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Yet, one simple "rule of business" remains constant. Your organization's ability to execute is the ultimate determinant of your success. And, when it comes to effective execution your potential roadblocks are many.
At Ford Business Consulting, our specialty is helping organizations overcome obstacles to superior execution by tuning the human system to support the business strategy.read more...
At Ford Business Consulting, our specialty is helping organizations overcome obstacles to superior execution by tuning the human system to support the business strategy.read more...
How do you know who matters most?
Check out "The Office Chart That Really Counts" in BusinessWeek online (article dated Feb. 27, 2006). The notion is that the informal web of relationships at work has more to do with what gets done than the official org chart. Now that's not exactly "new news." The most noteworthy bit in this article is the thoughts about who is threatened by having a map of the informal system, why they feel threatened and how they are managing it.
As the article notes, social network analysis has been around for years in the social science world. However, it's now being used in business settings to better understand what's actually happening in organizations. Imagine what you might do if you had such a map. Would you promote individuals who are better connected? Who would you send to the next really interesting technical conference? Would you find the existence of such a map threatening?
This map of informal networks would also tell you a lot about the culture of the organization. Silos would be immediately visible on the map. The concentration of information in the hands of a few would jump out at you. By noting whether the map changed significantly over time, you could see whether the information structures are fluid or fixed.
Although you don't likely have a scientific chart, you could probably draw your own view of the network in your organization. What would you see in that chart???
As the article notes, social network analysis has been around for years in the social science world. However, it's now being used in business settings to better understand what's actually happening in organizations. Imagine what you might do if you had such a map. Would you promote individuals who are better connected? Who would you send to the next really interesting technical conference? Would you find the existence of such a map threatening?
This map of informal networks would also tell you a lot about the culture of the organization. Silos would be immediately visible on the map. The concentration of information in the hands of a few would jump out at you. By noting whether the map changed significantly over time, you could see whether the information structures are fluid or fixed.
Although you don't likely have a scientific chart, you could probably draw your own view of the network in your organization. What would you see in that chart???
Labels: corporate culture, silos