing an empty email inbox, sending partially
thought out emails or making ill-conceived assignments to get
work off of my plate – in ways that creates unnecessary work
for others and drives future interactions back to me.
I schedule time blocks for reflective work, answering email/
electronic communications or planning my schedule. I
discipline myself to see tasks through to completion
appropriately and avoid unnecessary disruptions (e.g.,
checking email or IM).
I employ standing meetings to funnel one-off
requests/issues to a single point in time, create team
alignment and help team-members learn how to leverage
each other rather than always coming to me to solve
problems.
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Mean
6.0
2.0
Mean
4.0
2.7
Mean
6.0
3.0
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Self
Others
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Strongly
Agree
Mean
2.0
3.0
6
Behavioral Practices to Reduce
Collaborative Overload
Decades of research demonstrate that one way effective networks help people to be more
successful is by enabling them to be innovative in their work. Two core network disciplines are
critical to forging networks that yield performance enhancing innovation:
1. Driving down collaborative overload, and
2. Investing in boundary spanning collaborations.
Behavioral practices to reduce collaborative overload
These questions focus on your ability to reduce unnecessary network demands and increase
efficiency of collaborations. Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to guide your actions.
I typically allocate appropriate time for collaborative tasks
rather than assume an hour or half an hour is always needed
(e.g., I follow a norm of giving half the time requested or
allocating more time at the front end of projects).
I adapt my behavior and teach others how to consume my
time to promote efficiency in relationships (rather than
letting inefficient norms develop and persist).
I employ a PULL philosophy that draws people to me by
co-creating, giving status or appreciation, building a
narrative of joint success and creating a sense of
purpose/energy around an outcome (versus a PUSH
philosophy convincing on logic, expertise, formal
authority/mandate or informal influence).
I use email efficiently (e.g., identify action in subject line, state
objective/request, use outline format/bullets, avoid unnecessary
CCing, etc.) AND I promote efficient norms of email use (e.g.,
transactional purposes; appropriate after hours use; switch to
richer medium if signs of disagreement; ensure norms on
response times do not create overload, etc.).
I focus meetings on desired outcomes, include only of those
who need to be involved and keep them efficient in structure
and process.
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Mean
5.0
4.0
Mean
6.0
2.3
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Self
Others
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Strongly
Agree
Mean
4.0
2.7
Mean
5.0
4.5
7
Structural Drivers to Reduce
Collaborative Overload
Decades of research demonstrate that one way effective networks help people to be more
successful is by enabling them to be innovative in their work. Two core network disciplines are
critical to forging networks that yield performance enhancing innovation:
1. Driving down collaborative overload, and
2. Investing in boundary spanning collaborations.
Structural drivers to reduce collaborative overload
These questions focus on your ability to shape your role and structure your work and time to
improve efficiency and effectiveness of collaboration. Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings
below to guide your actions.
Self-awareness of strengths I want to employ in my work,
values I want to live through my career or personal
aspirations/identity I want to build into my life, guide what I
get involved in, what I say no to and what I teach others to
solve for around me.
My network development philosophy proactively pulls me
toward my priorities (and is not reactively dictated by inertia
and conforming to demands of others inside & outside of
work).
I see time as my most precious commodity and employ my
calendar strategically to build structure, such as by building a
weekly or monthly rolling calendar via holistic categories
important to my overall success (e.g., 1. current business
contributions; 2. strategic planning; 3. team & personal network
dvlpmt and 4. well-being & personal/prof dvlpmt).
I translate weekly work objectives into a prioritized daily todo list and invest my collaborative time accordingly.
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Mean
6.0
5.0
Mean
3.0
5.3
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
I am cognizant of how interdependencies create work for me,
Strongly
and so I proactively shape my role to adapt collaborative
Disagree
demands (e.g., set expectation of time lag with boss so not
Self
propagating churn; decrease time of recurring meetings by 50%; Others
counsel others that not responding is not lack of engagement).
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Strongly
Agree
Mean
5.0
4.5
8
Leadership Drivers Which Inspire
Followership
Decades of research demonstrate that one way effective networks help people to be more
successful is by enabling them to be innovative in their work. Two core network disciplines are
critical to forging networks that yield performance enhancing innovation:
1. Driving down collaborative overload, and
2. Investing in boundary spanning collaborations.
Leadership drivers to reduce collaborative overload
These questions focus on behaviors that inspire followership – either formally based on position
or informally based on one’s ideas/initiatives. Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to
guide your actions.
I co-create solutions and diffuse ownership of ideas early so that
team members are engaged/invested and require less time in
future vision and motivational interactions; I employ periodic
meetings to build vision and coordination (vs. too many
fragmented interactions that result in an excessive collaborative
burden on me and lack of alignment).
I propagate a sense of purpose, energy and trust through
networks to cultivate engagement and innovation (versus
actions and design decisions – policy, processes, decisionright allocation, etc. – that communicate low status, signal
lack of trust or motivate risk aversion).
I have visibility into the collaborative demands placed on my
people – inside my unit and those originating outside – that
create overload via volume and diversity of requests, creating
transparency to guide decisions and help me (and team-mates)
keep from over-whelming a valued colleague.
I systematically employ workout or agile principles to streamline
interactions or take unnecessary collaborative demands out of
work (e.g., a monthly meeting to review practices the team
should start/stop/continue to promote collaborative efficiency).
I have developed a culture in my team/unit that values efficient
collaboration (versus heroic effort, expectation that followers
receive an immediate answer, status created via air time,
immediate responsiveness at all hours, over-inclusion in
decisions or expectation of excessive participation in social
media).
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Strongly
Disagree
Self
Others
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Strongly
Agree
Mean
3.0
2.3
Mean
7.0
5.5
Mean
4.0
2.7
Mean
5.0
4.5
Mean
3.0
3.5
9
Reducing Collaborative Overload
Cognitive
Systematically Reducing Collaborative Overload Is Critical to
Performance, Well-Being and Physical Health.
Use the Prior Four Pages to Identify an Action You Will Take in
Each Domain to Improve Collaborative Efficiency.
Cognitive
Behavioral
Structural/Technical
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Leadership
10
Investing in Boundary
Spanning Ties Promotes
Cognitive
Innovation
Network size is not a critical predictor of performance for most people; however, your
network’s structure is strongly associated with success. Top performers have a greater
tendency to invest in boundary spanning relationships and position themselves at
inflection points in organizational networks. Strategically leveraging these bridging
relationships enables rising stars to see the big picture, generate innovative solutions by
integrating the expertise of those with unique backgrounds, bypass bureaucratic
gridlock, and obtain resources and support.
One way to visualize this kind of network is by considering the game “Six Degrees of
Kevin Bacon,” named for an actor who has appeared in a great variety of films in the
course of his career. Players in the game attempt to name actors who are the most
steps away from appearing with Bacon in a film. An actor who has actually appeared
with Bacon is one step away, whereas an actor such as Michael Douglas is two steps
away.
It is difficult to name any actor from the history of film who is more than three steps away
from Bacon. But the magic in Bacon’s network is not its size but how he is positioned
within the movie universe. He is central – though not the most central – because he has
starred in a number of different genres and so has ties spanning action, comedy,
thrillers, dramas and family movies. This stands in contrast to actors like Jim Carey who
have focused in a single genre. Although those actors are highly connected within a
genre, their lack of ties that bridge genres makes them much less central in the entire
movie network.
To try your luck at naming actors far from Kevin Bacon, visit: http://oracleofbacon.org/
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11
Exercise: Visualize Your Network
Cognitive
In the circles below, write the names of up to 15 people who are important to your
professional network. These can be people who give you information or resources to do
your job, help you think about complex problems posed by your work, or provide
developmental advice or personal support. They can come from within or outside your
organization (for instance, clients or colleagues at other organizations). They can also
be people you rely on only occasionally. However, they should be the people you
consider to be most important in your professional network.
When done, please consider the relationships among the people in your network. In the
diagram above, draw a line between two people if they know each other fairly well. Don’t
draw a line if the two people are strangers or aren’t really acquainted with each other.
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12
Non-Insular Networks
Are Critical to
Innovation Over Time
In the workplace, people with networks like Kevin Bacon’s do better than those with
more insular networks. People with more insular networks tend to interact mostly with
others who know what they know. For the same investment of time, the Bacons of the
world, with their more open networks, get a much greater return because they hear new
information early and are able to capitalize on opportunities that require the merging of
disparate expertise and insights.
Fighting off network insularity requires effort and runs contrary to most organizations’
formal structure, incentive schemes, physical layout and cultural values. But rather than
fall into a comfortable trap of connecting with people who are themselves heavily
interconnected, high performers tend to forge ties across important subgroups. Our
research has confirmed that people who bridge subgroups are much more likely to be in
the top 20% (as determined by performance reviews) of an organization. Other research
has shown that bridge builders tend to be promoted more rapidly, enjoy greater career
mobility and adapt to changing environments more successfully.
Take a moment to calculate the size of your network after removing the potential
redundancy created by relationships between your contacts. While this “effective size”
of your network will shift as projects and roles change, the general tendency is for
people who have less redundancy in their network to perform better over time. These
people are more likely to (1) stay in the top 20% performer category through their
career; (2) be promoted more rapidly than their peers; and (3) be more effective at
finding a new job or role if they need to.
# of People In
Your Network
Insert the
number of
people you input
on prior page
Example
15
# of
Connections
Insert the
number of lines
between people
in your network
30
Redundancy
Multiply the
number of
connections by
two and divide by
the number of
people in your
network
Effective Size
Subtract the
redundancy
score from the
number of
people in your
network
4
11
Effective Size
Percentage
Divide the
effective size
measure by the
total number of
people in your
network
73.3%
YOU
Note: Effective Size Percentage will shift due to a number of factors such as role, project,
tenure and hierarchical level; however, if you see a number lower than 60%, it is worth
considering where and how your network might be overly insular.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
13
Networks Help Successful People:
Produce Innovative Solutions
Decades of research demonstrate that one way effective networks help people to be more
successful is by enabling them to be innovative in their work. Two core network disciplines are
critical to forging networks that yield performance enhancing innovation:
1. Driving down collaborative overload, and
2. Investing in boundary spanning collaborations.
Boundary Spanning Collaborations for Innovation
Network size is rarely a strong predictor of high performance. Rather, non-insular networks
with ties bridging into different groups often differentiate people over time. Four kinds of
bridging ties improve performance.
Reflect on the self and peer ratings below to guide actions you consider in this workbook.
Emergence/Creativity Ties
Networks help successful people to generate more creative and
innovative solutions through relationships bridging thought worlds,
expertise, functions, clients, cultures, etc.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Mean
1.0
4.0
Self
Others
I make investments of time in these kinds of relationships, which
yield benefit as a product of being able to envision solutions and
opportunities more broadly than people with more insular networks.
Professional Growth Ties
Networks help successful people to maintain expertise and
improve efficiency through relationships with others doing similar
kinds of work. These relationships typically cross organizations,
functions and geography.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
4.5
Self
Others
I make investments of time in these kinds of relationships, which
provide benefit by improving my work practices and efficiency.
Depth/Efficiency Ties
Networks help successful people to more effectively develop in
experience when leveraged for feedback on work deliverables,
team effectiveness or formal and informal leadership
capabilities. These relationships typically cross hierarchy,
expertise and tenure.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
I make investments of time in these kinds of interactions, which
helps me to learn and adapt through experience more rapidly.
Political Landscape Ties
Networks help successful people develop an accurate
understanding of the political landscape. These boundary
spanning ties typically cross hierarchical levels, expertise
domains and functions.
To a Little
Extent
Self
Others
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
1.3
I make investments of time in these kinds of interactions,
which enable me to uncover influencers I should engage in
relation to work I am trying to get done.
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14
Exercise: Boundary Spanning
Cognitive
Ties for Network Performance
Specific kinds of boundary spanning connections affect
performance at work in different ways. If your network is more
insular than you would like, please indicate at least one person
(or role) you will reach out to in each of the categories below.
Innovation /
Creativity Ties
Identify silos or boundaries where
value could be created by bridging
across two thought worlds. This may
be across expertise domains,
functions, clients, and so forth.
Professional
Growth Ties
People you seek out or who
voluntarily offer feedback to you –
whether on work, team interactions
or decision-making topics.
Depth/
Efficiency Ties
Others with similar expertise –
across geography, company or
functional lines – where connections
could promote depth, currency or
efficiency in your work.
Sensemaking/
Landscape Ties
People who help provide an accurate
picture of the network important to
work you are trying to get done.
Accurate knowledge of these networks
is associated with high performance.
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15
Personal Network of
Successful Leaders
Networks Help Successful People To…
Produce Innovative Solutions
Crafting non-insular and
collaboratively efficient personal
networks promote your ability to
frame/solve problems broadly and
envision unique opportunities.
Learn and Adapt
Execute Work
Efficiently
Leveraging
relationships to build
capabilities in times of
transition and avoid
career derailing
network traps are
critical to individual
performance during
times of change.
Engaging key opinion
leaders in networks to
drive influence and
addressing four
performance
opportunities in
networks – center,
fringe, silos and
responsiveness – help
efficiently advance
projects and results.
LEARN and
ADAPT
THRIVE
Thrive Via Physical &
Mental Well-Being
Building networks that provide a
range of task and social benefits
positively affect physical health
and resilience/well-being.
EXECUTE
SCALE
Scale by Building Trust & Energy
to Unlock Hidden Potential in
Networks
Creating competence- and
benevolence-based trust and energy
in networks attract better information,
opportunities and talent.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
16
More Successful People Work
Through Four Influencers in
Networks
Central Connectors
Are central because they have a large
number of connections…often concentrated
within a unit, geography, expertise domain or
demographic. Central Connectors are
important because they are key opinion
leaders and influence innovation
trajectories…yet can also be susceptibilities
(should they leave) and can become
bottlenecks.
Boundary Spanners
Are important because they have more
bridging connections across sub-groups…
typically across units, geographies, expertise
domains, hierarchical levels, subcultures or
demographics. Boundary Spanners are
effective at integrating different knowledge
domains…yet are often less known than
Central Connectors because they are in the
white space between sub-groups in
networks.
Energizers
A small number of people can create energy
and momentum for initiatives. Engaging these
people infects many others with enthusiasm
much more rapidly than traditional cascading
approaches to change or communication.
Resistors
An equally small number of people who
de-energize or pursue personal/local
objectives can invisibly slow or entirely derail
initiatives. Gaining their commitment early is
important to speed and efficiency of
execution.
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17
Networks Help Successful People:
Execute Work Efficiently
A second way that investments in more effective networks help people to be more successful
is by enabling them to execute work and implement plans more efficiently. Two investments in
networks consistently improve performance:
1.Cultivating followership from four kinds of opinion leaders in networks, and
2.Addressing performance improvement opportunities in the center, fringe and across silos of
groups that must work together to accomplish results.
Engaging Key Opinion Leaders in Networks
Four kinds of opinion leaders in networks can either facilitate or invisibly derail projects.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to guide actions you consider in this workbook.
Central Connectors
Central Connectors matter because they have a large number
of connections often concentrated within a unit, geography,
expertise or demographic. They typically have legitimacy in
their groups, impact innovation trajectories and can be
susceptibilities (if they leave) or bottlenecks if not engaged.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Mean
Self
2.0
2.5
Other
==> I actively seek to build and leverage relationships
with central connectors.
Boundary Spanners
Boundary spanners matter have a large number of connections
To a Little
Extent
bridging units, geography, expertise domain, hierarchical
levels, culture or demographics. They help integrate different
Self
knowledge domains and have legitimacy across groups, often
Other
dramatically influencing innovation or change.
To a Great
Extent
Mean
6.0
4.7
==> I actively seek to build and leverage relationships with
boundary spanners.
Energizers
To a Little
Extent
Energizers matter because a small number of people can create
energy and momentum for initiatives. Engaging these people
Self
infects many others with enthusiasm much more rapidly than
traditional cascading approaches to change or communication. Other
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
5.7
==> I actively seek to build and leverage relationships with
energizers.
Resistors
Resisters matter because a small number of people that deenergize or pursue personal/local objectives can invisibly slow
or entirely derail initiatives. Gaining their commitment early is
important to speed and efficiency of project execution.
To a Little
Extent
Self
Other
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
1.3
==> I actively seek to build and leverage relationships
with resisters.
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18
Identifying & Engaging Influencers Is a
Core Capability of Successful Leaders
and High Performers
Identify relevant influencers and a strategy for enrolling these people.
Central Connectors
Engagement Strategy
Boundary Spanners
Engagement Strategy
Energizers
Engagement Strategy
Resistors
Engagement Strategy
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19
Driving Influence & Results
Through Organizational
Networks
Strategy 1: Always ask who else you should be talking to and for an introduction.
Strategy 2: Draw and Verify. In the space below, draw a network of a group
important for you to be able to accomplish a key business objective in the coming
year. This could be your team or unit but could also be a lateral network across the
organization or between your organization and key external parties (e.g., a client or
joint venture partner). When done, have three to four people who know this group
add to your recollection of the network.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
20
More Successful Leaders
Drive Results Through Four
Points in Networks
Network Center
Typically 3%-5% of the people in a given group
account for 20%-35% of the value added
collaborations. More effective leaders are better
able to:
Reduce collaborative overload on key
contributors and roles to unlock group
effectiveness
Engage and acknowledge the typically 50%
of key contributors in networks who are
overlooked by talent management
processes
Network Fringe
In most organizations, significant skills and
expertise languish on the fringe of the network.
More effective leaders are better able to:
Reduce the three to five years it often
takes newcomers to replicate networks of
successful people
Engage high performers (often 20% of
high performers are under-leveraged) on
edge of networks, capabilities and
geographically distant employees
Silos
Network Responsiveness
Silos across functions, capabilities, clients and
geography often undermine performance. More
effective leaders target select silos that produce:
The ability for networks to reconfigure is critical
to innovation and responsiveness to
opportunities. More effective leaders enable
this by:
Leverage from existing capability via
initiatives that identify and circulate best
practices/common methods
Product or process innovation from
combining existing capabilities in networks
uniquely
Engaging employees with relationships
across functions, distance and expertise
Ensuring effective collaboration with
external stakeholders – customers,
vendors and associations
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
21
Networks Help Successful People:
Execute Work Efficiently
Addressing Performance Opportunities in Networks
Eight collaborative practices tend to differentiate leaders who are successful over time
in terms of how they manage people within their group and within the context of the
larger organization.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to review opportunities to improve your
performance.
1. I make sure that people or roles within my
group do not become so overloaded with
collaborative demands that they are unable
to support their colleagues in a timely
fashion.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Mean
2.0
2.3
Self
Others
.
2. I scan for, identify and reward employees
who frequently engage in collaborative
behaviors – such as offering resources, help,
information and contacts – that make their
colleagues more effective.
3. I ensure that newcomers – either new hires
or those from other parts of the organization -are integrated rapidly into my group and know
whom to turn to for information, expertise,
resources and decision approvals.
4. I make sure that subject matter experts and
high performers in my group are available to help
their colleagues in a timely manner on
appropriate issues.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
4.0
1.5
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Mean
5.0
2.0
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Mean
To a Great
Extent
Mean
6.0
5.5
22
Networks Help Successful People:
Execute Work Efficiently
Addressing Performance Opportunities in Networks
Eight collaborative practices tend to differentiate leaders who are successful over time
in terms of how they manage people within their group and within the context of the
larger organization.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to review opportunities to improve your
performance.
5. I facilitate effective collaboration at specific
points in my group – across functional lines,
physical distance, hierarchical levels, core
projects or expertise domains – where informal
networks are critical to performance and
innovation.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
Mean
6.0
5.5
.
6. I facilitate innovation and organizational
change by engaging employees with
significant relationships across functional
lines, physical distance, expertise domains
and demographic populations.
7. I make sure employees in my group are
aware of one another’s expertise, contacts
and resources and so know who to turn to
for help when opportunities and problems
arise.
8. I make sure that my group collaborates
effectively with appropriate functions/divisions
within the organization and with relevant
stakeholders outside the organization (such as
key customers, vendors and associations).
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
3.0
4.5
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Mean
Mean
7.0
6.3
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
3.3
23
Driving Results Through
Networks
Reflect on the network diagram you drew (or your own perception) and key
opportunity points for improvement. Using the categories below, please develop
action items as appropriate for this group.
Network Center: Opportunities to Acknowledge Hidden Stars and Reduce Overload on
Key Contributors
Network Fringe: Opportunities to More Rapidly Integrate Newcomers and Better
Leverage High Performers or Experts
Network Responsiveness: Opportunities to Better Leverage Internal Boundary Spanners and External
Relationships
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
24
Bridging Select Collaborative
Silos Can Improve Performance
Realizing Efficiency from
Transfer of Best Practices
Identify Select
Collaborative Silos
Function/Division
Geography
Technical Expertise
Culture (Occupation/National)
Hierarchy
Demographics
Other
Obtaining better leverage from
existing capability. Done via
initiatives that identify and circulate
best practices/common methods –
communities of practice, social
media, Six Sigma, performance
management processes, etc.
Discovering Innovation
Opportunities
Discovering product or process
innovation from combining
existing capabilities uniquely.
Done via initiatives that promote
effective dialogue across expertise
domains – team formation, ideation
processes, rotation programs, etc.
List up to three collaborative silos within a group you care about and potential drivers of poor
collaboration. Then indicate the kind of result(s) – efficiency or innovation – that could be obtained
from that intersection point and what you might do.
Collaborative Silos
Reason for Silo
Innovation Opportunity
Function/Division,
Geography, Expertise, Key
Accounts/ Products, Culture,
Hierarchy, Demographics,
etc.
Compensation, Time, Time
Zones, Culture,
Politics/Power, Lack of
Technology, No Awareness
of Expertise, etc.
Initiatives that Identify and
Circulate Best
Practices/Common
Methods
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Best Practice
Opportunity
Initiatives that Promote
Effective Dialogue Across
Expertise Domains
25
Personal Network of
Successful Leaders
Networks Help Successful People To…
Produce Innovative Solutions
Crafting non-insular and
collaboratively efficient personal
networks promote your ability to
frame/solve problems broadly and
envision unique opportunities.
Execute Work
Efficiently
Learn and Adapt
Leveraging
relationships to build
capabilities in times of
transition and avoid
career derailing
network traps are
critical to individual
performance during
times of change.
LEARN and
ADAPT
THRIVE
Thrive Via Physical &
Mental Well-Being
Building networks that provide a
range of task and social benefits
positively affect physical health
and resilience/well-being.
EXECUTE
Engaging key opinion
leaders in networks to
drive influence and
addressing four
performance
opportunities in networks
– center, fringe, silos and
responsiveness – help
efficiently advance
projects and results.
SCALE
Scale by Building Trust & Energy
to Unlock Hidden Potential in
Networks
Creating competence- and
benevolence-based trust and energy
in networks attract better information,
opportunities and talent.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
26
Do You Engage in Behaviors
That Build Your Reputation for
Expertise & Trust?
In many organizations, informal networks are the primary means by which employees find
information, solve complex problems and learn how to do their work. Two forms of
interpersonal trust—trust in a person’s competence and in a person’s benevolence—enable
effective knowledge creation and sharing in networks. Yet, though conceptually appealing,
trust is an elusive concept that is often difficult for managers to influence.
Our interviews across a wide range of global organizations identified ways that interpersonal
trust in a knowledge-sharing context develops. Below we summarize behaviors (e.g.,
discretion, consistency, collaboration) and practices (e.g., building shared vision, ensuring
transparency in decision making, holding people accountable) for those interested in
promoting trust (and thereby reputation) in their network.
Once People Are Aware of Your Expertise, Two Forms of Trust
Play a Critical Role as to Whether They Engage With You
Strong Ties
Frequent & close
interaction
Weak Ties
Infrequent
interaction
BenevolenceBased Trust
I trust you will not
harm me given the
opportunity
CompetenceBased Trust
Receipt of
Useful
Knowledge
I trust you know
what you are
What really matters in whether people seek you out and benefit from the
interaction is having a high level of trust that you are benevolent and competent.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
27
Networks Help Successful
People: Energize Potential
in Networks
A third way that effective networks help people to be more successful is by actions that create
pull or followership. Reputation allows successful people to benefit from their network not by
reaching out, but rather by being sought. Better ideas, information, opportunities and
sponsorship flow to those that build reputation by:
1. Cultivating competence and benevolence based trust, and
2. Engaging in activities that create energy in interactions.
Behaviors That Build Trust in Networks
Interviews revealed 10 behaviors that promote benevolence- and competence-based trust.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to consider opportunities to build trust.
1. I act with discretion and do not reveal
confidential or sensitive information people
have shared with me.
2. I hold people accountable for acting
with discretion and not gossiping or
sharing information others have told them
in confidence.
3. I execute on commitments by clarifying
expectations, setting realistic objectives
and delivering results.
4. I make decisions, pursue goals and act
in ways that show I stand for principles
larger than my own self-interest.
5. I ensure communication with people in
my network is sufficiently frequent and
rich to keep misunderstandings from
diminishing trust.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
Mean
6.0
5.5
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
6.7
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
2.5
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Mean
5.0
6.0
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
To a Great
Extent
Mean
6.0
1.7
28
Networks Help Successful
People: Energize Potential
in Networks
Behaviors That Build Trust in Networks
Interviews revealed 10 behaviors that promote benevolence- and competence-based trust.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to consider opportunities to build trust.
6. I clarify common goals and points where
interests diverge early in collaborations so
that misperceptions regarding intent do not
harm trust.
7. I am candid about areas I am not an expert
in and so inspire others to trust my competence
in domains I claim as strengths.
8. I connect with people on non-task/job
domains early (e.g., understanding other’s
hobbies, interests or aspirations) and so show
that I care about their interests.
9. I look for opportunities to give first –
information, resources, time, contacts or simply
appreciation and respect – and so inspire
reciprocity and trust.
10. I make myself vulnerable by admitting
mistakes or acknowledging when I do not know
an answer (thereby encouraging others to take
similar risks).
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
6.0
5.5
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Mean
4.0
2.5
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Mean
6.0
4.7
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Mean
Mean
5.0
6.0
To a Great
Extent
Mean
3.0
1.0
29
Are You Creating an
Energized Network?
One of the most important characteristics of a high performer is their ability to generate
enthusiasm among those in their network. In fact, our research has shown that the ability
to create energy is typically four times the predictor of a high performer as any other
network dimension and is also tightly tied to where innovations emerge and take hold in
organizations.
What follows are questions on nine key behaviors that distinguish those rising stars and
leaders that excel in part by their ability to create enthusiasm in networks. The first three
of these behaviors are foundational – things energizers do that create a sense of trust
and integrity that is critical to other’s willingness to get enthused by and dedicate time to
an energizer’s ideas and initiatives. The later six behaviors focus on interaction skills –
things energizers have a greater tendency to do in meetings or conversations that create
and spur enthusiasm.
Please review the energizing behaviors and reflect on your tendencies. Then select your
two or three lowest rated scores and review possible actions you might take (refer to
Energizer handout for ideas). Our intent is to help you identify a manageable set of
opportunities to increase your effectiveness. But don’t gloss over any of the descriptions
just because they may not at first glance seem very important: energizers often do
seemingly small things that yield big returns over time.
-Engages in Possibilities
- Is Attentive in Meetings
-Creates Room for Others to
Contribute
- Diagrees Productively
- Uses Humor to Push Through Tough
Spots
> Builds Reciprocity
> Consistently Follows
Through on Commitments
- Balances Reaching Goal with New
Ideas
> Stands for Something
Larger Than Self
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
30
Networks Help Successful
People: Energize Potential
in Networks
Nine Behaviors that Create Energy in Networks
Nine behaviors distinguish energizers – three foundational behaviors you exhibit day-in and
day-out that promote willingness for others to get enthusiastic in your presence, and six
interaction behaviors that serve to create energy in the moment.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to consider opportunities to create energy.
1. I maintain a good balance between
what I ask for and what I contribute to
those in my network.
2. I consistently do what I say I am
going to do and follow through on
commitments I make to people in my
network.
3. I am committed (and show this
commitment) to principles and goals that
are larger than my own self-interest.
4. In meetings and one-on-one
conversations, I engage others in realistic
possibilities that capture their imaginations
and hearts.
5. I am typically fully attentive in meetings
and one-on-one conversations and show
my interest in others and their ideas.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
5.0
6.0
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
To a Great
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Mean
4.0
5.0
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Mean
6.0
5.5
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Mean
5.0
2.5
Others
To a Little
Extent
Mean
To a Great
Extent
Mean
6.0
1.7
31
Networks Help Successful
People: Energize Potential
in Networks
Nine Behaviors that Create Energy in Networks
Nine behaviors distinguish energizers – three foundational behaviors you exhibit day-in and
day-out that promote willingness for others to get enthusiastic in your presence, and six
interaction behaviors that serve to create energy in the moment.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to consider opportunities to create energy.
6. I create room for others to be a meaningful
part of conversations and make sure they see
how their efforts will contribute to an evolving
plan.
7. When I disagree with someone’s plan or a
course of action, I do so in a way that focuses
attention on the issue at hand and not the
individual.
8. I use humor – often at my own expense – to
lighten tense moments or remove unnecessary
status or politics from interactions.
9. I maintain an effective balance between pushing
toward a goal and welcoming new ideas that
improve the project or the process for reaching a
goal.
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
5.0
4.7
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
To a Great
Extent
Others
To a Great
Extent
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Mean
4.0
3.5
Self
Others
To a Little
Extent
Mean
3.0
6.0
Self
To a Little
Extent
Mean
To a Great
Extent
Mean
3.0
5.5
32
Action Planning:
Trust and Energy Building
Behaviors
Reflect for a Moment
1.
Consider three activities or interactions at work that generate energy for you… How can you
structure these into your working life to a greater degree so that you are managing your own
energy and enthusiasm?
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
2.
Consider three activities or interactions at work that drain you… how can you structure
these out of your working life to a greater degree so that you are managing your own
energy and enthusiasm.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
3.
Reflect on one behavior you can demonstrate more systematically to increase people's
trust in you.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
4.
Reflect on one behavior you can demonstrate more systematically to increase the energy in
networks you care about.
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
33
Personal Network of
Successful Leaders
Networks Help Successful People To…
Produce Innovative Solutions
Crafting non-insular and
collaboratively efficient personal
networks promote your ability to
frame/solve problems broadly and
envision unique opportunities.
Execute Work
Efficiently
Learn and Adapt
Leveraging
relationships to build
capabilities in times of
transition and avoid
career derailing
network traps are
critical to individual
performance during
times of change.
LEARN and
ADAPT
THRIVE
Thrive Via Physical &
Mental Well-Being
Building networks that provide a
range of task and social benefits
positively affect physical health
and resilience/well-being.
EXECUTE
Engaging key opinion
leaders in networks to
drive influence and
addressing four
performance
opportunities in networks
– center, fringe, silos and
responsiveness – help
efficiently advance
projects and results.
TRUST and
ENERGIZE
Scale by Building Trust & Energy
to Unlock Hidden Potential in
Networks
Creating competence- and
benevolence-based trust and energy
in networks attract better information,
opportunities and talent.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
34
The Influence Our Network
Has on Our Health Is
Multidimensional
Relationships have a significant influence on our health. For example, studies have shown that
obesity and propensity to have heart problems is increased if people you know struggle with
these issues – and is even elevated if their friends (people you might not even know) do as well.
Studies have even shown that people with more robust networks are less susceptible when
injected with a common cold virus.
Our research revealed that four categories of relationships are associated with measures of
physical health (e.g., lower BMI, cholesterol, days sick, etc.). These dimensions included people
who influence decisions on nutrition and diet, physical activity and exercise, mental engagement
and work-life balance. Importantly no single dimension led to greater health. Rather it is having
connections that influence all four domains simultaneously that is associated with health.
And even more important than investing in positive ties is decreasing engagement with people
who have a negative influence on health (those who create stress or enable unhealthy
behaviors). In fact, one of our studies showed that participants needed 7.2 positive ties to
outweigh the detrimental affect of one negative tie.
Nutrition Ties
Physical Activity Ties
Ties that affect nutrition and diet
related decisions.
Ties that affect physical activity
and exercise related decisions.
Relationships Sought Out Most:*
1. Health Professional
2. Friend
3. Spouse
Relationships Sought Out Most:
1. Friend
2. Health Professional
3. Spouse
Mental Engage Ties
Work-Life Balance
Ties that affect personal
development and mental
engagement activities.
Ties that help you grow in nonwork domains (e.g., art, music,
spiritual pursuits, service, etc.)
Relationships Sought Out Most:
1. Health Professional
2. Friend
3. Spouse
Relationships Sought Out Most:
1. Friend
2. Spouse
3. Child
Negative Ties
Ties that create stress or enable
unhealthy choices.
Relationship Most Commonly Mentioned:
1. Friend
2. Spouse
3 Child
* There is a directional effect showing that some people who rely too heavily on friends (in comparison with health
professionals) on the nutrition front tend to have poor health. This suggests a trap when networks provide inaccurate
information.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
35
Networks Help Successful People:
Generate Physical and Mental WellBeing at Work
A fourth way that investments in more effective networks help people to be more successful is by
enabling them to thrive – both physically and mentally – in today’s demanding work context. Two
kinds of investments in networks consistently yield well-being benefits at work:
1. Connections that improve physical health, and
2. Relationships that enhance resilience, engagement and happiness at work.
Relationships that Promote Physical Health
Four kinds of relationships positively affect health while one category – people who create
stress or enable unhealthy behaviors – can derail efforts.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to consider opportunities to promote your
physical health.
Strongly
Disagree
Nutrition & Diet Influencers
I actively build and leverage relationships with people
who have a positive influence on my nutrition and
diet-related decisions.
Self
Others
I actively build and leverage relationships with
people who have a positive influence on my
personal growth and mental engagement
decisions.
I proactively reduce engagement with people in my
network who create stress or decrease the
likelihood of me taking actions that will improve my
physical and mental well-being.
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Mean
6.0
4.7
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Stress Creators & Poor Health Decision
Enablers
Mean
5.0
4.0
Strongly
Disagree
Work-Life Balance Influencers
I actively build and leverage relationships with
people who have a positive influence on my
work- life balance decisions.
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Personal Growth & Mental Engagement
Mean
2.0
4.3
Strongly
Disagree
Physical Activity & Exercise Influencers
I actively build and leverage relationships with
people who have a positive influence on my
physical activity and exercise decisions.
Strongly
Agree
Mean
4.0
6.0
Strongly
Disagree
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Strongly
Agree
Mean
1.0
3.0
36
What Activities Could Help
Build Connections Important to
Health?
Reflect on domains below that could improve your physical health. On the
positive side, consider activities that could introduce you to new networks of
people, as well as specific people in those domains that you would like to
spend time with.
Physical Activity
Activity
Nutritional Advice/Engagement
Person
Mental Engagement
Activity
Person
Activity
Person
Work-Life Balance
Activity
Person
Now reflect on interactions in your network that might diminish health.
Typically these are caused by people who create stress or enable unhealthy
choices. Problematically, they are often people you are close to – spouse,
friends, children or parents. So the trick is to consider how altering activities
with these people could result in a more healthy lifestyle.
Decreasing Engagement with Stress Creators or Poor Health Enablers
Person
Action or Change Needed
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
37
Relationships That Enhance
Resilience and Happiness
at Work
Relationships – both inside and outside our organizations – have a great deal to do with our
well-being at work. As the collaborative intensity of work has exploded over the past decade,
the networks we are embedded in have become increasingly strong predictors of happiness at
work or, when not cultivated well, burnout and turnover. Our studies increasingly show that job
satisfaction and happiness are more intertwined with networks than work conditions.
Two relational benefits consistently and positively influence individual well-being:
1.Having connections that provide personal support or energize you in your work is
important to resilience and well-being at work. In fact, being socially isolated in adulthood
on this front is as big a risk factor to your health as cigarette smoking or being significantly
overweight.
2.Having people who provide you with a sense of purpose – that you and your work
matter -- is also very important to well-being. Generally this benefit comes from either
people who consume your output or those who care about similar things in their work.
Early in a career, this tends to come from the boss and/or customer, and later, from
outside the organization – family, philanthropy, etc.
Proactively addressing negative ties – when they exist in one’s network – matters twice as
much as building the positive ties. Happier people tend to be more proactive by (1) shifting
behaviors in negative ties, (2) shifting time away from negative ties, or (3) if no other option,
reframing their response to negative interactions so that they do not carry negativity into
following meetings and even home.
Connections that provide personal support and/or energy:
People you regroup with when you have had a tough interaction
or received bad news.
People you are energized by or can “just be you” with.
Connections that provide a sense of purpose:
People providing a sense that your efforts and output are valued
and have impact.
People who share similar values on what is worth doing and
meaningful objectives to pursue in your work.
Minimizing or removing interactions with negative relationships:
•Toxic relationships that create unhealthy levels of stress.
•Intimidating interactions that create fear or risk aversion.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
38
Networks Help Successful People:
Generate Physical and Mental WellBeing at Work
Relationships That Enhance Resilience, Engagement & Well-Being at Work
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to consider opportunities to promote your
reslience, engagement and well-being at work.
Strongly
Disagree
Connections that provide personal support and/or
energy
Strongly
Agree
5.0
1.5
Self
I proactively engage with people who provide personal
Others
support or energize me in my work which improves
my well-being at work.
Strongly
Disagree
Connections that provide a sense of purpose
I proactively engage with people who provide a
sense of purpose that what I do at work matters
which improves my well-being at work.
I proactively reduce the impact of negative
relationships in my network which improves my wellbeing at work.
Strongly
Agree
Self
Others
Mean
4.0
4.7
Strongly
Disagree
Minimizing or removing interactions with negative
relationships
Mean
Self
Others
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Strongly
Agree
Mean
2.0
3.0
39
Relationships That Enhance
Thriving and Happiness at
Work
Reflect on the personal support and purpose connections below
and opportunities to either invest in new relationships or
rejuvenate existing ones. Then consider actions that can be
taken to reduce the effect of negative or toxic interactions.
Connections that provide personal support and/or energy.
Connections that provide a sense of purpose.
Minimizing/removing interactions with negative relationships.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
40
Personal Network of
Successful Leaders
Networks Help Successful People To…
Produce Innovative Solutions
Crafting non-insular and
collaboratively efficient personal
networks promote your ability to
frame/solve problems broadly and
envision unique opportunities.
Execute Work
Efficiently
Learn and Adapt
Leveraging
relationships to build
capabilities in times of
transition and avoid
career derailing
network traps are
critical to individual
performance during
times of change.
LEARN and
ADAPT
THRIVE
Thrive Via Physical
& Mental WellBeing
Building networks that provide a
range of task and social benefits
positively affect physical health
and resilience/well-being.
EXECUTE
Engaging key opinion
leaders in networks to
drive influence and
addressing four
performance
opportunities in networks
– center, fringe, silos and
responsiveness – help
efficiently advance
projects and results.
SCALE
Scale by Building Trust & Energy
to Unlock Hidden Potential in
Networks
Creating competence- and
benevolence-based trust and energy
in networks attract better information,
opportunities and talent.
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41
Adapting Networks &
Collaborative Practices to
Thrive in a Role Transition
Role transitions are a way of life—whether entry into an organization, rotation assignments,
expanded responsibilities or promotion—and create significant demands that can only be met
by an adapting network. People are moving across organizations more frequently than ever
before, with an average tenure of less than four years (and even less for millennials). Due to
the flattening of organization structures, people are staying at a given level 30% longer, so
when a transition is made within an organization, it is much more demanding and dramatic due
to a larger scope of responsibilities which requires a markedly different set of skills. With the
requirement for new functional expertise, cultural understanding and political navigation, an
individual’s expertise must be rapidly supplemented through their networks.
The often self‐imposed pressure to produce in a new role often invisibly derails successful
people, and they fall into one or more of four network traps :
• The Bottleneck – becomes overloaded with demands, so holds up the work of
others
• The Formalist – considers formal structure (not informal) to determine who to pay
attention to
• The Biased Learner – focuses in a certain sphere of influence versus looking for a
broader perspective
• The Disconnected Expert – fails to build relationships to address gaps in newly
required skills
Surge, then Adapt, to Prevent Collaborative Overload
Invariably, there must be a plan to rapidly build out a robust network in the first six-nine
months. This network should include those higher up and broadly across the hierarchy,
stakeholders, peers within and across functions/divisions, those being managed, etc.
One very important success factor is how people surge into their new roles. There are two
very different ways to surge. One approach is to claim to be the expert or the person who can
answer and solve all problems. This builds excessive reliance on one person. The other
approach assumes a very different mindset—one that is more about process and not direct
outcome. It doesn’t require knowing the solution or controlling what happens in the moment,
but knowing how to draw on people to find the answer.
The person focused on process will be able to back out of the network when collaborative
overload strikes (typically 6-9 months into the new role), since their focus was on developing
people, allowing them to delegate responsibilities. The person focused on control and selfreliance will not have this ability and therefore, a much harder time managing increased
responsibilities.
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42
Transitions Are a Fact of
Life …
Considerations during transitions:
DO




DO NOT
X
X
X
X
Build the capability of others. Invest early with a style that lets you
back out and use all talent
Understand and leverage the informal network
Seek input to maintain / develop needed skills
Listen to a diverse pool of people
Set patterns for overload
Over‐value formal leaders
Rely too heavily on expertise that got you to role
Allow insularity or bias to creep into network
One Leader’s Story
Let’s examine how one leader, Rick, managed his transition after getting hired into an
organization as the Director of Learning and Organization Development for a global professional
services firm, managing a group of 60+ people. On Rick’s first day, his leader told him of the
importance of building his network, and had taken the time to identify 47 people that he needed
to meet asap to help him craft and sculpt his new role.
Rick was thankful his boss took this crucial step to identify people he should meet and
explained, “I went into this knowing I would be building relationships, one at a time, … You can
be much more successful if you can build relationships designed to create pull for you and your
team. It takes a little bit longer, but there is less re‐work and it dramatically speeds execution.”
Rick’s focus during his meetings was to understand needs, preferred way of working, how he
could help, and how to bring their expertise forward. Perhaps most importantly, Rick asked,
“Who else should I connect to on this topic?” and “Who else should I talk to?” This sort of
question will consistently slingshot you to the informal opinion leaders.
Rick made it a habit to meet with each of his direct reports one-on-one regularly—and to hold
this time sacred. This enabled Rick to understand each person’s unique capabilities, what they
were passionate about, the kind of work they preferred to do and the challenges they had. He
was able to remove some of the obstacles, quickly building trust as their leader.
These activities allowed Rick to build a good foundation and determine how best to work with
other people and groups productively prior to the need arising. Rick knew that building this
network was not enough, so he also focused on a second track of short-term wins, so he could
have something to show those around him while helping to build trust in his own capabilities.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
43
Actions for a Successful
Transition
BOSS
FUNCTIONAL
MANAGERS
“47 People to Meet ASAP”
Initial Questions:
• What do you do?
• How do you operate?
• What do you need from me?
PEERS
• How do you operate?
• Who else should I talk to?
TEAM
You can imagine that this created a
big surge in work in terms of building
relationships while also producing
results. But Rick did so in a way that
allowed him to develop his team, so
that after 6-9 months, once his
reputation and credibility had been
established, he was able to delegate
to team members. This allowed him to
thrive at a critical point where many
leaders suffer from failure to manage
the overload.
10 Network Actions for Successful Role Transitions
Surge in first 45 days with clear plan to build relationships with external stakeholders/ clients,
formal leaders, peers, team and support roles.
Identify where expertise held is insufficient for new role and build network to supplement
skill gaps (i.e. technical, functional, cultural/political, leadership, etc.).
Engage advisors who know you well and can provide honest input, and those that energize
you or are emotional anchors—they will help build confidence and enable you to thrive.
Balance network development with early high profile win or prototype to build competence
trust, and remove obstacles for team to build benevolence trust.
Engage positive and negative influencers in the informal network early and include those inside
and outside your unit.
Sculpt role early, while there is latitude, to focus on engaging work with purpose for both you
and your team.
Employ “pull” (versus push) strategy in relationships to engage and develop those around you.
Initiate enterprise networks (i.e. cross function, geography and capabilities) to connect with
adjacent expertise and introduce diverse thought.
Create a context for others to thrive by engaging in co-creation early, avoiding direct
contribution/control and employing expertise in a way that develops and supports others.
People do not care how smart you are until you show you care for them or their interests.
All rights reserved
(c) 2017 The Network
LLC
Play offense on collaborative
overload…seeds
you sowRoundtable
early to develop
your network and
team proactively will help avoid career de‐railing overload at 6‐9 month mark.
44
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
Analyzing Your
Network Structure
Structural Network Traps
The Bottleneck
ISSUE:
The bottleneck creates a heavy reliance on himself or herself.
Bottlenecks use their own time – and that of others –
inefficiently, so they invisibly hold up work and innovation in
the network.
OUTCOMES:
Bottlenecks may experience personal burnout. The
organization’s dependence on them means it fails to use
expertise on the network’s periphery; the network is slower to
respond to opportunities and threats, and innovation stalls.
NETWORK REMEDY:
Identify categories of information, decision rights, and tasks
that can be reallocated to alleviate overloaded points and draw
others into the network. Alter behavioral tendencies that are
creating excessive network reliance on the bottleneck.
The Formalist
ISSUE:
The formalist has an inaccurate perception of the informal
network and therefore fails to leverage it as a means to get
work done.
OUTCOME:
Formalists may suffer personal frustration if things do not
happen the way they expect them to. In an organization,
their plans will often be implemented ineffectively and
opportunities will be missed.
NETWORK REMEDY:
Identify brokers, marginalized voices, overloaded points and
fragmentation where networks are not being tapped
effectively.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
45
AnalyzingYour
Your
Analyzing
RelationalDiversity
Diversity
Relational
Relational Network Traps
The Disconneccted Expert
ISSUE:
This otherwise high performer does not address skill
gaps – deficiencies of technical expertise, decisionmaking ability or interpersonal style – by leveraging
relationships.
OUTCOMES:
The disconnected expert will ultimately fail when a
new role or changing times demand new skills.
NETWORK REMEDY:
Develop self-awareness and actively build ties to
those who can help complement skill gaps.
The Biased Learner
ISSUE:
The biased learner allows certain people (such
as those from a similar functional background
or physical location or with common values) to
become disproportionately important in
information and decision interactions.
OUTCOME:
Poor strategies, inflexibility and unethical
decisions are all potential outcomes if certain
voices become too privileged.
NETWORK REMEDY:
Identify and correct overinvestment and
underinvestment in relationships.
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46
Networks Help Successful People:
Adapt and Avoid Derailers
The world is in a state of continuous change with organizations seemingly constantly engaged
in some form of restructuring to meet ever-changing market conditions. Leaders better able to
adapt networks to meet new conditions (and avoid getting de- railed by one of four common
network traps) are better able to stay in the upwardly mobile performance group.
Avoiding Network Traps That Derail Careers
If not cultivated and adapted to current demands, networks can hurt performance and derail careers.
Our research over the past two decades reveals four common derailing traps for rising starts and
leaders in transition.
Reflect on the "Self" and "Others" ratings below to understand if you are avoiding these network.
Trap 1 – TheBottleneck
The bottleneck occurs when people create too heavy a
reliance on themselves in networks. Bottlenecks use their
own time – and that of others – inefficiently, so they invisibly
hold up work and innovation in the network.
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Mean
4.0
5.0
Self
Others
I strive to build capability around me so that I avoid the
network trap of the bottleneck.
Trap 2 – TheFormalist
The formalist relies too heavily on formal structure to
implement plans. S/he has an inaccurate perception of the
informal network and therefore fails to leverage it as a
means to get work done.
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Mean
6.0
1.5
Self
Others
I strive to understand and leverage the informal network in
order to avoid the network trap of the formalist.
Trap 3 – The DisconnectedExpert
The disconnected expert does not leverage relationships
sufficiently to address skill gaps – deficiencies of technical
expertise, decision-making ability, or interpersonal style –
brought on as a product of a transition requiring new
capabilities.
Strongly
Disagree
Strongly
Agree
Mean
7.0
6.3
Self
Others
I leverage relationships to help me keep my skills current
and avoid the network trap of the disconnected expert.
Trap 4 – The Biased Learner
The biased learner allows certain people (such as those
from a similar functional background or physical location,
or with common values) to become disproportionately
important in information and decision interactions.
Strongly
Disagree
Self
Others
Strongly
Agree
Mean
4.0
2.5
I strive to maintain a diverse network of relationships to
avoid the network trap of the biased learner, where
certain people have a disproportionate "voice."
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
47
Exercise:
Types of Network Ties
Types of Ties that Provide Expertise, Resources and Network
Benefits Important to Your Success
As a means to address potential network traps, please list up to three key development objectives,
work goals or career ambitions that will help you to be more effective in your current job or prepare
for a future role. Think broadly and consider a range of competencies such as technical expertise,
industry knowledge, interpersonal skills, leadership behaviors, oral and written communication,
emotional intelligence and critical thinking.
Then indicate where you can renew or add connections to support your growth. If you don’t have
specific names in mind at this point, identify categories of people such as customers, specialists
and peers.
Developmental Objectives ,
Work Goals or Career Ambitions
Connections to Renew / Add
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
48
Action Sheet:
Network Summary
The Big Picture: Specific Actions to Improve Your Connectivity
In conclusion, please take a final few moments to create a one-page summary of the actions
you will commit to taking in the coming weeks and months to improve your network.
Innovate
Reduce Overload and
Build Boundary
Spanning Ties
Learn and Adapt
Execute
Build Networks to Avoid Derailing
Traps and Adapt with Change
Execute
Generate Physical & Mental Well-Being to Improve
Health and Resilience
Engage Influencers & Drive Results
through Collaborative Practices
Trust and Energize
Develop Trust & Energy to Unlock Hidden Potential in
Networks
Thank you for taking the time to complete the network assessment. As you take deliberate efforts to
realign your network, you should start to see changes in your ability to grow and perform as a
professional. But your roles and responsibilities will likely change over time as well, so it’s a good idea to
periodically revisit your network analysis and adjust your action plan as the needs of your projects or job
demands shift.
All rights reserved (c) 2017 The Network Roundtable LLC
49