Brief description of ONA (Organizational network analysis) followed by a summary and comparison of the emerging SAAS vendors who provide support for network surveys and analysis.

1. ONA and the Tools Landscape
Patti Anklam
December 15 2015

2. First, Some Background
• Beginning in the 1990’s computer
science made it possible to map and
analyze large social networks.
2002
2002
2002
2003
2004
2004
2009
• By 2009, network
science and analysis
are accepted practice
in science and
management
• Insights
became
accessible to
the public.
2
2005
2007
2009

3. Meanwhile… by 2013
3
Big
Data!
• People are mining the our
public personas in the
internet to understand
networks
• Concepts from social network
analysis are creeping into
contact and relationship
management applications
• Techniques for gathering
social interactions become
instrumented
2015
2013

4. What is Network Analysis?
• Social network analysis (SNA) is a collection
of techniques, tools, and methods to map
and measure the relationships among
people and organizations
• Organizational network analysis (ONA)
often refers to the use of SNA methods in
the context of organization dynamics and
development
• In practice, we use these tools to map
connections among people and ideas,
issues, and other entities as well as the
social and organizational connections
4

5. Network Analysis in Organizations
5
Management Practice Examples (Short List)
Talent Management Personal Leadership
Succession Planning
Staffing key roles
Innovation Identify energy sources
Bridge boundaries
Knowledge management Expertise management
Communities of practice
Improving information flow
Organizational Change and
Development
Change management
Mergers and acquisition
Organizational Performance Team building
How has it been applied?

6. Looking at Results: Structure Matters
6
• There is science to support the
understanding of network
structure
• The structure of a network
provides insights into how the
network “works”
• Once you understand the
structure, you can make
decisions about how to
manage the network’s context
• Network analysis tools help
you understand the structure

7. Impact on Business of Connectivity
• Bank management was
trying to understand
the differences across
branches in sales at
credit and deposit
figures
• Using network analysis,
the bank was able to
understand where to
direct mentoring and
“best practice”
exchanges across
banks
7
Figures show the performance differences in bank
branches based on the density of their relationships
Total credit /
person
Total deposit /
person
Low density
branches
High density
branches
Low density
branches
High density
branches
Source: Maven7

8. Looking at Results: Centrality Matters
8
• Network analysis can be used
to identify key information &
opinion conduits
• These individuals can be
leveraged in change programs
• Goal: find the smallest
number of people who can
reach the largest number of
employees in the smallest
number of steps

9. Key Opinion Leaders: Step-by-Step
9
Source: Maven7

10. Impact of Finding Key Opinion Leaders
10
Source: Maven7

11. Impact of Finding Key Opinion Leaders
11
Dunbar’s number: 150
• Strong ties:
– Close, frequent
– Reciprocal
– May be embedded in a
strong “local network”
• Weak ties
– Infrequent interaction
– Likely embedded in other
(diverse) networks
– Accessible as needed
Source: Maven7

12. Network Analysis: The Method in a Nutshell
12
Step Activities/Tools
Design Understand the business problem
Identify boundaries
Clarify and design questions
Collect Data Surveys
Interviews
Facebook, LinkedIn
Email logs
Analyze data to generate
maps and metrics
DIY tools
Integrated SaaS tools
Review data Validate; look for questions
Prepare evaluation Match network results with context and
stories
Move into action

13. Survey Example – Demographic Component
13

14. Network Questions Probe Relationships
14

15. Sophisticated Algorithms Reduce Survey Time
15
Select the names of up to four colleagues with whom you communicate the most to
get your work done.
Source: Maven7
Employee
names access
via drop-down
or fill-in. Survey
respondents
need to pick
only four names
for each
question.

16. The Important Data
• Relationships
16
• Demographics

17. How Do We Manage Knowledge?
Accessible knowledgeAcknowledged Expert
Colleague
Group with no
direct access to a
knowledge center
Questions visualized on the map:
1. Whom do you turn to for professional
advice regarding your daily work?
2. Who is the most acknowledged professional in your field?
Non-accessible
knowledge
Source: Maven7

18. Organizational Networks Summary
18
• The science of networks has brought insights into the structure
of organizational networks
• Organizational network analysis lets us map relationships to:
• Identify patterns of connection, disconnection, and flows
of knowledge and ideas
• Understand the roles that individuals play and their
potential for enhancing organizational effectiveness
• Developing and sharing maps and metrics helps organizations
to ask good questions and design targeted interventions

19. Interventions
Ways to change patterns in
networks
Practices from the KM/OD Repertoire
Create more connections Make introductions through meetings and webinars, face-to-face events
(like knowledge fairs); implement social software or social network
referral software; social network stimulation
Increase the flow of knowledge Establish collaborative workspaces, install instant messaging systems,
make existing knowledge bases more accessible and usable
Discover connections Implement expertise location and/or; discovery systems; social
software; social networking applications
Decentralize Social software; blogs, wikis; shift knowledge to the edge
Connect disconnected clusters Establish knowledge brokering roles; expand communication channels
Create more trusted relationships Assign people to work on projects together
Leverage the connectors Create awareness of the impact of an individual’s place in a network;
educate employees on personal knowledge networking
Increase diversity Add nodes; connect and create networks; encourage people to bring
knowledge in from their networks in the world
19

20. Change Management (Maven7)
20
Selection criteria of Key
Opinion Leaders
Involve your identified
KOLs in:
Measurable results
Identification of Key Opinion
Leaders (KOLs) via online
survey on orgmapper.com.
After KOLs are identified, they are invited by the consultant to
take part in change facilitating workshops. A list of only those
KOLs who accept this invitation is handed over to the client.
• Innovators;
• Initiators;
• Professional experts;
• Problem-solvers;
• Energizers;
• Popular employees;
• Information hubs;
• etc.
• Promoting the new vision;
• Providing input in the initial
phase of the project;
• Validating initiatives;
• Communication activities;
• Participating in pilots;
• Fine-tuning programs;
• Action planning;
• Employees learn faster about
new operational processes;
• Employees adapt more
quickly to changes;
• Less employee resistance;
• Constructive suggestions;
• Innovative ideas from KOLs;
• KOLs will be the
representatives and
ambassadors of change;

21. Mapping Networks: Tools
http://quilting.about.com/od/picturesofquilts/ig/Alzheimer-s-Quilts/The-Ties-that-Bind.htm

22. What Sorts of Tools Are There?
22
• Range in complexity of
function & cost
• NodeXL maps Twitter,
Facebook networks
• Logfile Analysis
Social Media
Graphing and Analytics
“Do it Yourself”
Mapping & Analysis Tools
Vendors
• Provide a range of choices
• Gartner Market Guide
(2015)

23. The Landscape in 2010:
Do-It-Yourself Mapping and Analysis Tools

24. Tool Basics – the Dataset (0s and 1s)
24
Information about the nodes (vertices) and the ties (edges)

25. Load and Draw…1
25

26. Load and Draw…2
26

27. Load and Draw…3
27

28. Short List of Resources for SNA/ONA Tools
28
http://tinyurl.com/SNA-ONA-Tools

29. Kumu: Shared Maps
29
https://www.kumu.io/explore

30. Mapping from Social Media
• Social network platforms:
– A Facebook Friend
– A LinkedIn Connection
– A Twitter Following
• Social media content platforms:
– Likes, posts, replies, shares,
and uploads
– Mentions or “retweet”
#hashtags
• In-house:
– Email
30

31. Mapping from ESNs
31

32. Networks in Social Media
1. Krugman tweets a
link to an article
2. There are a
number of
Tweeters who
publish links to
the article but
these are not
connected to
other Tweeters
3. There are two
densely
interconnected
groups of people
who share the
link and discuss it
32
Analyzing Twitter networks with NodeXL: Broadcast Networks
http://www.pewinternet.org/2014/02/20/mapping-twitter-topic-networks-from-polarized-crowds-to-community-clusters/

33. SAAS (SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE) VENDORS
3

34. 34
• Survey tools are integrated with analysis tools in SAAS programs.
• Organizational development methodologies are integrated into the survey and
analysis via templates and groupings.
ONA Tool Landscape 2015

35. Vendors I have looked at
Vendor If you are looking for… Working with Them
Maven7*
OrgMapper/
ChangeMapper
A tool and consulting support for a specific organizational
network diagnosis, including change management, talent
management, team development, knowledge
management, or performance improvement.
Licensing is per survey, based on # of
participants and whether or not you
are certified and doing the project
with them in consultation.
DNA-7* Automates surveys and analysis., focusing on change
management, onboarding and workforce optimization.
Licensing based on # of participants.
No consulting services.
Polinode Basic survey and analysis functions. (Still somewhat Beta
mode). Allows you to publish a network map for others to
browse.
Priced per use based on the number of
survey respondents.
At present, software only.
Syndio Social* A dashboard-oriented tool to map progress in large-scale
organizational change, addressing problems with talent
management. Combines SNA, log files, and sentiment
analysis to give a full enterprise analysis.
Be their “customers for life” – bring in
the tool, develop expertise and use it
throughout the enterprise to manage
large-scale change.
Sociometric Solutions Uses the Sociometric© badges to detect employee activity,
merges with log file data to develop organizational
diagnostics.
No SaaS – all projects are custom.
Keynetiq A tool that provides 12 different survey templates,
analytics, and interactive network maps with members’
profiles that employees can navigate and use to search for
expertise.
Monthly fee based on number of
people in the company. Custom pricing
for networks with more than 1000
employees. Provides custom
consulting.
SYNAPP Survey-based, online web tool that creates maps and
analytics and provides managers and employees with
reports to visualize and work with the network data.
Offers consulting as well as use of
survey and analytic software, priced
per person.
*Included in the Gartner Market Guide for Social Network Analysis
†I have worked extensively with this vendor

36. Other Vendors Reviewed in Gartner Market Guide (2015)
Vendor Comments
Optimice† Provides ONASurveys Software and project consulting.
Currently they are working on a product – Swoop
Analytics – that mines information from enterprise
collaboration tools to identify network structures and
central people.
TrustSphere Based entirely on electronic artifacts, provides
communication pattern maps, risk analytics and people
analytics.
Morphix Analyzes email metadata.
Cyram NetMiner, NetExplorer, NetViz, NetMetrics are high-end
social network analysis tools. Software only price
$22K/year.
36
†I have worked extensively with this vendor

37. Maven7 OrgMapper
• Methodology embedded in the analysis and mapping tools
– Change management
– Knowledge management
– Team performance
– Talent management
– Organizational performance
• Customizations managed through the consulting services
• ChangeMapper identifies key opinion leaders (KOLs) and
automates inviting them to participate in change programs
37

38. Keynetiq – Create a Survey
3

39. Polinode
39

40. Syndio Social
40
Syndio Social Uses SNA to Build Management Dashboards

41. Syndio Social
41
…by combining social network platform data with surveys
Highest social capital
Most favorable to change

42. 42
SYNAPP Sample Report

43. Sociometric Solutions
• Employees wear badges that
detect who they are talking to,
what level of work they are
doing
• Provides views from the
individual to teams to the
organization as a whole
43

44. Discussion
• Potential applications in your work?
– Knowledge management strategy?
– Change management?
– ESN analytics?
• Will ONA ever take off?
44

45. http://about.me/pattianklam
• Independent consultant and thought leader in knowledge
management and organization network analysis for 15 years
• 30 years in software engineering/information architecture
• 10 years in professional services knowledge management &
methodology (Digital, Compaq, Nortel)
• Charter member of Change Agents Worldwide
• Partner in ONA training courses with Optimice
45