TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
UNIVERSITY OF WESTMINSTER
The Small World of Hubs,The Small World of Hubs,Spanners & BrokersSpanners & Brokers
Presented By:
Peter A.C. Smith, President TLA Inc.
<konvergeandknow> Alliance Partner
November 10, 2004
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
Knowledge exchange
Learning
Knowledge access
Communities of Trust
Knowledge Repository
contribute new knowledgecontribute new knowledge
place information in contextplace information in context
… we function in dynamic learning/knowledge environments
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
Success isn’t so much a function of what we know, or even who we know, but rather who we know well enough to trust for advice, and to get things done
… significant implications for organisational initiatives
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
ORDER OF ADOPTION
10
20
30
0
25
15
5
35
% ADOPTERS
INNOVATORS
OPINION
LEADERS
EARLY
MAJORITY
PRAGMATISTS
LATE
MAJORITY
STATUS QUO
FOLLOWERS
TRADITIONALS
Adoption of Change
… organisational research studies bear this out
Source: Rogers, E..M. (1995), “Diffusion of Innovations”, 4th Edition, Free Press, New York
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… this is the field of Social Capital and Social Liability
“The set of resources, tangible or virtual, that accrue to a corporate player through the player’s social relationships, facilitating (or otherwise) the attainment of goals”
Source: Gabbay, S.M., Leenders, R.Th.A.J. (1999), “The Structure of Advantage and Disadvantage”, in Leenders, R.Th.A.J. and Gabbay, S.M. (Eds), “Corporate Social Capital and Liability”, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
CONSCIOUS
SEMI-CONSCIOUS
UN-CONSCIOUS
TASK
Upfront & Accessible
FEELINGS
Private & Irrational but Observable
Hidden Anxieties, Survival Instinct, Impulses
& Power Needs
… attaining collective goals is like melding icebergs
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
CONSCIOUS
SEMI-CONSCIOUS
UN-CONSCIOUS
Task
Process
… attaining collective goals is like melding icebergs
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… so how do we know what SC or SL we have?
Apply KnetmapTM a proven Network Visualisation & Analysis (NVA) program developed by Konverge Digital Corp.
provides a unique and realistic view of how an organisation works underneath the organisation charts
based on input from the organisation’s employees
sound foundation for effective management of social capital in pursuit of the organisation’s undertakings.
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
Email questions sent to all individuals in target community. For example:
“With whom do you discuss what’s going on at work?”
“With whom do you discuss or brainstorm ideas for better ways to get things done?”
“When buying products, from whom do you seek advice?”
KnetmapTM software
collects responses and maps a visualisation of the network domains under consideration
carries out statistical analysis of various kinds
Analysis interpreted and “key players” identified
Further practical KM initiatives build on the results
… assess SC or SL using KnetmapTM software
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
Networked individual
… how NVA identifies influential people & patterns
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
Central hub
… how NVA identifies influential people & patterns
ARCHETYPE NO. 1
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… how NVA identifies influential people & patterns
Knowledge broker
ARCHETYPE NO. 2
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… how NVA identifies influential people & patterns
Boundary spanner
ARCHETYPE NO. 3
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… how NVA identifies influential people & patterns
Peripheral individual
ARCHETYPE NO. 4
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… how NVA identifies influential people & patterns
Isolated cluster
ARCHETYPE NO. 5
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… how NVA identifies influential people & patterns
Small World
ARCHETYPE NO. 6
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
KnetMap™ NETWORK
VISUALISATION & ANALYSIS
(NVA)
SUCCESION PLANNNINGLEADERSHIP
INNOVATION
RIGHTSIZING
MERGERS
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICEKNOWLEDGE EXPERTS
REPLACEMENT PLANNING
COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS
INFLUENTIAL PLAYERS
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
SOCIAL CAPITAL
CONTINUITY PLANNINGKNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
YELLOW PAGE LOCATORS
SMAL WORLDS
… KnetMap™ NVA provides key to many applications
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… KnetMap™ NVA allows you to identify influential people
SUCCESION PLANNNINGLEADERSHIP
INNOVATION
RIGHTSIZING
MERGERS
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICEKNOWLEDGE EXPERTS
REPLACEMENT PLANNINGINFLUENTIAL PLAYERS
YELLOW PAGE LOCATORS
CONTINUITY PLANNING
KnetMap™ NETWORK
VISUALISATION & ANALYSIS
(NVA)
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
COMMUNICATIONS CHANNELS
SOCIAL CAPITAL
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
SMAL WORLDS
… KnetMap™ NVA allows you to identify influence patterns
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
KnetMap™ NETWORK
VISUALISATION & ANALYSIS
(NVA)
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… NVA Case Study 1
1. “In your role as a leader in our company, whom do you seek out for 'brainstorming' around dealing with complex issues in business, interpersonal or cross-functional situations? Think about people in your area and other people within the business.”
2. “Imagine that you are on a project to develop an innovative approach to creating "a sensational place at Head Office". Who are the 'ideas' people you want on the project team with you, from your own or other areas?”
Finding the “top ten” leaders (1) and innovators (2):
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… NVA Case Study 1: map of “top ten” leaders
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… NVA Case Study 2
1. “From whom do you seek opinions on best practices in risk analysis and conducting a risk assessment?”
Finding the “top ten” subject matter experts (1):
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… NVA Case Study 2: map of “top ten” sme’s
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… NVA Case Study 2: using ‘reach-in’ to identify sme’s
Need to better understand complex interdependencies shown in NVA map
Apply statistical analysis program associated with KnetmapTM to measure ‘reach-in’:
reach-in measures how influential a node is by examining both direct and indirect ties
by calculating how many unique nodes seek the advice &/or expertise/opinion of node X, the influence of node X can be determined
the influence of node X goes up if other influential nodes seek its advice/expertise/opinion
the sphere of influence for node X can be determined by viewing both direct and indirect in/out links surrounding node X -- incoming links show who seeks out node X, while outgoing links reveal who, if anyone, node X seeks for advice/expertise/opinion
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
Nodes are color coded by the following attributes. All names are pseudonyms.
S -- eligible to retire short-term N – not a permanent employee
L -- eligible to retire in long-term X -- all others
C -- consultant
Node Attribute
Don Topper X # of incoming links (10); # outgoing links (0)
Alan Rockford S # of incoming links (15); # outgoing links (0)
Rick Laing S # of incoming links (12); # outgoing links (0)
Cindy Chelsea X # of incoming links (11); # outgoing links (1)
Rand Mercer X # of incoming links (4); # outgoing links (0)
Glen Chester X # of incoming links (14); # outgoing links (1)
Dale Hart L # of incoming links (6); # outgoing links (0)
Sally Bingam X # of incoming links (6); # outgoing links (0)
Lewis Miller C # of incoming links (9); # outgoing links (0)
Don Belisle X # of incoming links (5); # outgoing links (0)
Node Specific Data
Don Topper: incoming link is Cindy Chelsea Cindy Chelsea: outgoing link is Don Topper
Glen Chester: outgoing link is Rand Mercer
… NVA Case Study 2: “top ten” sme’s by reach-in analysis
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… NVA Case Study 3
Assessing “knowledge sharing”:
communication “stovepipes”, collaboration and informal sharing of knowledge
access to critical technical knowledge
communications with the business
boundaries of communications
influential opinion leaders across the technical community
influential business-community contacts
effectiveness of communications networks and influence patterns within and between the various elements of the various communities
TLATLAThe Leadership Alliance The Leadership Alliance IncInc..
… NVA Case Study 3
1. “In getting your regular work done effectively, with whom do you share ideas and/or ask for help?”
2. “When you need it, from whom do you obtain expert advice regarding technology relevant to your work?”
3. “With regard to applications of your area of technology to the company’s business, whom do you contact who has the expertise to identify critical business factors and/or issues?”
4. “Who do you talk with in order to better understand any aspect of the company’s business?”
Examples of potential questions: