Rob Cross

Expert on Human Networks Within Organizations

BIG IDEAS

• Leading in a Connected World
  In today’s flatter organizations work of significance demands effective collaboration within and across organizational, functional, physical and hierarchical boundaries. In this context, a network perspective yields multiple performance improvement opportunities that traditional managerial tools such as process mapping, culture surveys and activity analyses all miss. In this overview presentation, Rob demonstrates why and how executives must pay attention to collaboration and networks within their organizations based on in-depth experience with over 120 organizations in the last ten years.
  
  During this presentation, Rob will:
  
  *Demonstrate the way a network lens provides unique insights for leaders to improve value-added collaboration and concurrently performance (organizational and individual), innovation and quality of work life.
  
  *Dynamically review several case examples of strategic problems leaders were able to solve with a network perspective and then reviews custom examples selected to help the audience translate application of the ideas to their own immediate projects and concerns.
  
  *Discuss individual networks and ways that leaders can improve their own effectiveness as well as realize substantial performance benefits from replicating networks of high performers throughout their employee base.
• Innovation and Organic Growth through Networks
  Innovation remains central to an organization’s ability to adapt to changing markets and technologies. However, increased complexity of most new products and services, reduced development cycles, and leaner budgets have meant that innovation efforts must bring together a depth and breadth of expertise—from both inside and outside the firm—faster and more effectively than ever before. A network perspective uniquely enables leaders to promote collaborations that generate better innovations with greater likelihood of effective implementation.
  
  Specifically, this presentation: (1) Demonstrates how innovations of substance occur in collaboration (de-bunking the “lone, genius inventor” myth) and ways that current talent management approaches undermine innovation by not facilitating the right collaborations; (2) Reviews obstacles to innovation that arise when leaders do not take a network perspective, including fragmentation, domination and insularity; and (3) Identifies and advocates proven practices to drive innovation through networks.
• Speeding Large-Scale Change
  Executives must implement large-scale organizational change initiatives in ever-tighter time frames with fewer resources. Yet anticipated performance outcomes often do not materialize as internal resistance slows or derails change efforts.
  
  Rob presents a series of cases to show how thoughtfully working through an organization’s informal structure executives can:
  
  Facilitate large scale change by working through those in influential network positions (Central Connectors, Brokers and Peripheral Members); design and model interventions with a targeted network effect and track the impact of a transformation over time; and drive cultural change by combining assessments of cultural values and networks.

SNAPSHOT BIO

Rob Cross is a professor of management at the University of Virginia and Research Director of The Network Roundtable, a consortium of 75 organizations sponsoring research on network applications to critical management issues. His research focuses on how relationships and informal networks in organizations can be analyzed and improved to promote competitive advantage, innovation, customer retention and profitability, leadership effectiveness, talent management and quality of work life.

Rob has worked directly with more than 200 strategically important networks across over 120 well-known organizations in consulting, pharmaceuticals, software, electronics and computer manufacturers, consumer products, financial services, petroleum, heavy equipment manufacturing, chemicals, and government. Ideas emerging from his research have resulted in two books, four book chapters and 23 articles, several of which have won awards. In addition to top scholarly outlets, his work has been repeatedly published in Harvard Business Review, Sloan Management Review, California Management Review, Academy of Management Executive and Organizational Dynamics. His most recent book, The Hidden Power of Social Networks: Understanding How Work Really Gets Done in Organizations (Harvard Business School Press), has been featured in venues such as Business Week, Fortune, The Financial Times, Time Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, CIO, Inc and Fast Company.

ENGAGEMENTS
How have other organizations utilized Rob's expertise, and what's ahead on his schedule?

Rob has been invited to speak, consult and participate in executive education programs as well as workshops and retreats at universities, government agencies and Fortune 500 companies.

Companies Rob has worked with include: The Conference Board, Babson College, Computer Sciences Corporation, Merck, Fannie Mae, Hewlett Packard, U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, T. Rowe Price, Procter & Gamble and Glaxo Smith Klein.

RECOMMENDED READING
What's on Rob's must-read list?

Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives by Richard Swenson

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell

Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations by Clay Shirky

The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Well Being by Cary Cooper

OUTREACH
What are Rob's pressing questions, and on which topics does he seek your feedback?

Rob is currently engaged in two broad programs of work that are looking at how networks promote well being today. 

The first is an extremely broad study of how obtaining benefits through personal networks that bridge inside and outside of organizations drives career satisfaction and psychological well being.  This work is revealing some very powerful ways that people need to manage personal connectivity throughout their career's to be happier and more satisfied. 

The second is a newer study taking the same premise to looking at physical health.  Here we are focused on how people who are healthier throughout their lives manage networks that provide motivation, information and other forms of support that leads to healthier choices and lifestlye. 

While some support groups (like weight watchers or alcoholics anonymous) address single dimensions of one's social support needs this assessment is allowing people in our pilot groups to customize support networks on a range of important dimensions (e.g., nutrition, exercise, work/life balance, personal support, etc.).