An Insider’s Guide to Social Network Analysis
My take on a powerful tool
Social Network Analysis (SNA) might sound complex and technical, but at its core, it's simply a way of uncovering how people truly connect and collaborate within your organization. My clients often express initial curiosity mixed with confusion about how exactly to use this perspective: “Once we have these maps, what do we do?” The short answer: a lot — if you start with a clear question and translate findings into targeted actions.
Think of SNA as an x-ray of the ‘shadow’ organization. Your formal org chart shows accountability; the network shows capability: influence, trust, knowledge flow, and collaboration. Used well, it surfaces bottlenecks, hidden experts, fragile bridges between teams, and leaders at risk of overload.
Here's my hot take: To use this effectively, you have to start with the right question. Like most analytic tools, if your question isn't clear, your answers won't be either… insights must translate into actions that support people, rather than just becoming expensive trivia.
Lessons from the field
During my time at Deloitte, I was part of a team that was building our Adaptable Organizational Network Analysis. Our work wasn't theoretical — it was hands-on, solving real, messy organizational challenges. One memorable case involved a major merger. Stress and uncertainty were palpable, and traditional communication channels weren’t enough. By using SNA, we quickly identified influential employees trusted by both sides. Engaging these connectors enabled smoother integration, reduced resistance, and sped up effective collaboration (truly a breath of fresh air during a tense time). Deloitte has shared more about how the AONA work goes here.
But even beyond mergers, I’ve seen SNA used in a myriad of ways:
Mentorship & onboarding: Surface highly connected, trusted employees and pair them with newer or less-connected hires to widen belonging and shorten time-to-productivity; we’ve seen integration speeds jump after reassigning mentors based on network insight.
Team realignment & task forces: When a team is internally busy but externally isolated, network analysis shows where cross-functional threads are fraying; we rebalance spans of collaboration and stand up time-boxed tiger teams to re-energize decisions.
Change communications that land: Maps reveal where messages pool or fragment; we route updates through informal influencers and peer communicators so the right people hear the right thing at the right time — without overloading a single node.
Preventing break points in change: By watching density, path length, clustering, and community structure, we spot pockets at risk of “us vs. them” and insert bridge roles and cross-team rituals before the change stalls.
Activating true accelerators: We identify the people on the network’s highways — high betweenness, strong eigenvector/authority, classic brokers — and engage them as change agents and coaches, while distributing load to avoid burnout.
Unclogging bottlenecks: Skewed degree patterns, high constraint, and rising “load risk” flag advice chokepoints; we simplify decision rights, add deputies, and create expert pools to spread demand.
Stitching the seams across functions: Healthy flow shows up as reciprocal, diverse ties and a resilient backbone; when collaboration folds inward, we create structured cross-group forums and communities of practice to rebuild bridges.
Protecting energy, inclusion, and retention: Layering advice and “energy” signals with psychological safety and belonging highlights low-energy hubs and isolated newcomers; we tune mentorships, rotate facilitation, and re-wire onboarding cohorts to keep people connected.
At EJ Intelligence, I’ve carried forward these practical, action-oriented ideas using robust platforms like Polinode. Polinode captures both quantitative data (the numbers) and qualitative insights (the stories behind relationships), transforming them into actionable visual maps and strategic recommendations. Check out some of their deeper insights here - the team is really fantastic!
So you want to run SNA at your organization… what do you need to consider?
As valuable as SNA can be, it's critical to approach it thoughtfully. Here are some guiding considerations I always discuss with my clients:
Be clear on your goals: Define exactly why you're using SNA. Draft a hypothesis for what you think you might see. Whether it’s boosting collaboration, fostering innovation, or improving culture - clarity upfront ensures you gain meaningful insights.
Respect privacy and ethics: These are people’s relationships you're analyzing. Transparency, respect, and ethical handling of data are non-negotiable. Trust is crucial for success.
Be prepared to act: In order to capture data on relationships, we need input from each employee in the area you want to observe. Since employees are aware you’re up to something, SNA findings without effective follow-up will only frustrate them. Make sure you're committed to making real changes in the event you uncover some true problems.
Communicate, communicate, communicate: Clearly explain the purpose, the process, and the outcomes of your SNA efforts. Employees must understand why you’re doing this and feel safe and supported throughout.
Avoid common misconceptions: Some people worry SNA is intrusive or only relevant to HR. In reality, it’s a cross-functional strategy tool, and when done well, it actually strengthens relationships, inclusion, and engagement.
In short, effective SNA isn’t passive - it demands proactive leadership and thoughtful actions.
Final thoughts
When thoughtfully implemented, Social Network Analysis becomes an indispensable strategic tool - not merely diagnostic but a foundation for informed, human-centric action. Clients who successfully leverage SNA typically experience:
Improved collaboration across departments
Higher levels of employee engagement and retention
Faster, smoother change management processes
Enhanced innovation due to more dynamic knowledge-sharing
At EJ Intelligence, our approach ensures insights translate directly into strategic decisions and sustainable change that genuinely supports your people.
Curious about exploring your organization's hidden networks? Let's discuss how SNA can effectively shape your strategic initiatives.