Informal Networks LO7829

Valdis E. Krebs (InFlow@cris.com)
Tue, 11 Jun 96 10:03:10 -0400

In LO7809, Jessica Lipnack wrote...

> In the organizations that we've studied, they have been
>successful because they have made their networks explicit. I know that
>this idea rubs many people on this list the wrong way. For many people,
>the idea of making an informal network "formal" in any way defeats its
>purpose.

Jessica, what do you mean by explicit? Our clients have been successful
in recognizing
and supporting exisiting informal networks and leaders -- this is
their/our definition of explicit [recognition and support].

As far as making networks 'formal'[authorizing or prescribing by
management] we have seen two problems. First, the 'making formal' seems
to change the sociology/psychology within and around networks -- people
'act' differently in the networks and and in repsonding to them. Trust
seems to fall both interenally and externally when a group is now a
'prescribed' structure and no longer 'emergent'. Many times the assigned
leader/manager of this new group is not the emergent leader -- now the
formalized group is really in trouble.

The other problem with formalizing is the fluid nature of networks. They
self-organize, with internal and external ties changing their tie
strength according to current needs. Not only does tie strength vary as
time goes on, but new ties are formed, and others are inactivated --
changing the structure and the definition of the network. Why try to
make something rigid that by its nature is constantly changing?

A few clients have reorganized parts of their formal structure so that it
better fits how work actually gets done. They didn't formalize the
informal - they used it as a indicator/guide to what the formal neeed to
do.

IMHO, both the formal and the informal need to coexist, recognize each
other, and collaborate. As Jessica concludes in her post:

> The organizations that we've studied which are the most successful are
> those that use each form of organization for what it does best--and
> networks are critical to the organizational mix of the moment.

Valdis Krebs
Krebs & Associates
Cleveland, OH
Los Angeles, CA

inflow@concentric.net

-- 

"Valdis E. Krebs" <InFlow@cris.com>

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>