This document discusses leveraging network analysis to improve leadership development at Booz Allen Hamilton. It outlines how Booz Allen conducted a personal network analysis of its employees and identified that: 1) highly networked employees tend to be more satisfied and perform better, 2) a small number of individuals provide significant network benefits, and 3) employees tend to reach upward within their networks. Booz Allen has begun integrating the personal network analysis into leadership programs to help participants understand their networks and how to improve them. The goal is to accelerate leadership development and onboarding of new leaders.

1. Leveraging the
PNA in Leader
Development
Mindy L. Levy, Ph.D.
Presentation to the Network Roundtable
April 3, 2013

2. Booz Allen Hamilton
• Provide consulting services to the US
government in defense, intelligence,
and civil markets, and to major
corporations, institutions, and not-for-
profit organizations
• Our approach leverages our matrix of
deep domain expertise and our strong
capabilities in strategy and
organization, analytics, technology,
and engineering and operations
• We pride ourselves on having created
a strong leadership and people
development culture, supported by a
number of institutional mechanisms;
networks have long been an important
part of our culture and talent
management processes
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3. Our Own Network Analysis
• For many years we have been advising clients on
analyzing and interpreting networks
• In 2010, we began to explore the impact of networks
within our own organization in a major market segment
of Booz Allen, with the following objectives:
– Ensure Network Alignment
– Assess Revenue Producing Collaborations
– Improve Current Talent Management & Change Initiatives
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4. Findings and Action Planning
Sample Actions
 High performers and more satisfied
employees have larger networks and tend
• Infuse the network conversation into leader
to work across boundaries such as levels, development
capabilities and locations • Make new network connections with a
focus on high performers/high potentials
 A small percentage of people provide a and new hires through proposals,
large amount of network benefits (e.g. assignments, mentoring, etc.
political support, revenue generation, • Create profile of the characteristics of high
decision-making, career advice, performing/highly connected individuals
and leverage in development and
purpose/impact, personal support, and onboarding programs
problem solving) • Use network data to identify a few key
individuals that, if linked, could provide a
 People tend to reach upward for large increase in interconnectivity
information and other network benefits • Evaluate impact on the network of
individuals who have left the market or who
 Most highly networked individuals have are high retention risks
• Leverage highly connected and high
been with the firm >5 years energy individuals to engage others and
lead change initiatives
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5. Integration into Leader Development
We’ve begun to pilot the integration of the Personal Network Analysis into key
leadership transition programs, as well as our programs aimed at high potentials
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6. Example: Leadership Excellence Program
The PNA was
conducted
following the
formal program
for continued
development
Focus Areas: Grow the Business Inspire Followership Influence Others Collaborate/Manage Your Network 6

7. Using The PNA in our Programs
• Participants exposed to
network concepts during
the program
• PNA administered
several months following
the program
• Webinar to help
participants understand
their personal results
• Ability to revisit the PNA
to add/modify network
relationships
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8. Taking One Further Step
• Studied characteristics of those successfully managing their networks
• 28 leaders were interviewed across the following categories: all were
highly networked and met one of 3 conditions:
–
1 Quickly integrated into network (“tenure”)
–
2 Appropriately balanced network demands and leveraged others
(“access”)
3 Able to energize and motivate others (“energy”)
–
• The resulting Success Profiles are being used to:
– Enhance training solutions for existing leaders
– Accelerate onboarding of new leaders
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9. Key Themes—Tenure Category
Supporting
Research
Advice for their colleagues…
Tenure • “Be patient, we are in an organization that
moves at a quick rate but let the relationships
• Entered the firm with a form and don’t act like you know everything.”
plan or strategy related • “Embrace the culture, there are no single
to networking heroes. Build your network as quickly as
• Benefited by having possible. Have a plan of who you want to
meet and by when. At each interaction, ask
someone to guide them for two more names.”
or people to turn to for • “Build your colleague network as broad and
questions wide as possible. Trust the institution and
• Leveraged prior understand that collectively we succeed and
experience to facilitate individually we fail.”
• “Don’t say no and recognize the value that
networking opportunities
you bring to the table and make it known.
• Proactively engaged in Attend, meet, and accept all invitations and
network development the fog will lift.”
behaviors • “Observe whose ideas are getting picked up
and get to know them.”
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10. What’s Next?
• Continue to explore use of PNA in our programs and to
improve its effectiveness
– Integrate into new or existing programs
– Determine the right timing to conduct PNA
– Find ways to increase resulting learning and action planning
– Encourage participants to revisit their survey
• Pilot use of PNA with executive coaching
• Conduct evaluations at multiple points in time
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