Enhancing Knowledge Management Through Network Analysis: Insights and Applications

1. The Knowledge is in the Network Using Network Analysis to Understand and Improve Knowledge Management Patti Anklam June Holley Valdis Krebs

2. Our Three-Part Conversation • Overview of Network Analysis for Knowledge Management – Patti Anklam, Hutchinson Associates • Using Network Analysis to Manage Networks of Partnerships – Valdis Krebs, Orgnet • Sustaining a Development Network – June Holley, Executive Director, ACEnet

3. So what is Social Network Analysis (SNA)? • Social Network Analysis is a mathematical and visual analysis of relationships / flows / influence between people, groups, organizations, computers or other information/knowledge processing entities – Valdis Krebs • A targeted approach to improving collaboration and network connectivity where they yield greatest payoff for an organization – Rob Cross & Andrew Parker When applied to organizations, often (and increasingly) called Organizational Network Analysis (ONA)

4. Networks Matter • The complexity of work in today’s world is such that no one can understand – let alone complete – atask alone • Individual-individual • Team-team • Company-company • Strong networks are correlated with health: • People with stronger personal networks are healthier, happier, and better performers • Companies who know how to manage alliances are more flexible, adaptive and resilient

5. Network maps provide insight and prompt questions • Knowledge flows along existing pathways in organizations. • To understand theknowledge flow, find out what the patterns are. • Create interventions to create, reinforce, or change the patterns to improve the knowledge flow. I frequently or very frequently receive information from this person that I need to do my job.

6. Know-about Information Communication Trust Problem-solving Decision-making Sense-making Distance (degrees of separation) Density (overall connectivity) Positional importance of individuals ONA Basics What’s the Question? What’s Important to Know?

7. Basic Steps in an ONA • Identify the business problem and the scope of the network • Collect data about the relevant relationships • Use computer analysis tools • Validate the findings through interviews and workshops • Design and implement interventions to change the network • Follow up

8. Starting points for network analysis • Improving collaboration within and across given groups • Understanding individual contributions to a group • Recognizing the work of central people • Speeding the inclusion of peripheral people • Staffing teams and temporary projects • Considering succession • Preparing for and facilitating organizational change

9. Data Collection Methods • Qualitative • Surveys • Ethnographic research or interviews • Quantitative • Transaction analysis (emails, phone calls, web usage logs) • Analysis of information artifacts (email, documents, search strings) to identify similarity of interests

10. Qualitative Survey Example

11. Use Software to Analyze

12. Assess the Context • What is impact of geographical distribution? • How connected are people within each country? • Are the people in the middle connectors or bottlenecks? Source: http://www.robcross.org/sna10.htm

13. Identify Key Patterns • Overly central people • Outliers • Disconnected networks • Internally focused

14. Analyze and Interpret I frequently or very frequently receive information from this person that I need to do my job.

15. Metrics Derived from the Same Data • Average distance (degrees of separation) • Individual position in the network structure • How central certain individuals are • Which individuals are “between” most others • Who has the shortest average path to everyone else in the network? • Who has the most power? • Ratio of connections between internal (to group) and external (to other groups)

16. MetricsDensity • The percentage of ties that exist out of the total possible that could exist

17. Identify Actions to Take • Organizational • Leadership work • Restructuring and process redesign • Staffing and role development • Developing Networks • Tools and technologies (expertise locators, discussion forums, and so on) • Collaborative knowledge exchange and getting acquainted sessions • Individual action • Personal and public • Personal and private

18. ONA has been used to address a variety of knowledge-related business problems • Team building • Assessing communications and connectivity across groups • Connecting overlooked knowledge assets • Finding key connectors in organizations • Generating leadership networks • Performance benchmarking • Facilitating mergers and acquisitions • Diagnosing patterns in communities of practice • Competency assessment • Addressing the “lost knowledge problem”

19. The Bottom Line • ONA doesn’t give answers, but it leads you to ask important questions • ONA methodology uses a complexity model: • Detect patterns; dive deeper to understand • Make interventions; see what new emerges • You cannot predict the outcome; but you can reinforce positive patterns and alter the negative ones • ONA is a diagnostic tool • Positioned within a KM practice it can focus KM project resources where they will make the most difference • ONA is also an intervention – use it wisely