Today’s post on Business Pundit relates to a truth that executives in most organizations still don’t understand. The social network is more powerful than the formal communications network.
Employees are connected by these “social threads” – informal relationships and conversations. The connections may be as thin as having a brief conversation on the train on the way to work, or exchanging chit-chat on the way to the gym. These thin connections often contain moments of truth – opportunities when a critical opinion is expressed about a product, service or idea. This informal conversation plants a seed that grows each time the parties involved in the conversation come across the topic – no matter how casually.
In every group there are individuals who send more messages then others. There are also people who pass almost everything through to others, regardless of the truth of the subject matter.
If you want to get the word out about a new initiative, networking with your employees will be as important as posting a notice or publishing a newsletter.
The thinnest thread makes all the difference. In real life the most influential communication is often carried from one point to another in the most casual way.
Interesting article. I'm amazed that executives don't understand how powerful the back-channel is, as many businesses biggest successes can be tracked to it.
One of the strongest examples I've heard of is when Mary Gates (Bill Gates Mom), and John R. Opel were on the United Way board together. They got to talking, and Mary plugged her sons fledgling and floundering software company then Micro-Soft. When John Opel told his Boca Raton Personal Computer group to "check out what Mary's Boy Bill is doing up in Redmond", few realized it would lead to the creation or at least fertilizing of the largest software corporation in the world.
http://www.deas.harvard.edu/aboutdeas/ourcampus/deasbuildsandmaps/maxwelldworkin/mdbiographies/
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2002/1223/258_print.html
Posted by: David Every | June 27, 2005 at 01:18 AM
David,
The Gates story is interesting. I have not heard that before. Thanks for the example.
Dave Lorenzo
Posted by: Dave Lorenzo | June 27, 2005 at 07:03 AM
Another interesting thing to consider in many businesses is the network of your happy clients. Treat each new customer like they are worth ten and over the course of your relationship you will find that it is a source of additional referrals and contacts.
Posted by: Ron McDaniel | June 27, 2005 at 02:00 PM