Sample Agendas

Together we can craft an agenda that provides value for your executives. Sessions are designed to be highly interactive through case study discussions and breakout groups. Typical topics include: why networks matter, managing networks in organizations and managing personal connectivity for high performance.

• Half-day Design
• Full-day Design

Full-day Design

Performance Benefits from a Network Perspective
30 Minutes

The day opens with an upfront discussion of the performance, innovation and quality of work life benefits a range of organizations have obtained from a network perspective. This opening discussion also helps people understand the process for getting the network information as well as interpretation of the results.

The second portion of this time uses a short case example (comparing formal and informal structure) to interactively demonstrate use of network results as well as three common roles for leaders to work through in networks (central connectors, brokers and peripheral people).

Managing Networks in Organizations
60 minutes

Opening ten minutes of this time is used to transition into a case discussion. This is done by setting ground rules and then a short dyad/triad discussion to recall key case facts and intervention ideas.

Next twenty-five minutes spent in case discussion focuses on identifying key case issues (this is a case of a leader stepping into a new role and ways that a network perspective helped improve information flow, decision-making, revenue-generating collaborations and employee retention).

Concluding twenty-five minutes focuses on identifying and prioritizing actions the leader should take with the network information.

Case Debrief
15 minutes

This concluding block of time debriefs final points from the case and then reviews: 1) overall insights that a network perspective provides that traditional managerial tools and frameworks miss and 2) common actions that can be taken from a network perspective once leaders begin to think in these terms.

Break
15 Minutes

- No Title -
90 Minutes

Opening fifteen minutes of this time is used to go live with the software with a different scenario of a leader stepping into a new role and how the network perspective helped the leader improve collaboration across invisible silos dramatically under-mining this group’s effectiveness.

Next fifteen minutes focused on brainstorming common applications of the network ideas based on work across 120 organizations.

Next thirty minutes spent in sub-group discussion on application of the network ideas to pre-defined issues important to the audience.

Concluding thirty minutes in round-robin debrief (or gallery walk) of applications and interventions discussed amongst each team.

Lunch Break
60 Minutes

Driving Performance through Effective Individual Networks
15 Minutes

The opening discussion after lunch helps transition from the full network to personal network perspective and motivates the key point of departure being a product of understanding how to build high performing networks as opposed to the typical social network self help books that advocate just building big networks.

Managing Personal Connectivity
60 Minutes

This section reviews personal networks as a means of driving leadership effectiveness and talent management. It will specifically focus in on three dimensions of networks (behavioral, relational and structural) that research shows distinguishes high performers. This hour systematically walks through these dimensions of high performers, six common traps that leaders and rising stars fall into if not managing their own connectivity effectively and engages in four reflective activities as participants review their own personal network results and craft action plans.

2 Rounds of Peer Coaching
30 Minutes

This section entails two rounds of interactive coaching where each participant identifies and discusses two network strengths and opportunities for improvement from their individual results with peers in the room.

Break
15 Minutes

Peer Coaching Debrief and Applying the Individual Results to Workforce Productivity
45 Minutes

This section transitions into a discussion of key opportunities and actions people plan to take through their networks. It then transitions into ways leaders can more effectively manage those working for them on three fronts:

• Replicating high performer networks.
• Rapid on-boarding and integration of peripheral people who are marginalized voices and flight risks
• Avoiding knowledge loss and network disruption when well connected people leave an organization.

Break
15 Minutes

Energizing Networks
60 Minutes

The first ten minutes of this section describes (through a case example and then work across forty organizations) the substantial performance and innovation impact we have seen from building enthusiasm in networks.

The second thirty minutes divides the room and uses a couple of video clips and an activity to establish the key leadership behaviors that drive energy creation in networks and a concluding point for participants to consider behavioral and relational opportunities for improvement.

Concluding twenty minutes are focused on a full group discussion of overall actions that can be undertaken to improve energy and enthusiasm in organizations.