Why do so many people with stellar qualifications and achievements still find it difficult to reach the highest levels of leadership in organizations? Why do they so often find themselves being classified as “a top performer, but not leadership material?” Most of us were raised to believe that the keys to career success are top grades, impressive degrees and a superhuman work ethic. Unfortunately, it is a strategy that gets us only so far in a modern business organization and we end up wondering why “less qualified” peers are being promoted ahead of us.

Imagine if you could look beneath your company’s organization chart and see the multitude of ways that people share routine work information, innovative ideas, company gossip, and career advice. Imagine if all of the connections between each person were visible lines like the strands of an intricate spider web. Using these maps of human connections, you would be able to see intriguing patterns that reveal who are the most connected people, who are those who provide strategic links between important groups, and who are on the periphery of the networks.

This seminar will show how the groundbreaking science of human networks can provide startling insights into how the workplace really operates and how one can leverage these networks for organizational and personal success. It will reveal how the way an individual is linked and positioned within certain key networks can have a dramatic impact on that person’s effectiveness, influence and value within an organization. It will also examine the role of diversity in networks and what to do if you are an outsider facing an “old boy network” (or an even “old gal network,” for that matter). 

In this seminar, you will learn:

• The fundamentals of human networks and social capital
• How networks maps can reveal the hidden value of individuals, especially those  who occupy minor positions on the org chart but play a disproportionately vital role in the organization itself
• How to assess your current network against your career goals
• Strategic methods for developing your personal network and building bridges to key groups and individuals
• How to leverage your networks when needed and sustain them over time