ONA and the Tools Landscape

Patti Anklam December 15 2015

First, Some Background

• Beginning in the 1990’s computer science made it possible to map and analyze large social networks.

2002

2002

2002

2003

2004

2004

2009

• By 2009, network science and analysis are accepted practice in science and management

• Insights became accessible to the public.

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2005

2007

2009

Meanwhile… by 2013

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Big

Data!

• People are mining the our public personas in the internet to understand networks

• Concepts from social network analysis are creeping into contact and relationship management applications

• Techniques for gathering social interactions become instrumented

2015

2013

What is Network Analysis?

• Social network analysis (SNA) is a collection of techniques, tools, and methods to map and measure the relationships among people and organizations

• Organizational network analysis (ONA) often refers to the use of SNA methods in the context of organization dynamics and development

• In practice, we use these tools to map connections among people and ideas, issues, and other entities as well as the social and organizational connections

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Network Analysis in Organizations

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Management Practice Examples (Short List)

Talent Management Personal LeadershipSuccession PlanningStaffing key roles

Innovation Identify energy sourcesBridge boundaries

Knowledge management Expertise managementCommunities of practiceImproving information flow

Organizational Change and Development

Change managementMergers and acquisition

Organizational Performance Team building

How has it been applied?

Looking at Results: Structure Matters

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• There is science to support the understanding of network structure

• The structure of a network provides insights into how the network “works”

• Once you understand the structure, you can make decisions about how to manage the network’s context

• Network analysis tools help you understand the structure

Impact on Business of Connectivity

• Bank management was trying to understand the differences across branches in sales at credit and deposit figures

• Using network analysis, the bank was able to understand where to direct mentoring and “best practice” exchanges across banks

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Figures show the performance differences in bank branches based on the density of their relationships

Total credit / person

Total deposit / person

Low density

branches

High density

branches

Low density

branches

High density

branches

Source: Maven7

Looking at Results: Centrality Matters

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• Network analysis can be used to identify key information & opinion conduits

• These individuals can be leveraged in change programs

• Goal: find the smallest number of people who can reach the largest number of employees in the smallest number of steps

Key Opinion Leaders: Step-by-Step

9Source: Maven7

Impact of Finding Key Opinion Leaders

10Source: Maven7

Impact of Finding Key Opinion Leaders

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Dunbar’s number: 150

• Strong ties:

– Close, frequent

– Reciprocal

– May be embedded in a strong “local network”

• Weak ties

– Infrequent interaction

– Likely embedded in other (diverse) networks

– Accessible as needed

Source: Maven7

Network Analysis: The Method in a Nutshell

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Step Activities/Tools

Design Understand the business problemIdentify boundariesClarify and design questions

Collect Data SurveysInterviewsFacebook, LinkedInEmail logs

Analyze data to generatemaps and metrics

DIY toolsIntegrated SaaS tools

Review data Validate; look for questions

Prepare evaluation Match network results with context and stories

Move into action

Survey Example – Demographic Component

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Network Questions Probe Relationships

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Sophisticated Algorithms Reduce Survey Time

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Select the names of up to four colleagues with whom you communicate the most to get your work done.

Source: Maven7

Employee names access via drop-down or fill-in. Survey respondents need to pick only four names for each question.

The Important Data

• Relationships

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• Demographics

How Do We Manage Knowledge?

Accessible knowledgeAcknowledged Expert

Colleague

Group with no

direct access to a

knowledge center

Questions visualized on the map:

1. Whom do you turn to for professional

advice regarding your daily work?

2. Who is the most acknowledged professional in your field?

Non-accessible

knowledge

Source: Maven7

Organizational Networks Summary

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• The science of networks has brought insights into the structure of organizational networks

• Organizational network analysis lets us map relationships to:

• Identify patterns of connection, disconnection, and flowsof knowledge and ideas

• Understand the roles that individuals play and their potential for enhancing organizational effectiveness

• Developing and sharing maps and metrics helps organizations to ask good questions and design targeted interventions

Interventions

Ways to change patterns in

networks

Practices from the KM/OD Repertoire

Create more connections Make introductions through meetings and webinars, face-to-face events (like knowledge fairs); implement social software or social network referral software; social network stimulation

Increase the flow of knowledge Establish collaborative workspaces, install instant messaging systems, make existing knowledge bases more accessible and usable

Discover connections Implement expertise location and/or; discovery systems; social software; social networking applications

Decentralize Social software; blogs, wikis; shift knowledge to the edge

Connect disconnected clusters Establish knowledge brokering roles; expand communication channels

Create more trusted relationships Assign people to work on projects together

Leverage the connectors Create awareness of the impact of an individual’s place in a network; educate employees on personal knowledge networking

Increase diversity Add nodes; connect and create networks; encourage people to bring knowledge in from their networks in the world

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Change Management (Maven7)

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Selection criteria of Key Opinion Leaders

Involve your identified KOLs in:

Measurable results

Identification of Key Opinion

Leaders (KOLs) via online

survey on orgmapper.com.

After KOLs are identified, they are invited by the consultant to

take part in change facilitating workshops. A list of only those

KOLs who accept this invitation is handed over to the client.

• Innovators;

• Initiators;

• Professional experts;

• Problem-solvers;

• Energizers;

• Popular employees;

• Information hubs;

• etc.

• Promoting the new vision;

• Providing input in the initial

phase of the project;

• Validating initiatives;

• Communication activities;

• Participating in pilots;

• Fine-tuning programs;

• Action planning;

• Employees learn faster about

new operational processes;

• Employees adapt more

quickly to changes;

• Less employee resistance;

• Constructive suggestions;

• Innovative ideas from KOLs;

• KOLs will be the

representatives and

ambassadors of change;

Mapping Networks: Tools

http://quilting.about.com/od/picturesofquilts/ig/Alzheimer-s-Quilts/The-Ties-that-Bind.htm

What Sorts of Tools Are There?

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• Range in complexity of function & cost

• NodeXL maps Twitter, Facebook networks

• Logfile Analysis

Social Media Graphing and Analytics

“Do it Yourself”Mapping & Analysis Tools

Vendors• Provide a range of choices

• Gartner Market Guide (2015)

The Landscape in 2010:Do-It-Yourself Mapping and Analysis Tools

Tool Basics – the Dataset (0s and 1s)

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Information about the nodes (vertices) and the ties (edges)

Load and Draw…1

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Load and Draw…2

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Load and Draw…3

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Short List of Resources for SNA/ONA Tools

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http://tinyurl.com/SNA-ONA-Tools

Kumu: Shared Maps

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https://www.kumu.io/explore

Mapping from Social Media

• Social network platforms:

– A Facebook Friend

– A LinkedIn Connection

– A Twitter Following

• Social media content platforms:

– Likes, posts, replies, shares, and uploads

– Mentions or “retweet” #hashtags

• In-house:

– Email

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Mapping from ESNs

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Networks in Social Media

1. Krugman tweets a link to an article

2. There are a number of Tweeters who publish links to the article but these are not connected to other Tweeters

3. There are two densely interconnected groups of people who share the link and discuss it

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Analyzing Twitter networks with NodeXL: Broadcast Networks

http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/02/20/mapping-twitter-topic-networks-from-polarized-crowds-to-community-clusters/

SAAS (SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE) VENDORS

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• Survey tools are integrated with analysis tools in SAAS programs. • Organizational development methodologies are integrated into the survey and

analysis via templates and groupings.

ONA Tool Landscape 2015

Vendors I have looked atVendor If you are looking for… Working with Them

Maven7*OrgMapper/ChangeMapper

A tool and consulting support for a specific organizational network diagnosis, including change management, talent management, team development, knowledge management, or performance improvement.

Licensing is per survey, based on # of participants and whether or not you are certified and doing the project with them in consultation.

DNA-7* Automates surveys and analysis., focusing on change management, onboarding and workforce optimization.

Licensing based on # of participants. No consulting services.

Polinode Basic survey and analysis functions. (Still somewhat Beta mode). Allows you to publish a network map for others to browse.

Priced per use based on the number of survey respondents.At present, software only.

Syndio Social* A dashboard-oriented tool to map progress in large-scale organizational change, addressing problems with talent management. Combines SNA, log files, and sentiment analysis to give a full enterprise analysis.

Be their “customers for life” – bring in the tool, develop expertise and use it throughout the enterprise to manage large-scale change.

Sociometric Solutions Uses the Sociometric© badges to detect employee activity,merges with log file data to develop organizational diagnostics.

No SaaS – all projects are custom.

Keynetiq A tool that provides 12 different survey templates, analytics, and interactive network maps with members’ profiles that employees can navigate and use to search for expertise.

Monthly fee based on number of people in the company. Custom pricing for networks with more than 1000 employees. Provides custom consulting.

SYNAPP Survey-based, online web tool that creates maps and analytics and provides managers and employees with reports to visualize and work with the network data.

Offers consulting as well as use of survey and analytic software, priced per person.

*Included in the Gartner Market Guide for Social Network Analysis†I have worked extensively with this vendor

Other Vendors Reviewed in Gartner Market Guide (2015)

Vendor Comments

Optimice† Provides ONASurveys Software and project consulting. Currently they are working on a product – Swoop Analytics – that mines information from enterprise collaboration tools to identify network structures and central people.

TrustSphere Based entirely on electronic artifacts, provides communication pattern maps, risk analytics and people analytics.

Morphix Analyzes email metadata.

Cyram NetMiner, NetExplorer, NetViz, NetMetrics are high-end social network analysis tools. Software only price $22K/year.

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†I have worked extensively with this vendor

Maven7 OrgMapper

• Methodology embedded in the analysis and mapping tools

– Change management

– Knowledge management

– Team performance

– Talent management

– Organizational performance

• Customizations managed through the consulting services

• ChangeMapper identifies key opinion leaders (KOLs) and automates inviting them to participate in change programs

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Keynetiq – Create a Survey

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Polinode

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Syndio Social

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Syndio Social Uses SNA to Build Management Dashboards

Syndio Social

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…by combining social network platform data with surveys

Highest social capital

Most favorable to change

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SYNAPP Sample Report

Sociometric Solutions

• Employees wear badges that detect who they are talking to, what level of work they are doing

• Provides views from the individual to teams to the organization as a whole

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Discussion

• Potential applications in your work?

– Knowledge management strategy?

– Change management?

– ESN analytics?

• Will ONA ever take off?

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http://about.me/pattianklam

• Independent consultant and thought leader in knowledge management and organization network analysis for 15 years

• 30 years in software engineering/information architecture

• 10 years in professional services knowledge management & methodology (Digital, Compaq, Nortel)

• Charter member of Change Agents Worldwide

• Partner in ONA training courses with Optimice

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