Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp.
13–27, 2007 ISSN 0090-2616/$ – see frontmatter
ß 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
www.organizational-dynamics.com
Capabilities of the
Consummate Networker
N. ANAND
WHERE TO TURN TO BECOME
AN EFFECTIVE NETWORKER:
FOLK WISDOM, STRUCTURAL
ANALYSIS OR PLAIN OLD
BEHAVIOR?
We live in an age that could be described as
the ‘‘age of networking.’’ Improved network-
ing has been proclaimed as the panacea for
many of today’s organizational ailments,
ranging from the increase of bureaucracy
in organizations to the erosion of solidarity
in civil society. Technology has facilitated the
activity of networking thanks to Web sites
such as MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
As a consequence, much has been written
about networks and networking. Despite the
volume of writing, the literature on creating
effective networks can be distilled into two
basic camps.
The first camp describes portraits of
managers who are acknowledged to have
mastered the art of cultivating relationships.
Much of the advice from this camp comes in
the form of folk wisdom. There are tips about
what works and what does not, how to max-
imize the benefits of one’s network, and the
pitfalls to avoid in networking. Examples of
such wisdom can be found in the discussion
below on the popular myths about the con-
summate networker. While folk wisdom can
be useful, what is often lacking is verification
about its efficacy. For example, it may be
based on a small sample of managers or
research that does not tie networking to
longer-term performance indicators. The
advice may work only in very specific con-
texts and not others. The advice may require
a certain personality or disposition to suc-
doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2006.12.001
JAY A. CONGER
ceed. So while folk wisdom on networking is
intuitively appealing, its application can be
limited. More importantly, we feel that folk
wisdom often imparts an inaccurate under-
standing of what it takes to be an effective
networker. We will highlight just how mis-
leading folk wisdom can be in a moment.
The second camp consists of academics
who deploy the rigor of mathematical and
graph theoretic models to understand how
certain roles and positions within the overall
network structures of an organization pro-
vide relative advantage. We can think of
network structures as the myriad of actual
working and social relationships between
employees in an organization. These struc-
tures reveal the complexity of relationships
far beyond the simple boxes portrayed on an
organizational chart. This research has pro-
vided crucial insights about structural con-
figurations of the relationship networks that
enable or hinder effective performance of
both the individual manager and the orga-
nization. While this research is highly reveal-
ing, it has a fundamental shortcoming. Most
managers rarely think about networks in
terms of graphical structures cutting across
an organization. The complexity of these
structures alone can appear overwhelming
to those trying to improve their networking
capability. Equally important, managers
tend to think in terms of concrete practices
and behaviors. This literature offers limited
guidance on concrete practices.
We will bridge between these two camps
by providing advice for managers on effec-
tive networking behaviors that is based on
academic scholarship, yet practice-focused.
Our emphasis is on behaviors, in other words
13
the specific actions that managers can take in
order to modify their network structure and
to improve their effectiveness.
THE POPULAR MYTHS ABOUT
THE CONSUMMATE
NETWORKER
In the course of our research, we came across
four important and popular myths about the
consummate networker which proved to be
untrue. We describe each and then contrast
them with the reality we discovered.
1. The best networkers are ‘‘born networ-
kers.’’
Without fail, the managers who are most
effective at networking that we researched
told us they worked hard at developing their
networking skills. It required a serious
investment of time and focus on their part.
While gregarious individuals have an initial
advantage, even such people need to be
selective in order to prevent their network
activities from becoming a distracting time-
sink. One highly effective networker in our
study is an introverted manager who began
her career as a police detective. She realized
the value of effective networking behavior by
observing a colleague in her station who
solved more cases than others due to his
extensive relationship network. Our man-
ager mimicked her role model by spending
a number of hours cultivating contacts that
helped generate vital breakthroughs. These
skills stood her in good stead in her subse-
quent career as the business relationships
manager for a large British bank. As she
and the others in our study explained to
us, networking takes a great deal of proactive
effort. It is not a birthright of the chosen few.
2. Effective networkers are self-interested
individuals.
From personal experiences, everybody is
likely to be familiar with the archetype of the
manipulative networker who builds relation-
ships in order to exploit others. Even the term
networker carries the connotation of a self-
serving activity. Our research reveals that
14 ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS
nothing could be further from the truth –
good networkers are generally aware of the
expectations that other people bring with
them. They realize that a self-serving
approach over the long run actually harms
one’s networking capability. Instead a rela-
tionship built around reciprocation strength-
ens the influence of the networker. This
mindset helps effective networkers to struc-
ture fair exchanges with others. They invest
in their relationships rather than simply take
from their relationships. For example, one
manager reported that when he is unable
to allocate the material resources (increased
budget, new equipment, or an additional
hire) that a colleague requests, he usually
compensates by ‘‘making up the difference’’
in terms of social support, mentoring, and by
providing a ‘‘heads up’’ to a new opportu-
nity within the company.
3. They carefully guard the network they
have built.
Great networkers generally do not think of
their network as a precious personal asset
that needs to be guarded from prying indi-
viduals. While they know the value that
connections bring, they also focus on build-
ing the networks of those around them as
well – a key strategy for empowering others.
Their generosity is constantly being repaid as
those they have helped more willingly share
their own networks. Paradoxically, their
power comes from their lack of selfishness
and their eagerness to share their network
contacts. For example, one senior manager
makes a point of providing young managers
in his firm with access to his network of key
players in the organization. Early in his own
career, an executive provided similar access
that proved immensely critical to his success
in his first management assignment. While
he carries no expectation that the young
managers reciprocate, our senior manager
receives frontline access to information and
news that few executives in his firm can
match.
4. They constantly keep in touch with all the
people they know.
While this is true of some effective net-
workers, this does not apply across the
board. Like all managers, the most effective
networkers are pressed for time. They too
have activity-filled days. While they invest
more energy into networking than others,
they do so judiciously. They know that net-
working activities could consume their day.
Great networkers are rooted in the present
and are extremely interested in how current
connections can shape their future, so they
prioritize the people that they keep in touch
with. They tend to be less engaged with
contacts from the past that are no longer
relevant to their present situation.
THE FOUR NETWORKING
CAPABILTIES
In our research, we identified four critical
networking capabilities: (1) Seeking out the
kingpin in situations to ensure the appropri-
ate outcomes in decisions; (2) Match-making
people to get the right things done; (3) Proac-
tively enhancing network access; and (4)
Interacting amiably with others to build posi-
tive relationships. After identifying the four
capabilities, we found that only about quar-
ter of us are really good at one of the four
capabilities. In one survey that we conducted
of 200 managers, we surprisingly found that
only two percent were truly consummate
networkers – that is they were effective at
all four capabilities. In Table 1, we report the
relative distribution of the percentage of
managers actively using one, two, three or
all four networking capabilities based on the
survey results.
The statistics in Table 1 suggest that most
of us have significant room to improve our
networking skills. The implication is that we
could become consummate networkers if we
TABLE 1 RELATIVE DISTRIBUTION OF
Number of networking capabilities actively used
One type of networking capability
Two types of networking capability
Three types of networking capability
All four types of networking capability
focused on learning the capabilities that we
do not actively use. And yes, there are skills
that can be learned to improve each capabil-
ity. Learning these skills appears to be quite
critical – since in the course of our research,
we found that each networking capability is
associated with specific role demands in the
jobs that managers do. Each capability pro-
duces very specific positive outcomes for the
networker.
NETWORKING CAPABILITY #1:
SEEK OUT THE KINGPINS IN
EVERY SITUATION
In any given situation, there are usually one
or two individuals who have more informa-
tion about what is going on than anyone else.
Such individuals are able to put that infor-
mation to good use in order to influence how
events will turn out. As a result, they simply
have more control over a situation than
others – we call these individuals ‘‘king-
pins.’’ In many organizations that we have
observed, the kingpin is often not the CEO or
formal leader; instead it is someone who is
respected and trusted within the informal
network of friendship and solidarity. They
have more time and opportunity than the
CEO to attend to people with delicate pro-
blems, or to those who require support dur-
ing a time of private crisis. This makes them
influential behind the scenes. The ability to
spot such kingpins in every situation is one
hallmark of consummate networkers. Those
that have honed this capability look beyond
titles, formal authority or expertise in spot-
ting in the kingpin. They cultivate the knack
of observing who is talking to whom, who
seems to be in charge, and which person
NETWORKING CAPABILITY
Percent of managers using
25%
10%
5%
2%
15
appears to exert the most informal influence.
Their network of relationships also keeps
them informed of who is most influential
in a given decision. In addition to developing
awareness, kingpin-seekers are adept at
being able to connect to that crucial person
who can alter the course of events. Consum-
mate networkers therefore learn to spot king-
pins quickly and relate to them as soon as
possible.
The medieval Florentine banker Cosimo
de Medici (1389–1464), who was admired by
Nicolo Machiavelli, is perhaps the best his-
torical example of a kingpin-seeking networ-
ker. Cosimo lived at a time when Florence
was ruled by shifting coalitions of various
family clans, and through his networking
behavior created a stable ruling dynasty. In
addition to being born into an elite family,
Cosimo was active in seeking out influential
figures in various networks: as a banker, he
sought out merchants, aristrocrats, and other
clients all over Europe would help increase
wealth; as a patriarch he sought matrimonial
alliances for his extended family so as to
increase the Medicis’ prestige; and as a
patron he sought out talented artists such
as Donatello, who helped usher in the
Renaissance; and as a statesman he sought
to make alliances that could help keep the
peace in Florence.
Former U.S. president Lyndon Johnson’s
political skills also exemplify the kingpin-
seeking capability. In his time in the U.S.
Congress, Senate and in the White House,
he was able to accurately identify and then
persuade coalitions and individuals who
opposed his agenda. As senate majority lea-
der, Lyndon Johnson made his mark as an
effective networker in 1957 by championing
President Eisenhower’s civil rights legisla-
tion, the first of its kind in 82 years. There
was vehement opposition to the bill by sena-
tors from the southern states. Lyndon John-
son identified their ring-leader as Georgia
Senator Richard Russell and convinced him
that a weakened civil rights bill was in the
interest of the South, given the changing
times. However, Senator Russell needed evi-
dence that Lyndon Johnson had the power to
16 ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS
keep the scope of the bill limited. Johnson
persuaded Russell by asking him to support
a decade-long effort by senators from Wes-
tern states to obtain federal funding for a
dam on the Snake River marking the bound-
ary between Idaho and Oregon. In turn, those
senators joined in with Russell in getting the
weakened civil rights legislation passed
through the Senate. As a politician, Lyndon
Johnson’s hallmark was in recognizing the
kingpin in any situation and then taking
steps to align his interests with theirs.
We observed this capability in the mod-
ern-day networking patterns within an
advertising agency specializing in the retail
sector. A formal network survey of the orga-
nization revealed Scott James as the most
central individual within the firm. In addi-
tion, many employees attested that he was
the best networker with whom they had ever
worked. James is part of the top management
team, but two levels below the very top of his
organization. He is skilled at reading the
importance of various people involved in a
situation. With customers, he is careful to
understand who is responsible for interpret-
ing his own firm’s performance. He makes
certain they receive the appropriate informa-
tion on how effective his agency is. He notes:
‘‘Often, the key person in the client firm
assessing my performance is not the VP or
the general manager, but someone more
junior who is in a day-to-day operations role
– it is their perceptions that filter upwards, so
I am always keen to spot that person.’’ One
episode that happened recently provides a
good example of his kingpin-spotting cap-
ability. James’s largest client is a large U.K.
supermarket that had just announced the
acquisition of a smaller chain of grocery
stores. James was expecting greater advertis-
ing revenues as a result of the client’s acqui-
sition, but he found his counterpart within
the client organization unusually mum when
he enquired about the matter. He quickly
made a few phone calls to other relationships
at the client organization – he made it his
business to keep an ear to the ground at each
client company – and found out that a new
VP of marketing (Eve) had been appointed
recently. Eve had previous worked as a
senior marketing analyst with a large gen-
eral-purpose advertising agency. He learned
that it was highly likely Eve would switch the
company’s account to her former employer,
because she seemed to have made remarks to
her new colleagues to that effect. Sensing that
she was the kingpin in this decision, James
quickly sought a meeting with Eve and
impressed on her that she would stand to
gain much more by retaining his own firm for
two reasons: first, the firm was more effective
because of its exclusive focus on the retail
sector and second, owing to its small size it
was much more customer-focused than lar-
ger agencies. He also asked her verify this
view with her colleagues. Eve, who had had
little experience within the retailing industry,
concurred with James after consulting her
colleagues. As a result, James won the
enlarged business, owing to his networking
and persuasion efforts.
The last example showcases a number of
behaviors concerning those good at ‘‘seeking
the kingpin’’ capability. James was expecting
his client’s acquisition to increase his own ad
agency’s revenues – he was active in scan-
ning the environment. When James did not
encounter an expected outcome – increased
business – he sought to find out. Because he
had multiple connections within the client
organization, he was able to quickly obtain
an accurate interpretation of what was going
on. James was proactive in meeting with Eve
to impress upon her the mutual benefit of
working together with an agency specializ-
ing in retail – he knew what type of informa-
tion to use to persuade someone new to a
situation.
Another example of this behavior was
discovered by studying the activities of a
governmental affairs director for a multi-
national energy company. His day to day
tasks require a finely tuned sensitivity to
the networks of decision-makers who grant
permits for the company’s energy projects.
Relationships can be profoundly influential
in permitting decisions. Yet assignments can
take him into geographies where the com-
pany has no prior relationships with critical
decision-makers. In one example, his firm
had an opportunity to purchase the infra-
structure operations of another energy com-
pany. A myriad of decision-makers would be
involved in the purchase, including federal
and state governments, the local courts, and
the community. These bodies carefully assess
the buyer in terms of corporate citizenship,
reliability, and financial wherewithal. How-
ever, a significant portion of their assessment
is shaped by experiences with the handful of
individuals who represent the company in
meetings. In this case, those individuals
would be comprised of the governmental
affairs director and company executives.
No one had substantive contacts in the state
where the project was being developed.
In his search to determine the kingpins,
the governmental affairs director used a
multi-pronged approach. He first identified
who was currently managing the project for
the seller: Was there someone there who
could be informative? He also tapped into
a national networking organization of lobby-
ists. They identified an individual who had
worked for the seller, was a native to region
and well connected within the local commu-
nity. This local individual set up a series of
meetings to help introduce the governmental
affairs director to the kingpins involved in
the permitting decision. In addition, the
director also learned that wetlands restora-
tion was very important to the community,
and that a local environmental organization
was active in the area. Recalling that his
company had worked with this environmen-
tal organization in another region of the
country, the director contacted the environ-
mental group to see whether they knew any-
one in the area hosting the new development.
They did. And they too became important in
the permitting decision.
We have found that certain personality
traits and roles are helpful for this kingpin
capability. Those who are skilled at seeking
out kingpins tend to be bold, assertive and
self-assured. They tend to be central players
in connecting critical individuals that get the
work done. Kingpin-seeking networkers are
sensitive to the quality of information – and
17
the accuracy of interpretation of events – that
people pass on to them. One executive that
we interviewed likened this to developing
the traits of ‘‘a good spy-master.’’ She said,
‘‘There are two rules when you handle espio-
nage agents: you should never trust the infor-
mation of any one individual, and you
should be aware of the relative quality of
each source.’’ When something important
is about to occur (e.g., rumour of an impend-
ing merger), get the news and views of at
least two people. Note the ways in which the
two sources differ – the well-connected per-
son is likely to provide more timely news and
a more accurate interpretation of the event.
The kingpin-seeking capability is espe-
cially suited to four specific role demands in
a manager’s job: (1) gathering information in
uncertain situations; (2) obtaining multiple
interpretations of ambiguous events; (3) gen-
erating accurate knowledge of how power is
distributed; and (4) understanding who are
pivotal decision-makers and understanding
their perspectives, concerns, and needs.
Developing the kingpin-seeking
capability
We were able to isolate a number of beha-
viors that enable this capability. Learning
these behaviors can help you become effec-
tive at spotting the kingpin. (1) When a
critical event occurs in your organization
(e.g., a pivotal investment, loss of a big cus-
tomer, a merger, or new line of business),
seek out multiple interpretations and locate
the kingpins who might have triggered the
event and shaped the final outcomes. (2)
Always strive to assess how well connected
the individuals around you are and to figure
out who is the ‘‘central player’’ in any net-
work that you encounter. Central players are
those who are the best connected and who
have access to news and information the
earliest. (3) Cultivate multiple mentors (both
inside and outside the organization) who will
share their insights about influential people
in various situations that are relevant to your
job and career. (4) Stay connected to junior
colleagues who are involved in the front line
18 ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS
of various activities important to the growth
and profitability of your organization – the
ability to influence situations does not
always flow top-down. Oftentimes, front-line
individuals and managers are highly influ-
ential.
A final piece of advice concerns attitude.
Always assume that the individuals you
meet have the possibility of becoming more
influential over time. In other words, they
may become tomorrow’s kingpin. As our
governmental affairs director notes: ‘‘When
you meet someone, it is always important to
assume that you never know who they may
become. For instance, I know that a state
senator could go on to become a U.S. senator.
In one case, we had five fully permitted
facilities but later decided not to go forward
with the projects. Instead of simply bowing
out, we had a big community celebration to
say goodbye. At that dinner, we had a judge
who stood up and announced he was run-
ning for Congress. You never know who will
become who.’’
NETWORKING CAPABILITY #2.
MATCH-MAKE THE RIGHT
PEOPLE TO GET THINGS DONE
The second capability of effective networkers
is excellence at being able to make connec-
tions between people. Like match-matchers
in the days of old, they enjoy putting people
with complementary needs and abilities
together. Individuals skilled at this capability
are adept at creating remarkable work out-
comes from these connections. In organiza-
tions, the presence of individuals who
routinely introduce and join up disconnected
departments and people is particularly criti-
cal to innovation. What is unique about such
connecting individuals is their lack of self-
interest in ‘‘hoarding’’ the benefits of making
such connections. On the contrary, such
match-makers are rather indiscriminate
about networking in this manner because
they are much more oriented towards help-
ing the organization as a whole become more
productive. Match-makers are able to frame
issues around a common ground to unite
people with disparate interests and back-
grounds.
Helen Boaden headed up BBC ‘s Radio 4
(one of Britain’s most loved and respected
radio stations) between 2000 and 2004 in her
role as controller. She viewed her job at Radio
4 as one of making connections that resulted
in the production of great programming. The
station by itself has a very small staff, since
external suppliers make most of its pro-
grams. Boaden routinely connected people
who supplied ideas for programs with inter-
ested producers, regardless of whether she
could be present when the two individuals
met. Boaden worked hard at making connec-
tions by instituting events such as a ‘‘produ-
cers’ lunch.’’ These events were designed to
bring together producers who had never met
even, though they contributed frequently to
the station. During such occasions, she
helped producers discover programme
topics that were related to each other. She
also encouraged producers to explore how
they could benefit from each other’s
resources to provide a ‘‘shared’’ service to
viewers. Her skill at connecting people both
within and outside her organization is stand-
ing up in good stead in her new and challen-
ging job as director of news for the BBC.
People who have an extroverted and
sympathetic personality tend to be strong
at this capability of match-making. Indivi-
duals taking on roles that bridge different
departments have some natural advantages
in cultivating at match-making. Over time,
they may develop this capability simply due
to the demands of the job – match-making
across departments to get things done. In
contrast, those who have a laid-back person-
ality – not very conscientious in terms of
following up on leads or opportunities – tend
to be poor matchmakers.
Our research suggests that those skilled
at the match-making capability do not neces-
sarily remember the individual needs of var-
ious people in their organization. Rather they
are skilled at creating various kinds of for-
ums that bring people together. In such meet-
ing places, people talk to each other only to
discover complementary issues and inter-
ests. When we asked members of a research
department in one pharmaceutical company
to identify who was the best connected
among them, many pointed to Ralf. Surpris-
ingly, Ralf had neither a distinguished aca-
demic background nor the most patents to
his name. When asked about the secret of his
success as a networker, he revealed: ‘‘Early
on in my career in the company, I took the
initiative to organize two or three highly
focused conferences. At that time, my man-
ager thought it was a waste of time because it
was distracting me from my individual con-
tribution, but the conferences led to a break-
through discovery for the firm just based on
connections that people were able to make.
After that, I continued to host the occasional
half- or full-day seminar that put people from
different parts within the firm in touch with
each other – and with me. Pretty soon I
developed a reputation as someone who con-
nects people up.’’
This match-making capability is espe-
cially suited to three types of role demands
in a job: (1) seeing the possibility of mutual
interests, benefits and common ground
between unfamiliar parties; (2) building dee-
per relationships between departments or
business units or between one’s vendors,
suppliers, and customers; and (3) sparking
creative joint-outcomes from two parties that
normally do not interact with each other.
Managers who are good at the match-making
capability tend to create synergy between
individuals and groups. They are better at
coordinating cross-organizational activities.
They also excel at obtaining access to infor-
mation, ideas, resources, and talent that are
not accessible through normal channels, and
at deepening connections across the business
community that supports a firm.
Developing the match-making
capability
We found several behaviors common to
those with a well-developed match-making
capability. Specifically, it is important to cul-
tivate the following. (1) Learn ‘‘brokerage
19
skills’’ – discover what is scarce and how you
can provide such resources not on your own
but with the help of others. (2) Trust the rule
of reciprocity (‘‘you scratch my back, I
scratch yours’’) to work on your behalf, but
do not keep a running tally while helping
others, and do not demand a return of a favor
immediately after providing one. Doing so
fosters strong impressions of someone highly
transactional and manipulative. (3) Actively
help others around you develop their net-
works by creating events where ideas and
information can be exchanged – such as
seminars, workshops and even simple meet-
ings. (4) When you detect networks that
appear to be disconnected, bridge the gap
not through yourself, but helping represen-
tatives from the different networks connect.
If someone needs information and you know
an expert, put the two in touch with one
another using yourself as the reference or
doorway.
NETWORKING CAPABILITY #3:
ENHANCE ACCESS
CONTINUOUSLY
Individuals who are skilled at this capability
of network access strive to improve three
aspects of their network. First, they strive
to increase the size of their network. They
work to use every occasion to get to know
more people that are not already part of their
network. Second, they try to improve their
connectedness to others. They find ways of
keeping in touch with their critical contacts.
Finally, they seek to boost the variety of
contacts. They appreciate the value of diver-
sity in their network.
CEOs who are handed the task of trans-
forming their company are conscious about
building a supportive network of relation-
ships. When David Simon (now Lord Simon
of Highbury) took over the reins of BP plc in
1992 with a mandate to refocus the troubled
oil giant, he built his network in multiple
directions. In addition to reinforcing corpo-
rate and diplomatic ties at the highest level,
he cultivated links with his chauffeur and his
20 ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS
catering staff to find out how his cost-cutting
initiatives were being received in the com-
pany. Mark Leslie, who ran Veritas Software
from 1988 to 2000, overseeing its growth
from 12 employees to 5,600 globally along
with revenues from $ 400,000 per year to $ 1.6
billion, worked hard at keeping connected
with his key employees. During his tenure,
Leslie answered all of his telephone calls,
mail, and e-mail personally, ensuring that
he was not left out of the vital information
flow because of the good intentions of his
secretarial or administrative staff. Leslie was
also meticulous in attending every induction
event at his company so as to reduce the
social distance between himself and the new-
est employees of Veritas. When we asked
him whether there was a downside to this
level of access, he replied: ‘‘When people
know that you are available, they do not tend
to abuse the privilege.’’
Andres Amezquita, a senior manager, at
the Mattel Inc. toy company, was promoted
from the boys toy division in Latin America
to a broader international role in the girls
division at the company’s California head-
quarters. While he had established an inter-
national network of contacts over the years at
Mattel, his network beyond Latin America
and the boys division was limited. He used a
crisis situation in the European operations to
rapidly expand the size of his network and
his connectedness. Andres explained: ‘‘I
knew that the business was in crisis due to
a serious product delay, and I also knew that
I did not have a lot of time to learn what was
happening. It was a business that I was new
to. Yet I needed to get my own European
network alive very quickly.’’ He leveraged
his early morning walks with his dog to
enhance his access: ‘‘In California, we only
have two morning hours a day that overlap
with Europe’s business hours. As we are
waking up, they are typically heading home
from work. Now I always take my dog for a
walk at 5 a.m. My dog doesn’t care with
whom I talk, so I decided to take that time
to call the marketing and brand managers in
Europe to discuss the product delay. If I call
them at 5 a.m. my time, it is a surprise for
them. My call is still in the middle of their
work day. What I discovered was that these
calls built trust and a relationship. I spent a
lot of time listening to these individuals.
Historically, corporate did not share things
with the countries such as market research.
So I decided to become very transparent. I
told our European managers things more
candidly.’’ He also began to help them out
by acting as an information source about
company resources. Andres described what
he also did in those calls – match-making
behavior: ‘‘There are many areas and
resources inside the company that the coun-
try managers do not know about. They may
want to use some type of media, and so I will
connect them with media folks at corporate.
During my early morning calls, I started
identifying some of the country needs and
helping them connect to the key people at
corporate.’’
Another effective networker who is vice
president of asset management at an electric
utility company illustrates how effective net-
workers keep in touch socially. ‘‘When we
were building power plants, I developed a
friendship with an individual at the manu-
facturer who sold us electrical turbines. Now
we have not been buying turbines in recent
years, but I have kept in touch with him. For
example, I call him on a regular basis. He
likes golf, and I do too. If I know of a golf
outing, I will invite him. If he knows of an
outing, he will invite me. I knew that he
spends a lot of time in Carmel, California.
My wife and I were going up to Carmel for a
weekend recently, and so I called him to get
some recommendations. After our trip, I
called again and told him about some good
places in Carmel and confirmed his recom-
mendations. I was at a charity event. It turns
out that this individual is left-handed, and I
happened to see that one of the items – a left-
handed golf club – had no bidders. So I put a
low bid on it and won. I sent him the club.’’
For our networker, keeping a relationship
with the sales force is highly beneficial. He
often deals with the operations and repair
side of the turbine manufacturer. Whenever
he has a problem, he will call on his sales
contact to find out who within the company
can best help him with operations issues. The
contact also helps him to get ahead of the
competition – a critical advantage given the
cyclical nature of the business, when
demands swings up and lead times to obtain
turbines lengthen.
Vernon Jordan, Jr., a business executive,
Washington lawyer, and former civil rights
leader exemplifies the access networking
capability. In 1971, as the head of the
National Urban League, he was invited by
Chairman John W. Brooks of Celanese Corp.
to join the board of directors. Jordan was then
nominated by Brooks to the board of Bankers
Trust New York as an outside director. A
member of the Bankers Trust board that
served as a director at J.C. Penny Company
Inc. then nominated him to their board. In
this way, by building close connections with
all members on a board, Jordan was able to
gain access to yet more boards by 1980,
including Xerox Corp., American Express
Co., and R.J. Reynolds. A couple of decades
later, Jordan became the most connected
director in corporate America thanks to skill
at cultivating access.
People who are extraverted – talkative,
warm, social, and excitement seeking – find it
easy to cultivate this capability. One of our
effective networkers told us: ‘‘On my report
cards in school, there is one common the-
me. . .‘He is a bright young man but he talks
too much.’’’ Another explained: ‘‘I person-
ally like my business activity to be very
social. I try to connect when there is no
business whatsoever. If a business opportu-
nity arises later, we have a relationship. It
makes the dancing a lot quicker when you
keep in touch.’’
On the other hand, those who are shy or
anxious by nature have trouble improving
the access of their network. When it comes to
organizational roles, we find, surprisingly,
that the higher up you go, the more your
access within the organization shrinks. In a
number of companies that we are very famil-
iar with in Europe, the U.S., South Africa, and
India, there is one unnerving fact that we
observe repeatedly: it does not take much for
21
top managers in a company to become
divorced from the front line of the business.
Physical location is the single biggest predic-
tor of networking patterns. Being ensconced
in the corporate headquarters cuts senior
executives out from their factories and mar-
kets – where all the information of changing
business conditions resides. For example,
given their external orientation and busy
schedules, most chief executives rely on a
small number of trusted subordinates to filter
news from the rest of company to them. Over
time, these executives’ networks become
more selective and homogenous. Conse-
quently, they are more impaired in their
ability to accurately convey what is going
on. Executives who are good at access net-
working keep direct lines of communication
open in all active parts of a company. They
avoid being held hostage to a small net-
work’s view of the world around them.
The access capability is especially suited
to three types of role demands in one’s job:
(1) connecting with a large and diverse audi-
ence; (2) spending ‘‘face time’’ in interacting
with one’s customers and other business
partners; and (3) modelling trustworthiness,
candor, and openness to all forms of infor-
mation. Managers who are good at the access
capability are able to receive more up to date
and accurate information. As a result, their
decisions are often of higher quality, given
access to better and timely information.
Developing the access capability
During the course of our research, we
gleaned a number of approaches that effec-
tive networkers use to build this access cap-
ability. Focus on the following. (1) Build a list
of your network contacts. Use information in
your personal organizer, e-mail program,
and correspondence files to list the names
of critical contacts. A number of our infor-
mants reiterated that just the act of making a
list makes them aware of who is missing and
therefore who needs to be added. With
knowledgeable colleagues, determine who
has access to whom in your organization,
and who has access to what kinds of people
22 ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS
and information. (2) Before attending orga-
nizational or industry events (e.g., confer-
ences, seminars, annual meetings) study
the participant list and make plans to meet
people you need to know. Such research time
pays off in a richer connection with the peo-
ple you meet. (3) Schedule formal times to
‘‘reach out and touch’’ – birthdays, anniver-
saries, New Year, and festive seasons. One
manager who was transferred from a multi-
nation in Mumbai to London used the British
custom of sending Christmas cards to busi-
ness contacts to increase access in his net-
work. He commented: ‘‘I took out my
organizer and started selecting names of
people I wanted to send a card to. In the first
year, I made a list of forty, mostly those in
India and some outside the firm in London.
By the third year, the list had swelled to over
two hundred people around the world.
Every Christmas time I carefully prune and
add to the list. While travelling to different
cities, I make an effort to meet with or talk to
the people in my list. After meeting a new
person who has made a deep impression on
me, I make a mental note to add them to my
list. Thanks to the Christmas card list, I had
become quite well connected.’’ The well-
known networking expert Keith Ferrazzi
suggests birthdays as an occasion for keeping
in touch. (4) Initiate communication with
others in your circle when a life- or career-
changing event occurs in your life or that of
your contacts (e.g., promotion, marriage,
new baby, etc). (5) For more critical contacts,
schedule periodic informal meetings or calls
if you do not see these individuals often (e.g.,
lunch meeting, dinner at home, sports or
cultural events). Our governmental affairs
director’s approach is illustrative. Through
his work in Louisiana, he has gotten to know
a tanker ship’s pilot quite well. This indivi-
dual has two sons in college football. From
time to time, he will call the pilot up to say he
saw his son playing on television. It will be a
casual conversation with no reference to
business. The pilot is also the head of the
local tanker pilots association. They move
ships into gas terminals. The Coast Guard
looks to the pilots for the safety of the ship
traffic and for facility design. Our networker
explains: ‘‘You cannot move a ship up the
channel without a pilot. As an energy com-
pany you have to start with a good relation-
ship with the person who is piloting your
ships. You seek their input on berth designs.
You get to know them. If you do not build a
relationship, it can get your projects in trou-
ble. The pilots are well connected in the state
capital. They are part of the economic fabric
of the area. They are smart and honest. If you
have a good dialogue with them, you might
learn something.’’ (6) If you work in a remote
location, make sure you visit the head office
on occasion to invest in ‘‘face-time.’’ (6) If you
are out of the inner circle in your organiza-
tion, actively develop ties to one or more of
the insiders.
NETWORKING CAPABILITY #4:
INTERACT AMIABLY WITH
OTHERS
Those who are skilled at being amiable leave
others with the impression that they always
have the time of the day to lend an ear to the
concerns of others. They focus on the context
of their interactions as well as the content.
They regulate their own mood so as to create
a positive atmosphere and carefully avoid
expressing negative feelings. When a mes-
sage is delivered to them, they are alive not
only to the news, but also to the manner and
appearance of the messenger – following
Marshall McLuhan’s dictum they believe
that ‘‘the medium is the message.’’ By doing
so, good networkers create an ambience that
is conducive to the sharing of sensitive news
and information, and consequently they
learn more out their interactions with others.
Other people tend to naturally gravitate
towards individuals who are amiable. There-
fore those who have a well-developed cap-
ability for amiability find it easy to make new
contacts. They tend to be central players in
informal friendship networks that develop in
and around organizations.
Peter Quinn, the former CEO of Fedics
Foodservice Group (the largest black-owned
enterprise in the outsourced catering market
in South Africa) oversaw a company that
managed over 600 catering and cleaning con-
tracts. The company operates in a tough
environment, where the growth of the busi-
ness depends on tight control over wafer-
thin profit margins. Quinn believes that
keeping the workplace sociable is critical to
spirit of the company in the face of a business
environment that exerts a great deal of pres-
sure on its employees to be cold, efficient,
and instrumental. Quinn promoted amiabil-
ity by presiding over a number of rituals that
were designed to share emotions, stories, as
well as company news and information.
Chief among these rituals was the monthly
birthday celebration held at the head office,
where each department hosted a breakfast
buffet that was designed to outdo the pre-
vious one in terms of creativity and eccen-
tricity. After the festivities, Quinn took time
to announce important initiatives and
changes within the company. The rituals
were cascaded down the organization, so
that the spirit of amiability was preserved
even in the field offices where much of the
tough work of the company was done. When
we asked Quinn, who is routinely described
as ‘‘personable’’ by the business press,
whether he has difficulty in making and
communicating tough decisions, he replied
without hesitating: ‘‘Being amiable is not an
open door to the lowering of respect or per-
formance expectations. I worked hard to
ensure that my style of networking allowed
the coexistence of amiability and high stan-
dards of business performance.’’
Christoph, a successful equities analyst
whom we interviewed, provided us with a
good example of the importance of amiabil-
ity. Christoph arrived at his current firm with
a reputation for brilliant analysis of semi-
conductor firms. While people flocked to
him initially, they found him overbearing
and arrogant. Subsequently, although people
acknowledged that he was very bright, his
reputation was such that ‘‘no one in their
right minds would sit besides Christoph on
an airplane, even if the flight was only an
hour long.’’ At his first performance review,
23
his manager preached the value of humility.
Christoph said that the meeting made a deep
impression on him: ‘‘I was trying to impress
others with how knowledgeable and impor-
tant I was. However, most of the important
contacts that I had to make were in Asia,
where a softer – more humble – manner
was preferred. When I toned down my
style, I found more people volunteering
information, which was critical to making
the right call about companies that I was
researching.’’
When we asked one manager who is well
regarded for this capability how she became
skilled at it, she replied: ‘‘It was honed over
time through my various interactions, busi-
ness experience and exposure to different
kinds of people. However, I do also believe
that there are different character traits in
people that will predispose them to this
approach to networking.’’ Individuals with
an agreeable and kind personality develop
this capability with ease. Being amiable,
however, is difficult for people who are emo-
tionally touchy or temperamental. Organiza-
tions that are extremely busy and focused
also deter amiability among employees.
The amiability capability is especially
well suited to the following role demands
in a management job: (1) where there is an
explicit focus on relationship building; (2)
when there is a need to read body language
and other subtle forms of communication to
assess what is going on; (3) when there is a
need for a level of comfort with discussing
personal issues; (4) there is a need to be
plugged into the informal or gossip network;
and (5) there is a need to obtain social sup-
port from friends and well-wishers. Man-
agers who are good at the amiability
capability often play the role of confidante
and are effective at strengthening the morale
of a team or organization.
Developing the amiability
capability
The following types of behaviors can be
practiced to develop the amiability capabil-
ity. (1) Relate to colleagues on a personal
24 ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS
level. Look beyond the pressures and
requirements of tasks and seek to assist
and be supportive. Learn and enquire about
the family and personal interests of collea-
gues when it is appropriate. (2) Try to
develop interests outside of the workplace
with co-workers. Those who are rated highly
in the capability report that their best friends
are also close colleagues at work. (3) Reduce
formality and hierarchical differences in
your workplace. If you insist on pulling rank,
you will lose the opportunity of attracting
people spontaneously. Schedule to meet over
lunch or dinner or coffee with colleagues.
These kinds of settings foster informality
and a more personal touch. (4) Design events
for sharing emotions. These can be small-
scale and fun rituals such as a birthday party
or festive celebrations or a team-building
event.
CONCLUSIONS
In this article we have shown that consum-
mate networking requires one to see through
folk wisdom (which points to inborn traits
and a fixed set of skills) and to go beyond
complex graphical representations of net-
work structures (which are complicated to
map accurately in any given situation). Effec-
tive networking instead very much depends
on your behavioral capabilities and the con-
text of outcomes that you want to achieve.
Our research has identified four behavioral
capabilities that underpin consummate net-
working: (1) seeking the kingpin; (2) match-
making; (3) increasing access; and (4) amia-
bility. Although these capabilities are helped
by favorable personality traits, they can be
learned because they are rooted in specific
role demands within an organization (see the
middle column in Table 2). Ask yourself
which of these capabilities you seem to be
good at, and to what it extent it is due to your
personality rather than the demands of your
role. It is also important to consider what
kinds of outcomes you would like to achieve
given the demands of your current role (see
the rightmost column in Table 2) and
 TABLE 2 NETWORKING ROLE DEMANDS
Networking capability Role demands
Seeking the kingpin Gather information in
uncertain situations
Obtain multiple interpretations
of ambiguous events
Generate accurate knowledge of
how power is distributed
Recognize pivotal decision-makers
and understand their perspectives,
concerns, and needs
Match-making Build deeper relationships between
departments or business units or
between one’s vendors, suppliers,
and customers
Explore the possibility of mutual
interests, benefits and common
ground between unfamiliar parties
Spark creative joint-outcomes from two
parties that normally do not interact
with each other
Increasing access Connect with a large and diverse
audience
Spend time ‘in the field’ or engaging in
‘face time’
Model trustworthiness, candor, and
openness to all forms of information
Amiability Focus on relationship building
Ability to read body language
Comfort with discussing personal issues
Require to be plugged into the informal
or gossip network
Need to obtain social support from
friends and well-wishers
whether you have the necessary capability concerted effort and a deep appreciation for
that is required. Create or seek out roles and its profound value.
assignments that can help you develop and
refine a particular capability that is not your
strong suit. Networking, as we noted earlier,
is not a birthright: rather it is the product of
AND INTENDED OUTCOMES
Intended outcomes
Greater influence across and upwards
in your organization
More favorable decisions
Getting your tasks done more effectively
and efficiently
Better coordination of cross-organizational
tasks and cross-departmental activity
Obtaining access to information, ideas,
resources, and talent that are not
accessible through normal channels
Creating synergy between individuals
and groups
Deepening connections within and
across your business community
Strengthening decision quality with
more up to date and accurate information
Accessing information from the ‘front lines’
Enhancing your public reputation as a
leader
Fostering the sharing of sensitive and
personal information
Strengthening the morale of a team or
organization
Increasing the number of individuals that
can turn to you for support during
stressful or sensitive times
25
 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wayne Baker’s book Achieving Success
Through Social Capital (San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass, 2000) provides a superb intro-
duction to the importance of networking in
the workplace. A good overview of structural
approaches to networking can be found in
the article ‘‘Informal Networks: The Com-
pany Behind the Chart,’’ by David Krac-
khardt and Jeffrey Hansen, Harvard
Business Review, July–August 1993, 104–111.
Rob Cross and Lawrence Prusak provide a
good description of various structural posi-
tions in ‘‘The People Who Make Organiza-
tions Go – Or Stop,’’ Harvard Business Review,
June 2002, 5–12.
In his book The Tipping Point (London:
Little, Brown, 2000) Malcolm Gladwell dis-
cusses ‘‘mavens’’ – networkers who can dig
out intricate details from various sources of
information and may share this quality with
the kingpin-seeking capability that we have
identified. A historical account of Cosimo De
Medici can be found in Paul Strathern’s
book The Medici: Godfathers of the Renaissance
(London: Jonathan Cape, 2003). A more
detailed sociological analysis of Cosimo’s net-
works can be found in the article ‘‘Robust
Action and the Rise of the Medici,’’ by John
Padgett and Christopher Ansell, American
Journal of Sociology, 1993, 98, 1259–1319. The
kingpin-seeking networking skills of Presi-
dent Lyndon Johnson are described in vivid
detail by Robert Caro in the third volume of
his biography titled Master of the Senate: The
Years of Lyndon Johnson (New York: Knopf,
2002). The importance of the match-making
capability in achieving successful career out-
comes is emphasized by Keith Ferrazi in the
book Never Eat Alone and Other Secrets to Suc-
cess, One Relationship at a Time (New York:
Currency Doubleday, 2005). A theoretical
analysis of the importance of match-making
behavior in the context of innovation is pro-
vided by David Obtsfeld’s article ‘‘Social
Networks, the Tertius Iungens Orientation,
and Involvement in Innovation,’’ Administra-
tive Science Quarterly, 2000, 50, 100–130.
Carole Stone’s extremely readable book Net-
working: The Art of Making Friends (London:
Vermillion, 2000) contains a number of tips on
improving one access capability. Gerald
Davis, Mina Yoo, and Wayne Baker describe
how Vernon Jordan’s skills at improving
access led to him to multiple corporate boards
in their article ‘‘The Small World of the
American Corporate Elite, 1982–2001,’’ Stra-
tegic Organization, 2003,1: 301–326. Donna
Fisher and Sandy Vilas offer a number of
suggestions on how to be amiable while build-
ing relationships with others in Power
Networking, 2nd edition (Austin, TX: Bard
Press, 2000). A psychometric questionnaire
measuring the four networking capabilities
can be obtained from N. Anand.

N. Anand is Reader in Organizational Behavior at the Tanaka School of

Business, Imperial College. He has also taught at London Business
School, the Indian School Business and at the Owen Graduate School of
Management, Vanderbilt University. Anand has consulted on social
network issues for wide range of organizations, including Mc-Graw Hill,
The Museums Libraries and Archives Council, Tractors and Farm
Equipment Limited, and Credit Suisse Financial Services. Anand’s
current research examines social networking behavior in entrepreneurial
organizations, new forms of organizational design, and knowledge-based
26 ORGANIZATIONAL DYNAMICS
innovation in professional service firms. His scholarly work appears in
journals such as Academy of Management Journal, Annual Review of Sociology,
Journal of Management Studies, Organization Science, Personnel Psychology
and Popular Music (e-mail: anandnar@gmail.com).

Jay A. Conger holds the Henry Kravis Research Chair Professorship of

Leadership at Claremont McKenna College in California. He is also a
visiting professor of organizational behavior at the London Business
School. In recognition of his extensive work with companies, Business Week
named him number five on its list of the world’s top ten management
educators. The magazine also selected him the best business school
professor to teach leadership to executives. Author of over 90 articles
and book chapters and 12 books, he researches leadership, organiza-
tional change, boards of directors, and the training and development of
leaders and managers. His articles have appeared in the Harvard
Business Review, Organizational Dynamics, Business & Strategy, the
Leadership Quarterly, the Academy of Management Review, and the Journal
of Organizational Behavior. He has taught at the Harvard Business School,
INSEAD (France), the London Business School, McGill University, and
the University of Southern California. Outside of his work with
universities, he consults with a global list corporations and non-profit
organizations (Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California;
e-mail: jay.conger@claremontmckenna.edu).

27