Driving Results Through Social Networks: How Top Organizations Leverage Networks for Performance and Growth

Driving Results Through Social Networks: How Top Organizations Leverage Networks for Performance and Growth

by Rob Cross, Robert J. Thomas
Released January 2009
Publisher(s): Jossey-Bass
ISBN: 9780470392492

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Book description

Driving Results Through Social Networks shows executives and managers how to obtain substantial performance and innovation impact by better leveraging these traditionally invisible assets. For the past decade, Rob Cross and Robert J. Thomas have worked closely with executives from over a hundred top-level companies and government agencies. In this groundbreaking book, they describe in-depth how these leaders are using network thinking to increase revenues, lower costs, and accelerate innovation.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Preface
  3. Acknowledgments
  4. Introduction
  5. I. ALIGNMENT: How to Ensure That Networks Support Strategic Objectives
    1. 1. ALIGNING NETWORKS WITH STRATEGIC VALUE PROPOSITIONS
      1. 1.1. Network Archetypes and Value Propositions
      2. 1.2. Customized Response Case Study: Novartis
      3. 1.3. Customized Response: Success Factors
      4. 1.4. Routine Response Case Study: Sallie Mae
      5. 1.5. Routine Response: Success Factors
      6. 1.6. Conclusion
    2. 2. WORKING THROUGH NETWORKS TO ALIGN CULTURE AND STRATEGY
      1. 2.1. Driving Results Through an Integrated View of Culture and Networks
        1. 2.1.1. Working Through Key Culture Carriers
        2. 2.1.2. Addressing Cultural Drivers of Network Fragmentation
        3. 2.1.3. Identifying Dominant Beliefs and Values
      2. 2.2. Conclusion
  6. II. EXECUTION: How to Drive Network Management into Core Processes
    1. 3. MANAGING RAPID INNOVATION THROUGH EFFECTIVE NETWORKS
      1. 3.1. Network Obstacles to Innovation
        1. 3.1.1. Fragmentation
        2. 3.1.2. Domination
        3. 3.1.3. Insularity
      2. 3.2. Five Practices to Drive Innovation Through Networks
      3. 3.3. Conclusion
    2. 4. DRIVING FINANCIAL RETURN THROUGH NETWORK INVESTMENTS
      1. 4.1. Driving Value Creation Relationally
        1. 4.1.1. Network Contributions to Productivity Improvement
        2. 4.1.2. Revealing Collaborations That Generate Revenue
        3. 4.1.3. Visualizing the Costs of Collaboration
      2. 4.2. Conclusion
    3. 5. DELIVERING RESULTS THROUGH PROCESS NETWORKS
      1. 5.1. Improving Decision Processes with Network Analysis
      2. 5.2. Improving Core Work Processes with Network Analysis*
      3. 5.3. Conclusion
    4. 6. DELIVERING RESULTS THROUGH PROJECT-BASED NETWORKS
      1. 6.1. Delivering Results Through Networks in Sales, Innovation, and Execution Teams
        1. 6.1.1. Sales Teams
        2. 6.1.2. Innovation Teams
        3. 6.1.3. Execution Teams
      2. 6.2. Rapidly Forming Networks at the Point of Execution
        1. 6.2.1. Question 1: Are the Right Voices Influencing the Team's Trajectory?
        2. 6.2.2. Question 2: Is the Team Appropriately Connected for the Task at Hand?
        3. 6.2.3. Question 3: Has the Team Cultivated Important External Relationships?
        4. 6.2.4. Question 4: Are Value-Added Collaborations Occurring in the Team Network?
        5. 6.2.5. Question 5: Do Underlying Relationship Qualities Yield Effective Collaboration at the Point of Need?
        6. 6.2.6. Question 6: Does Organizational Context Support Collaboration and Momentum?
      3. 6.3. Conclusion
  7. III. ADAPTATION: How To Promote Flexibility Through Network-Centric Human Resource Practices
    1. 7. DRIVING PERFORMANCE BY REPLICATING HIGH PERFORMERS' NETWORKS
      1. 7.1. Replicating High Performers' Networks
      2. 7.2. The Structural Dimension: Bridging Positions in Networks
        1. 7.2.1. How Rising Stars Go Wrong: The Bottleneck
        2. 7.2.2. How Rising Stars Go Wrong: The Formalist
      3. 7.3. The Relational Dimension: Managing Relationships That Extend Individual Expertise and Avoid Learning Biases
        1. 7.3.1. How Rising Stars Go Wrong: The Disconnected Expert
        2. 7.3.2. How Rising Stars Go Wrong: The Biased Learner
      4. 7.4. The Behavioral Dimension: Attitudes and Networking Behaviors Associated with High Performers
        1. 7.4.1. How Rising Stars Go Wrong: The Surface Networker
        2. 7.4.2. How Rising Stars Go Wrong: The Chameleon
      5. 7.5. Conclusion
    2. 8. SPEEDING PRODUCTIVITY IN NEWCOMERS AND AVOIDING KNOWLEDGE DRAIN
      1. 8.1. Driving Productivity Through Effective Network Development in On-Boarding
      2. 8.2. Avoiding Costly (But Often Invisible) Knowledge Loss in Networks
        1. 8.2.1. Central Connectors
        2. 8.2.2. Brokers
        3. 8.2.3. Peripheral Players
      3. 8.3. Conclusion
    3. 9. THE ROAD AHEAD: EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NETWORK PERSPECTIVE
      1. 9.1. Visualization: Seeing Organizations
      2. 9.2. Emotion: Feeling Organizations
      3. 9.3. Design: Building Organizations
      4. 9.4. Cognition: Thinking Organizations
      5. 9.5. The Challenges for Leaders
  8. About The Authors
  9. Notes

Product information

  • Title: Driving Results Through Social Networks: How Top Organizations Leverage Networks for Performance and Growth
  • Author(s): Rob Cross, Robert J. Thomas
  • Release date: January 2009
  • Publisher(s): Jossey-Bass
  • ISBN: 9780470392492