Team Relationships and Communication Analysis
This week I attended a workshop of Sociologists working on Social Network Analysis (SNA) and heard some great ideas for communication analysis in large organizations.
They use a variety of methods (I especially like using email log files, as I’ve had success identifying virtual skills through email traffic review.) to collect data on communication, but the compelling feature is seeing these relationships graphically.
Connections, both too strong and too weak can be identified and targeted for intervention. Silos show up on these drawings. Post-Merger communication can be monitored for signs of success or weakness, showing management ways to integrate new members.
The first two images here are the same firm, shortly after a merger, and then again 1 year later. You can see results from several interventions, intended to knit the firms together more tightly.
Years ago I created a similar tool for use by individuals wanting to analyze their team relationships. It was nice to see an example in the workshop that was almost identical to my tool from 1990.
Here are links for further research:
The workshop was sponsored by Earley & Associates
Bruce Hoppe has a blog on SNA that led me to the workshop
Patti Anklam of Hutchinson Associates was a key presenter
Rob Cross provided examples for the presentation
If you’d like to lurk among the experts in this field. there is an SNA Community of Practice open for new members.
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