Book Review:
The Hidden Power of Social Networks

by Carrie Spira, Quill Contributor

The Hidden Power of Social Networks—Understanding How Work Really Gets Done in Organizations

Written by Rob Cross and Andrew Parker

As technical communicators, we analyze the needs of our audience and gather knowledge from subject matter experts to thoroughly understand a concept or product. Cross and Parker's book, The Hidden Power of Social Networks, introduced me to a new way of revealing the not-so-obvious subject matter experts in my organization.

The Org Chart

Does your organization publish an organizational hierarchy chart?

If yes, have you seen it? Are your communications with others defined by the structure of that chart? Are the communications of others defined by that chart?

If no, could you rough out a hierarchical organizational chart based on known communications between employees?

Many of us can agree that the connections drawn on our company's organizational chart do not accurately describe the way work gets done. Informal social networks exist in all organizations; these networks are largely responsible for the coordination of, and completion of, work. Such networks also influence how an organization performs, how it strategizes, and how it innovates. We collaborate with our colleagues within and across functional, geographical, and hierarchical boundaries through informal, social networks to increase personal productivity and learning.

Managers and leaders don't necessarily understand how social networks affect productivity. The book offers approaches to identifying and supporting the social networks that are at work in your organization. Part one of the book describes how work really gets done through informal networks of people and includes ways to observe active information flow between employees.

Effect of Energy

Both the energized and de-energized people and projects in your organization substantially affect the productivity of those around them and those they may not know. Organizations tend to support energized employees because energizers are good at creating energy and exciting others to act on good ideas. De-energizers are people "who have the uncanny ability to drain the life out of a group…we avoid them, often at the expense of not capitalizing on their expertise…the interaction itself is usually unproductive and disheartening. And afterward, we often feel deflated and seek out colleagues with whom we can vent our frustration." (p. 50)

The energizers in an organization tend to be achievers, mobile in their careers, attract other high performers, and project five key characteristics that people naturally gravitate to, including:

• Compelling vision - "people want to be part of building something" (p. 59).
• Meaningful contribution - "efforts make a difference" (p. 59).
• Full engagement - "participants are fully present in the conversation" (p. 60).
• Sense of progress - "energizing interactions feel as if they are leading somewhere" (p. 60).
• Belief in the goal - "people become energized when they let themselves get excited about the possibilities and stop looking for all the things that can go wrong" (p. 62).

Part two of the book provides practical applications for leaders to promote healthy networks.

People in the Network

Five types of people appear in most networks. Using network analysis, management can tailor their improvement efforts for specific individuals, characterized as:

1. Central Connectors (a.k.a. Unsung heroes) — Employees who go above and beyond their job description to support the group. Often unrecognized for their efforts. Managers can maximize the rewards of informal networks by recognizing, encouraging, and rewarding these contributions.
2. Bottlenecks — Employees so central that they hold the group back. Some bottlenecks maintain an information or power advantage; others find their jobs grow too big for them to respond quickly and efficiently. Executives can often find themselves in this role. Managers can intervene with reallocation techniques.
3. Boundary Spanners — Main conduits of information between two groups of people defined by function, location, or hierarchical level. These rare employees can play important roles in large-scale organizational change efforts because they promote connectivity within the network.
4. Information Brokers — Employees who hold together entire groups in the network or find themselves the shortest path between many other people. Management can use information brokers to efficiently disseminate information and promote connectivity throughout the organization.
5. Peripherals — Outsiders who operate on the edge of an informal network who can represent under-utilized resources. Managers must identify these employees and determine why they are on the periphery in order to effectively apply their skills and knowledge.

Influence of Trust and Space

The existence or absence of both trust and physical space influences how effectively people share with and learn from each other in organizations.

Whether or not we trust someone influences our behaviours around that person. When we trust a person's competence, we listen and believe what that person says. When we trust a person's benevolence, we feel safe to expose our lack of knowledge and ask questions of that person. Members of a social network who maintain high levels of trust between each other share similar behaviours, including: keeping confidences; doing what they say they will do; communicating clearly and frequently; clarifying what they do not know; and giving without expecting something in return. Trustworthy people become known as competent and dependable people.

Physical space affects who interacts with whom. The more barriers or physical distance between two people, the less likely they are to collaborate. The emergence of technology, such as intranets, email, and instant messaging, can help to increase collaboration across distances. Technological tools can also detract an employee's focus from the work. Usage guidelines can help to establish order.

The Appendices

Cross and Parker include two appendices to put the book's theories into practice, including a guide for conducting social network analysis, and exercises for promoting and sustaining healthy networks in organizations.

About Carrie Spira

Carrie has a BA in Rhetoric and Professional Writing from the University of Waterloo. She lives in Kitchener with her family and works as a Technical Writer in Waterloo. Carrie enjoys puttering in her gardens, experimenting with digital photography, and makes time for cardio and weight training activities at the YMCA most days after work.