Leveraging the

PNA in Leader

Development

Mindy L. Levy, Ph.D.

Presentation to the Network Roundtable

April 3, 2013

Booz Allen Hamilton

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• 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

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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High performers and more satisfied

employees have larger networks and tend

to work across boundaries such as levels,

capabilities and locations

A small percentage of people provide a

large amount of network benefits (e.g.

political support, revenue generation,

decision-making, career advice,

purpose/impact, personal support, and

problem solving)

People tend to reach upward for

information and other network benefits

Most highly networked individuals have

been with the firm >5 years

Findings and Action Planning

• Infuse the network conversation into leader

development

• Make new network connections with a

focus on high performers/high potentials

and new hires through proposals,

assignments, mentoring, etc.

• Create profile of the characteristics of high

performing/highly connected individuals

and leverage in development and

onboarding programs

• Use network data to identify a few key

individuals that, if linked, could provide a

large increase in interconnectivity

• Evaluate impact on the network of

individuals who have left the market or who

are high retention risks

• Leverage highly connected and high

energy individuals to engage others and

lead change initiatives

Sample Actions

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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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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

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 7

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:

– Quickly integrated into network (“tenure”)

– Appropriately balanced network demands and leveraged others

(“access”)

– Able to energize and motivate others (“energy”)

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• The resulting Success Profiles are being used to:

– Enhance training solutions for existing leaders

– Accelerate onboarding of new leaders

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Supporting Research

Key Themes—Tenure Category

Tenure

• Entered the firm with a

plan or strategy related

to networking

• Benefited by having

someone to guide them

or people to turn to for

questions

• Leveraged prior

experience to facilitate

networking opportunities

• Proactively engaged in

network development

behaviors

Advice for their colleagues…

• “Be patient, we are in an organization that

moves at a quick rate but let the relationships

form and don’t act like you know everything.”

• “Embrace the culture, there are no single

heroes. Build your network as quickly as

possible. Have a plan of who you want to

meet and by when. At each interaction, ask

for two more names.”

• “Build your colleague network as broad and

wide as possible. Trust the institution and

understand that collectively we succeed and

individually we fail.”

• “Don’t say no and recognize the value that

you bring to the table and make it known.

Attend, meet, and accept all invitations and

the fog will lift.”

• “Observe whose ideas are getting picked up

and get to know them.” 9

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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