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KĒS™ Network Analysis
The 3rd Dimension to 360 Feedback and Leadership Coaching

The KĒS™ Network Analysis maps the Knowledge, Experience and Skills that are distributed among members of individual work groups or entire organizations. The analysis identifies key players, critical knowledge sources, information brokers and maps how work is actually done. It may also be used to add value to the management coaching and development efforts within an organization.

KĒS™ Network Analysis offers the 3rd dimension to 360° feedback and leadership coaching. Here is how the process might work:

A well known leadership coaching tool is a 360° feedback analysis. The 360 analysis is built using input from peers, other executives and employees in the organization. As an example, let’s assume this leader is an executive and has over 30 direct reports in the organization. The 360° analysis survey asks about items such as leadership, decision making, communication, problem solving, teambuilding and other skills which we believe are required for leaders to be effective.

Although the 360° instrument is very useful to give candid feedback to a leader, it doesn’t tell the whole picture of how that leader is functionally integrated with his or her organization. KĒS network analysis offers the 3rd dimension to the coaching process. Using a simple survey of 5-7 questions, the leader will discover just how much he or she knows about how the work really gets done in the organization.

How does that help with coaching and 360° feedback?

Using a map of the organization’s informal networks highlighting workflow, innovation processes, social interaction, locations of expertise and sources of learning, the leader can see how and where the work really gets done in the organization. The KĒS data is an excellent reference for strategy and tactical planning purposes; for such things as succession planning, improving relationships (including the leaders), communication, and one of the most important elements – trust. Trust is not obvious from a 360° assessment yet this analysis is designed to provide that measure because all sucessful work relationships are built around trust.

The analysis also offers a wealth of information that the leader can use for other organizational activities. As an example, if the leader is planning a organizational change of any kind, the KĒS results will higlight the informal change leaders. The executive may then assign these informal leaders key positions in the change project. Leveraging these defacto leaders will insure that informal resistance is reduced, change is accepted, and a new status quo is in place sooner. Decreasing the resistance to any change is invaluable to a leader and organization because it reduces cost, increases employee engagement and satisfaction, and insures that the change goals and objectives are met on time, on budget, and likely with efficient resources.

The KĒS Network Analysis is very straightforward. The analysis discovers the informal system of relationships using a 5 phase process that requires very little time from the employees and produces a valuable insight for the organization. The 6th phase described below is optional for organizations that want to implement or use the information from KĒS to develop organization specific improvement activities. The map and analysis are delivered as a business tool which can be leveraged by the organization to lower cost, improve work processes, lower turnover or to help provide a competitive advantage.

Phase 1: Definition of Project
The objectives, scope are defined with the client. We will jointly formulate the diagnostic questions, define access rights, agree upon a debriefing process and confidentiality measures to establish a common framework.

Phase 2: Preparation of Diagnosis
We will construct the survey and test it with sample participants. In addition, communication strategies for publishing the survey and participation incentives for are defined.

Phase 3: Survey Deployment
We work to insure a maximum response rate for the survey. Participants are notified and receive directions and support as needed.

Phase 4: Analysis of Results
The data analysis begins immediately after survey closure, and the results are processed, graphical maps and text-based reports are produced which identify the core organization alignments and leverage points.

Phase 5: Recommendations
We provide detailed results with customized analysis, conclusions and recommendations for management opportunities.

Phase 6: Implementation of Recommendations
As a follow on activity, Seity may support you in optimizing your social networks by conducting or assisting in activities such as; talent management, teambuilding, management development, change management, knowledge and process mapping and others.

The information that Social Network Analysis (SNA) provides is an important first step for Knowledge Management (KM) system development. KM systems are primarily intended to identify the knowledge level and skills of workers, creating a knowledge worker org chart. Knowledge workers are people who think for a living (Davenport, 2005). However, having a database of knowledge workers offers little to any organization other than a depository of data. Getting employees to use KM has been an issue for many companies. Perhaps there is a method to not only use KM data but also to offer characteristics of each individual based on their work relationships and interaction. Actually using the knowledge and the skills is what is important. Getting relationships identified will enhance the potential for using the knowledge and identifying the key players for any project. SNA provides this added value.

SNA is a tool, which uncovers a wealth of information that can be used for such things as: change management, strategy or tactical planning, leadership and management development, decision-making, problem solving, innovation, creativity, teamwork, trust and communication, as well as others. SNA identifies the informal work relationships in any organization; how the work actually gets done. For KM purposes, identifying the key contributors to any work environment is essential to succession planning, disaster planning, project assignments, or preparing for a pandemic. These work relationships bring KM to life and makes the information useful.

Peter Drucker suggested in 1997 “the productivity of knowledge and knowledge workers will not be the only competitive factor in the world economy. It is, however, likely to become the decisive factor, at least for most industries in the developed countries”. Why are knowledge workers important to the world economy? They are a large and growing category of workers making up at least 25% of the employed population. Mary O’Hara-Deveraux (2004), a noted futurist, discusses the importance of identifying social networks in the workplace. She suggests that in a knowledge work economy, social networks (social capital) are key and must be understood and measured just as much as human capital. Identifying social networks based on the human capital already present gives the advantage that organizations want, hire for, and require for ongoing success. This advantage (combining social and human capital) is the intellectual capital of an organization, which is a key to KM.

There are many reasons why KM is important for any business. But how do you get started identifying knowledge workers? Why is it important to business and productivity to identify knowledge workers? Once knowledge workers are identified, what then? This paper will answer each of these questions using SNA as a tool for simplifying the answers.

How do you get started identifying knowledge workers?

Most managers have an intuitive sense about the workers in their organization, who are the key people, and those that they must retain. Organizations need to identify which workers require training or which provide a return on investment to the business; who should be offered career growth opportunities. Enhancing the human capital investment of an organization is one effective method to improve the bottom line. However, an intuitive sense by a few managers offers nothing more than personal opinion and perhaps favoritism and bias about certain workers. Knowledge workers are important to the success of an organization; connected knowledge workers are even more vital.

Identifying knowledge workers can be done quite easily using SNA. If an organization has a KM database and already identified some key workers’ skills, SNA then offers added value to that data. SNA highlights who the critical resources are in the organization beyond knowledge, skills, and abilities. This insight might help with leadership identification, trust issues, communication strengths / deficiencies, or innovation skills that are intangible and hidden in most organizations.

SNA presents this analysis in the form that common KM tools do not; who are the key people, why they are key and what happens to the organization should these individuals leave. KM identifies explicit knowledge while SNA identifies tacit knowledge. Tacit knowledge is the intangible information or the learning that occurs in interaction between employees. For example, explicit knowledge includes documents, project plans, manuals, databases, or anything that is written and documented as a source of information. Tacit knowledge is a new idea, a newly learned fact from a class or discussion, or what is stored in people’s heads that they use to do their jobs.

A common KM database does not provide the intelligence to determine which of these knowledge workers are intricately involved in the organization and also the relationships developed among employees within the organization. It is these relationships that are developing or have developed that cannot be taught, trained, or planned for without some type of identification and understanding of how these networks developed and the impact to the organization should they be disrupted. Identifying these networks allows organizations to manage strategic plans and business objectives more effectively.

Is it important to business and productivity to identify knowledge workers?

It is critical to an organization to know who the key contributors are in the organization. It is important to identify these knowledge workers and map their connections. The mapping process identifies relationships and assigns a weight for each link in the map The process also identifies key individuals and the functions they perform to strengthen the network. The social network functions much like a machine – there are many key parts and should any part be removed there is an impact. Arbitrarily change the social network will have an effect upon the efficiency and effectiveness of the organization. Knowing the importance of these key functions, an organization can plan what can be done to encourage and retain these individuals, offer backup to them so there is depth in the organization, gain visibility into their methods, and increase productivity.

KM is even more important in organizations today to prepare for baby boomer retirement, outsourcing trends, or social issues such as pandemics that can affect organization stability. SNA shows how knowledge flows through the organization; this is the feeder process for KM and can be done quickly and easily to determine how best to proceed with any KM initiative.

Social networks develop naturally and are built based on trust. These networks share tacit knowledge; the knowledge in people’s heads that is not captured by company processes and procedures. The informal nature of the social network is an even more important reason to map these relationships – to identify these key networks and who shares the tacit knowledge – who owns the wealth of information the organization depends upon for growth, competition, and survival. SNA will map the networks, identify key people and their connections and offer any organization an opportunity to optimize and support them with business objectives, strategy, and goals.

Once knowledge workers are identified, what then?

Once knowledge workers are identified using the SNA process, they can be compared to any other database or documentation already used within the organization to validate and enhance the information. If the SNA process is the first identification of knowledge workers, it can be used as the starting point.

Using the SNA data collected, the network members are identified according to the role or function they perform in the network. Common SNA roles or functions may be connectors, gatekeepers, and pulsetakers. Identifying individuals and their role offers the organization opportunities for developing strategies, tactical planning, change management effectiveness and leadership development. Individuals may be identified for special projects based the roles they naturally perform in the informal networks thus shaping the process for the best chance of success.

SNA is an effective tool that provides a high level view of the organization or a more granular snapshot of particular groups for planning and development purposes. SNA may be used to increase productivity, employee satisfaction and motivation, overall organization well-being, and capitalizes on the most important asset in an organization – the people.

Consultant builds organizational value

Helping organizations and individuals increase effectiveness, build trust and improve results, Deborah Peck, Ph.D., owner of Seity, Inc., is known for taking businesses to the next level. With effective solutions tailored to the client’s needs and business objectives, Peck has positioned her company to support the shift in business functions caused by technology, outsourcing and a virtual workforce, while focusing on the impact as it affects people and organizations.
A former systems programmer who worked her way through the ranks of technical management, Peck realized that her true passion was working with people. Motivated to find a career that combined both her skills and interests, she earned her doctorate in Organizational Psychology and began Seity, an organizational consulting firm.

Improving relationships within the workplace
“My goal is to collaborate with individuals and organizations to enhance value by focusing on increasing performance and productivity,” says Peck. “The value I bring to companies is meaningful and realistic solutions that improve individual and team effectiveness. The solutions are related to human factors, organization design, workplace relationships and improving workflow based on human behavior and interaction.”
Peck employs a variety of methodologies, including social network analysis, which looks at how people get their work done by mapping actual working relationships rather than reviewing an organization chart; continuous learning for employees; change management for a variety of initiatives; and offering a guaranteed return on investment to her clients.
“I look at an organization’s strengths—the things that they are doing right,” says Peck. “After a simple evaluation process, I use the information to identify requirements and business objectives to get to the next level.”

Easing the path to success with trust and integrity
Using various techniques, Peck identifies expertise and information within an organization that builds on what works, and creates an action plan for improvements.
“I offer tools to clients that encourage growth and innovation in the workplace,” says Peck. “It’s a win-win situation for both employees and employers. Together we find the best fit for employees, identify growth opportunities, and improve organizational productivity.”
Working with start-ups to Fortune 500 companies in industries ranging from technical to finance to health care, Peck says the positive reception she has received can be attributed to the value and integrity she strives to bring to each organization with which she works. “My methods produce a return on investment. Companies discover that people gain knowledge and effectiveness, while improving the workplace.”

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