Social network analysis - getting beyond the organisational chart

Hearing Leandro Herrero's passionate key note session on Viral Change at the CIPR conference back in September has renewed my interest in social network analysis (SNA) or, as it's sometimes called, organisational network mapping.

The premise behind SNA is simple - that organisations don't work as shown on the traditional organisational chart and that instead information (and work) flows through a complex web of informal interactions.

SNA aims to map those informal social networks and, in doing so, to shed light on the real - rather than the imaginary - organisation.

It's a concept that has enormous appeal, particularly for those of us in the business of communication and change. Network mapping can help assess the communication of strategy, vision and values, highlight interactions in day-to-day work, shed light on the grapevine and help pinpoint internal knowledge and expertise. In doing so, it can transform the way we go about communicating inside organisations.

At its most basic SNA involves a three step process: (1) identify the groups you want to assess (2) gather data (3) analyse and visualise ("map") the data.

Data gathering usually involves individuals completing a questionnaire to explore who employees are interacting with and the purpose and frequency of those interactions.

Analysis and visualisation is, as always, when the data begins to get really interesting - when you start to see the quality and number of links/interactions between people in the network or social web. There is specialist computer software available that will help or, if you prefer to outsource this sort of thing, there are consultancies and researchers who will do this for you.

I'm only beginning to learn about SNA, but it strikes me as a truly powerful tool. It's the only way to discover what really makes an organisation tick and it can show, in a clear and compelling way, precisely where communication is breaking down between and within groups and, perhaps more importantly, who the key players/influencers in the organisation/group are.

If you, like me, are interested in this technique then you might want to check-out some of the following links:

• Introduction to Organizational Network Mapping (The Advisory Board Company)
• Wikipedia on the social network
• Valdis Krebs' blog
• The International Network for Social Network Analysis
• Introduction to social network methods - online textbook
• Managerial Network Analysis - applying the technique to management problems
• An interesting article 'the craft of connection' from Strategy & Business

Some of this stuff is quite heavy, but it's definitely worth investigating further....

Lee Smith on Nov 30 2008

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