Organizations have a structure of formal departments, groups, or branches; but advice seeking is not confined by these boundaries. The organization is itself a community, with various networks of connected employees who turn to trusted peers for a variety of personal and professional matters. These internal systems of connections, communication, and advice are called organizational networks.

What is intriguing about the organizational network is that the influence of the trusted advisor does not necessarily correlate to that person’s status in the organizational hierarchy. By mapping these networks and identifying the trusted advisors, the organization institutes programs such as employee coaching, cross functional teams or role rotation, and then formulates strategies to achieve specific goals, such as:

• Improve morale
• Employee and leadership development
• Promote innovation and develop communities of practices to improve product development
• Ensure integration post-merger or large-scale change
• Assess and execute optimal strategic alliances
• Increase efficiency by integrating networks across core processes
• Garner input and support for company-wide initiatives more effectively and efficiently
• Strengthen client relationships, improving satisfaction and loyalty

 Organizational network analysis also analyzes the group’s connections to clients and other external stakeholders. An action plan is then developed to create stronger relationships with these critical audiences, improving client relationships, retention, and even acquisition of new clients. Community Analytics partners with Rob Cross at the University of a Virginia, a leader in this field.