Maria Horrigan Account Director Health and Human Services Regional lead for Business Analysis ABAA Christmas Drinks, 11 Dec 2008 Social Networking Analysis, Communication & the “Oracle of Bacon”

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www.slideshare.com/murph

Clichés or Truisms?

“We’re living in a networked world”

We do live in a networked world “ The Relationship Economy is now, not when, being built by individuals who learn how to maximize the value of relationships by optimizing technology”. “ Technology provides the means, relationships provide the value” Jay Deragon . Relationships are important to do business and do business well Web is moving from information to connectedness Its about relationships

“ The Relationship Economy is now, not when, being built by individuals who learn how to maximize the value of relationships by optimizing technology”.

“ Technology provides the means, relationships provide the value” Jay Deragon .

Relationships are important to do business and do business well

Web is moving from information to connectedness

Its about relationships

Leveraging relationships 1 billion using the web ½ billion engaged in use of social computing tools because it connects them Barack Obama most successful campaign – part of success was the relationships he built using social media Mmmm…. President…

1 billion using the web

½ billion engaged in use of social computing tools because it connects them

Barack Obama most successful campaign – part of success was the relationships he built using social media

The many faces of Obama

Relationships in projects Part of the success of projects is to understand: Stakeholder relationships How people are connected How they communicate Why they are connected

Part of the success of projects is to understand:

Stakeholder relationships

How people are connected

How they communicate

Why they are connected

Relevance to BAs Need to identify stakeholders and entities Identifying stakeholders in the project and my relationship with them Once I’ve identified who I can then understand when I need to involve them in what activities during the project Projects happen within organisations Politics, Leadership & Power , Organisational Culture & Climate What governance models to involve the right people

Need to identify stakeholders and entities

Identifying stakeholders in the project and my relationship with them

Once I’ve identified who I can then understand when I need to involve them in what activities during the project

Projects happen within organisations

Politics, Leadership & Power , Organisational Culture & Climate

What governance models to involve the right people

How do we do analyse the ‘social’?

Social Networking Analysis Mathematical, graphical, theoretical understanding of the social world Model: Networks and their structures Map and measure: Relationships between people, groups, organisations, computers, and websites Flows of information and knowledge (focus on people not systems) In order to: Know what the relationships are to better communicate, elicit requirements

Mathematical, graphical, theoretical understanding of the social world

Model:

Networks and their structures

Map and measure:

Relationships between people, groups, organisations, computers, and websites

Flows of information and knowledge (focus on people not systems)

In order to:

Know what the relationships are to better communicate, elicit requirements

Understanding Social Networks To understand networks and their participants, we evaluate: the location of actors in the network the various roles and groupings in a network Gives insight into: who are the connectors, experts, leaders, bridges, isolates? where are the clusters and who is in them? who is in the core or hub? who is on the periphery?

To understand networks and their participants, we evaluate:

the location of actors in the network

the various roles and groupings in a network

Gives insight into:

who are the connectors, experts, leaders, bridges, isolates?

where are the clusters and who is in them?

who is in the core or hub?

who is on the periphery?

Social Networks – Key Terms Centralisation Density or Concentration Size Network properties Types (eg friend, advice) Direction (directed vs undirected) Strength (binary vs weighted ) Relationship properties Name and value Attribute Show relationships or flows between the nodes Links People and groups Nodes

Centrality - revealing the structure in the network Very centralized network Dominated by one or a few very central nodes If these are removed or damaged, the network quickly fragments & can become a single point of failure Less centralized network Resilient in the face of many attacks or random failures Many nodes or links can fail while allowing the remaining nodes to still reach each other. Boundary Spanners Connect their group to others More central in the overall network than immediate neighbours Well-positioned to be innovators and have access to ideas and information flowing in other clusters. Periphery of a network May connect to networks that are not currently mapped Very important resources for fresh information not otherwise available

Very centralized network

Dominated by one or a few very central nodes

If these are removed or damaged, the network quickly fragments & can become a single point of failure

Less centralized network

Resilient in the face of many attacks or random failures

Many nodes or links can fail while allowing the remaining nodes to still reach each other.

Boundary Spanners

Connect their group to others

More central in the overall network than immediate neighbours

Well-positioned to be innovators and have access to ideas and information flowing in other clusters.

Periphery of a network

May connect to networks that are not currently mapped

Very important resources for fresh information not otherwise available

Tools to describe centrality "Kite Network" developed by David Krackhardt - http://www.orgnet.com/sna.html

Interpreting Degree of Centrality in the Network

Centrality and Betweenness

Centrality and Closeness

Leveraging Centrality By knowing social network position & relationships I can: Leverage champions Understand who might be “blockers” or “gatekeepers” (tertiary segmentation) Find people to go to in order to elicit information – more efficient requirements gathering! (find the ‘nodes’ in the network) (So I don’t reinvent the wheel) this allows me to: Quickly identify who might know the answer, communicate with them, understand their lessons learned, improve likely success of the project Know who to communicate key messages to in order for them to disseminate throughout the network (project communications)

By knowing social network position & relationships I can:

Leverage champions

Understand who might be “blockers” or “gatekeepers” (tertiary segmentation)

Find people to go to in order to elicit information – more efficient requirements gathering! (find the ‘nodes’ in the network)

(So I don’t reinvent the wheel) this allows me to:

Quickly identify who might know the answer, communicate with them, understand their lessons learned, improve likely success of the project

Know who to communicate key messages to in order for them to disseminate throughout the network (project communications)

Putting Actors into Governance The right people making decisions – risk, financial impacts of scope change The right people influencing The right people contributing to requirements

The right people making decisions – risk, financial impacts of scope change

The right people influencing

The right people contributing to requirements

Segmenting the Actors in the network Segmentation – primary, secondary, tertiary Allows me to know what to do tailor discussions for each segment to elicit the right requirements at the right level Once we identify who, we can create archetypes and entities that represent networks within the networks Then create user-requirements based on the archetypal users Then leverage for context diagrams and system interfaces, requirements and design Help to build the picture of the process from end to end Then leverage for process-maps for business requirements (BPMN and/or Use cases)

Segmentation – primary, secondary, tertiary

Allows me to know what to do tailor discussions for each segment to elicit the right requirements at the right level

Once we identify who, we can create archetypes and entities that represent networks within the networks

Then create user-requirements based on the archetypal users

Then leverage for context diagrams and system interfaces, requirements and design

Help to build the picture of the process from end to end

Then leverage for process-maps for business requirements (BPMN and/or Use cases)

BAs in Web 2.0 strategy Lindsay Tanner’s talk at AGIMO last week In order to be able to successfully deliver web 2.0 projects, connecting to existing communities, knowing who to invite to a new community, knowing how to build a new community by identifying existing ‘thought leaders’ Understanding the key relationships and roles in networks is critical BAs have an important role to play in analysing potential online communities, leveraging existing ones and building new ones for public consultation in policy development in a new ‘open government’/ government 2.0 world

Lindsay Tanner’s talk at AGIMO last week

In order to be able to successfully deliver web 2.0 projects, connecting to existing communities, knowing who to invite to a new community, knowing how to build a new community by identifying existing ‘thought leaders’

Understanding the key relationships and roles in networks is critical

BAs have an important role to play in analysing potential online communities, leveraging existing ones and building new ones for public consultation in policy development in a new ‘open government’/ government 2.0 world

Stakeholder engagement strategy- Web 2.0 tools Aims: Engage people in their own communities Engender trust in what you’re doing and that it is of value to them Build relationships Share and be open about what you’re doing and how 7 Building Blocks Of The Social Web

Aims:

Engage people in their own communities

Engender trust in what you’re doing and that it is of value to them

Build relationships

Share and be open about what you’re doing and how

We’re all connected Important for project Mapping these connections is easy, useful Tools are available quantify relationships and properties Good for user, business and systems requirements Good to take over the PMs role of establishing governance Make them more robust, accurate, relevant to the end product (systems FOR people not AT them) help ^

Important for project

Mapping these connections is easy, useful

Tools are available quantify relationships and properties

Good for user, business and systems requirements

Good to take over the PMs role of establishing governance

Make them more robust, accurate, relevant to the end product (systems FOR people not AT them)

Take home messages Projects can be more successful if: You take the time to analyse the people, relationships, connections between them You’re not alone on your project: You’re probably only 4-6 degrees of separation away from someone who knows the answer Use social media: Blogs, linkedin, even Twitter To help you reach out to other BAs To connect and build new relationships To help others in the BA Community

Projects can be more successful if:

You take the time to analyse the people, relationships, connections between them

You’re not alone on your project:

You’re probably only 4-6 degrees of separation away from someone who knows the answer

Use social media:

Blogs, linkedin, even Twitter

To help you reach out to other BAs

To connect and build new relationships

To help others in the BA Community

Fin Maria Horrigan Account Director Health & Human Services Regional Lead Business Analysis Email: mhorrigan@smsmt.com Blog: www.barocks.com Slideshare: www.slideshare.com/murph Twitter: @miahorri