Social Networking

A social network maps the ways in which individuals (or organizations) are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close bonds.

Rob Cross comes, an assistant professor of management in the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce, Cross explains that social network analysis is an established model—though using it to produce business results is a new twist.

A generic social network diagram shows how a simple map might look at an early stage of the analysis. 

"Can we use network analysis as a tool to look at how collaboration is occurring in large groups that need to work together?” he asks. “Can we use it as a vehicle to see where connectivity might need to be built, or, just as importantly, decreased?"

“The network ideas have been around since the 1930s. The angle that I took is not inventing new algorithms or new theories, but just saying, ‘How can we make this useful to an executive?’ and systematically trying to work closely with companies and find applications.”

Cross has designed an online survey to map social networks; it can measure connectivity across individuals or across groups.

Another example of a social network map, this one focused on a single individual rather than an organization or community.

Social networking is not about manipulation but about managing one’s own learning. Cross’ goal, he says, is not to define an “ideal” network—that doesn’t exist—or to encourage any certain behavior. Rather, he wants to help people and organizations see where they can improve, and stand back to let them do the work. He is always on the lookout for people who are too well-connected, not connected enough, or disconnected, because that’s where improvement is needed.

“The idea is to tailor your network to suit your needs,” Cross says. “People seem to be able to see where they need to make adjustments. What you do have to have is some mechanism to force reflection.”

Social network analysis can be helpful in mapping personal networks and show how leaders interact with their colleagues and subordinates, but that’s not all Cross is focused on. “We’ve become much more interested in high performers,” he says. “They distinguish themselves by their network. High performers do not necessarily have a big network—what they have are bridging ties, reaching outside their group, even outside their organization.”

While high performers show exemplary networking skills, leaders often fall into several common traps, according to Cross.

“Where leaders go wrong is they allow themselves to become insular,” he says. “Everyone’s coming to them for answers. Over time, another trap is that everyone they see is built into their lives via meetings, so they’re not getting new and different perspectives. And people tend to go to others to talk about things that they’re already good at, so rather than using the network to extend their abilities, a lot of times people use others around them to just confirm what they already know.”

Making the traps visible to the leaders is perhaps the most important function of the network analysis—and certainly the most sought-after. “Different industries focus on different applications of network analysis,” says Cross. “But the leadership development angle cuts across all industries.”

Another important component is to help companies and individuals through transitions: company mergers and takeovers, and, for experienced employees, new jobs. “Pre-change and post-change is a big deal, anytime you have old relationships plus new responsibilities,” Cross says.

The social network analyses can then help those people in transition see where they develop boundaries, build relationships, cull their networks, and communicate in the best way.

Cross has noticed some patterns in his social networking analyses. “The common thing you find is that some people are much more connected than you would expect—and then there’s the reverse,” he says.

A common misconception about networking is that people who are extroverted and outgoing find it easier to form large and well-connected networks, but Cross suggests that effort, rather than personality, is a better indicator of successful networking. “If it is seen as a professional development tool, then these are intentional behaviors, and there is opportunity for improvement,” he says. “There are certainly people who don’t want to do it, but when they see that it is beyond socializing—that it’s for work, and more task-based—it makes people more comfortable with the idea.”