The Organizational Network Fieldbook: Best Practices, Techniques, and Exercises to Drive Organizational Innovation and Performance

Chapter 13. IMPROVING DECISION MAKING THROUGH NETWORK RECONSTRUCTION

Rob Cross and Robert J. Thomas

It comes as a surprise to many executives that improving collaboration in their organizations does not necessarily mean increasing it. In fact, too much connectivity can be as problematic as too little. In organizations that have experienced rapid growth, such as through mergers and acquisitions, and in those whose processes and workflows have not kept pace with the changes, employees at all levels may not know how to get things done. So they reach out to others, in particular to those above them in the hierarchy, for advice, clarification, approvals, and decisions. All that connectivity is costly and inefficient. Sometimes the solution to network ...