04 Aug Informal networks are relationships that employees form across work to accomplish tasks fast but can also sabotage the plans that the company had best in mind.

MELERIN

Informal networks are relationships that employees form across work to accomplish tasks fast but can also sabotage the plans that the company had best in mind. Informal networks show who talks to whom about work, who trusts whom, and who advises whom. An informal network can show which leader has the trust of which employees so for the manager can design the team based on the network trust to accomplish the strategic direction of the company. Knowing the company’s informal network could also help to improve communication and the culture among the employees by being transparent with everyone at work. Informal networks can be utilized in interviews by asking teamwork-related questions and a question on how the candidate overcame a situation when disagreeing with a lead or manager or with a former colleague at work. This will help identify how the candidate reacts to the situation. Managers should always analyze their communication network to identify the root cause and fix the problem to get back in sync with the company goals.

Reference

Hynes, G. E., & Veltsos, J. R. (2021). Managerial communication: Strategies and applications. SAGE Publications.

Krackhardt, D., & Hanson, J. (1993, July 1). Informal networks: The company behind the chart. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1993/07/informal-networks-the-company-behind-the-chart?registration=success