MANAGERIAL NETWORKS

Managerial Networks

Managerial Networks

Definition: set of relationships critical to your ability to get things done, get ahead and develop personally and professionally (“Networking” refers to the activities associated with developing and managing such relationships)

Types of Networks:

Task Networks: exchange of specific job-related resources (i.e. information, expertise)

Career Networks: relationships with people who provide career direction and guidance, often developing multiple developmental relationships

Social Networks: at work, relationships with higher levels of trust and closeness beyond things job-related, i.e. based on common background or interest

These networks can overlap, and it's often good to diversify to use resources obtained from one type of relationship to motivate compliance or cooperation in another

Network Characteristics - access to information, influence, and support, depends on three aspects:

Types of People: organizational affiliation determines what kind of access people have and variety is important, especially when organizational and task demands change rapidly

Levels: greater support if network includes peers, superiors, and subordinates

Functions and Subunits: better if beyond immediate work-group

External Groups: better if not too internally-focused

Identity Groups: better to have a mixed strategy - i.e. networks that ties to both one's own group and the dominant group (not just same cultural and interpersonal similarity)

Types of Relationships: variety is key

Core Network: consists of long-term, high reciprocity ties, which ensures reliability under conditions of uncertainty and short-term, instrumental ties, which are more task-related and often dissolve once the relationship has served it purpose

Extended Network: distant acquaintances are important because they function as bridges between the manager and distant social or organizational groups and are sources of unique pieces of information

Links to Key Networks:

important to develop relationships with people who have non-overlapping sets of contacts so that you can use them as ports of entry for other resources

resources obtained in one relationship can be leveraged to gain advantage with respect to a second; to the extent that those contacts can exchange information and resources directly, the manager forfeits an important source of power

Building and Using a Managerial Network

two principles govern the development of informal relationship networks: similarity and exchange - must balance the two; in practice, people should: 1) identify and focus on people upon whom they are dependent for getting things done, 2) consider potential allies, even when they may appear to be adversaries, 3) strategize how to establish relationships with people who are dissimilar on multiple dimensions, and 4) be aware of personal preferences and interaction styles for developing networks

Managing and Using the Network - a few basic principles

most transactions are ongoing - focus on success in achieving the objective and success in improving the relationship such that the next exchange will be more productive

“convert” personal and positional power bases into a central network position and network “intelligence,” i.e. knowledge about the structure of key informal networks

Reciprocity is central to effective networking

A critical mistake is to become overly dependent on one person or one only a few network relationships

Networks and managing in the network have been central concerns of public management scholars for years (Provan and Milward 1991; O'Toole 1997; Agranoff and McGuire ...