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Isn’t all networking social?

By: Melissa Lackey | 06/28/2010

Recently, I had the good fortune of spending a morning with the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association. The program focused on social networks. You're probably thinking the same thing I was...another social media in health care presentation. This wasn't the case.

Jill Quist presented on social network analysis -- the study of relationships within groups, uncovering the informal connections and mapping them.  And while the value of these connections and the anthropology behind the patterns that emerge certainly speaks to the wide adoption of social media today -- all networking is social. 

So it's no surprise that social networks (regardless of method) are the nervous system of most organizations. Per Quist, half of the knowledge within an organization rests within the formal hierarchy, processes and systems, but tacit knowledge is held in the social fabric or web of the organization.  And, this doesn't reside in the C-suite.

What are you doing to build your personal knowledge network and add value to your organization? When was the last time you really consciously and intentionally reflected on the following networks (and I'm sure you could come up with a few more)?:

• Work network - those everyday contacts you routinely connect with to get the job done
• Social network - those you check in with to see "what's going on?"
• Innovation network - those you collaborate with to test new ideas
• Expert network - those you turn to for advice or expertise
• Decision-making network - those you "go to" for help in making decisions

If you're like me, these networks ebb and flow in my Outlook contacts, on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.  I've not taken the time to be as intentional as I'd like. Have you?

To have access to critical information, influence and impact within an organization or industry, an analysis of your social network just makes sense. Here are a few tips for growing your network from Quist's presentation:

• Know, understand and respect the formal-and equally important informal-social networks in your organization/industry.
• Socialize ideas within the organization/industry by identifying "hubs" (where work and collaboration happens), "gatekeepers" (those who manage the flow of information) and the "pulse takers" (the information brokers) and using them effectively.
• Diversify your networks, look outside of the immediate hierarchy or typical resources to feed innovation.
• Look for "structural holes" in the organization's connections. Be intentional in cultivating relationships where holes might exist.

Posted in Digital Communications, Public Relations