Before Michelle Hoover came to Duke CE, she worked at The Philadelphia Inquirer, editing stories on organized crime, the war in Afghanistan, and the four major professional sports teams in the city. But when she set out in a new direction by taking a job in the world of executive education, Hoover needed to retain at least one set of skills from her previous job: social networking.

No, it’s not about on-line dating. Journalists and their sources form a network of connections, just as managers and employees do in any organization—and do well in a successful one.  A social network maps the ways in which individuals (or organizations) are connected through various social familiarities ranging from casual acquaintance to close bonds.

But how can such knowledge help an organization? That’s where Rob Cross comes in.

An assistant professor of management in the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce and a member of Duke CE’s Global Learning Resource Network, or “GLRN” [pronounced glurn], 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. Hoover took the individual survey, first naming people who were important to her in her professional network. She rated a number of factors to better map out their connections, including how closely she worked with each person, their place in the hierarchy, length of time known, and interactions. This part of the survey also takes into account the benefits gleaned from the relationship, and how those compare to the desired benefits. She then answered 22 behavioral questions, rating her effectiveness in networking situations on a scale of 1-3. Finally, she received a diagram showing her own personal network and an action plan geared toward improving it. 

“It was interesting to see the kind of connectivity I had already established,” she says. “I was able to see how these connections played out in my day-to-day work life, and it led to the realization that there were still lots of connections to be made that would perhaps add more variety to my day.”

Hoover’s colleague Paul Baerman, Director of Marketing, likewise took Cross’ survey.  “The insight was immediate,” reports Baerman. “Rob got me to slow down and become conscious about how I seek advice at work and how I socialize there. What he advocates is really a kind of mindfulness practice; you begin to do more deliberately what you otherwise would have done habitually. That naturally leads to changes.”

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

The survey made Baerman realize that he was relying too heavily for media relations advice on a colleague from a previous job who had remained a personal friend. They lunched together every week, which was pleasant but not necessarily efficient.

“She counseled me well on matters of public affairs and the media,” admits Baerman.  “But while there was no one in my environment who could instantly take her place as a trusted adviser, I saw that I would benefit—and my company would benefit—from my reaching out to introduce myself to new people both inside and outside my company, including counterparts who work for competitors.”

Baerman and Hoover had very different backgrounds and challenges, but they came to the same conclusion: 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.

Pat Longshore (middle) and Michelle Hoover (right) mingled with clients at the grand opening gala for Duke CE's New York office in May 2006.

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.”

That’s a good sign, both for Cross and for the employers he helps. “There are limits to what you can do, but networks can be managed,” says Cross.

Hoover hopes to do just that. She was recently promoted to Director of Duke CE’s GLRN, relocating to New York City—which gave her the perfect opportunity to develop a new and improved social network. “Developing connections in general is fun and interesting,” she says. “You're opening yourself to lots of possibilities by creating touchpoints and connections. In a place like New York, there’s no telling what’s to come out of building a relationship with someone new.”

Baerman had actually reached out to her when they were both still stationed in North Carolina.  “Since my weak link was media relations, one of the people I started turning to was Michelle, whose professional journalism experience made her a fantastic resource for thinking about placing articles and getting coverage,” he says. “I made sure we had dinner together when I was in New York, and now I know I can run things by her anytime to get solid, honest advice.”

“Besides,” he chuckles, “we had an instant connection: Michelle and I had both taken Rob’s survey.”