Making friends at the office has never been more rewarding.
Armed with reams of new data, companies, including giants Procter & Gamble Co. and Cisco Systems Inc., are seeking out "influencers" among their employees who are particularly well-connected and trusted by their peers.
Once found, the firms are harnessing these workers' clout to come up with new products, get workers on board with big changes like mergers, or spread information throughout the organization.
Years ago, such employees often went unnoticed, lost in organizational charts. But the rise of social media has highlighted the importance of networks, and companies are determined to capitalize on the power players lurking in their workforces. The influencers reap benefits, too: more money, promotions and opportunities to rub shoulders with top executives.
To find these people, some companies conduct surveys and offer self-assessments to help the employee know themselves better. The result is often mapped out as a spider web of connections. Executives say the influencers are sometimes already in jobs that reflect their skills—such as a project manager who works with several departments.
Indeed, many companies say they are identifying a previously invisible layer of talent, key players who may not be posting top results on their own but are boosting performance across the organization.
Influencer Traits
- Outgoing: Extroverted and exuberant but also good self-monitors.
- Empathetic: Approachable and able to sympathize.
- Accessible: Fully present and welcoming.
- Energizing: Fellow employees feel invigorated by them.
- Optimistic: They focus on solutions, not what can't work.
Sources: The Wall Street Journal, February 12, 2014 and Management professors Adam Kleinbaum and Robert Cross
The Internet has made it possible to also reach out to an almost limitless market, at any time, and usually for little cost. Yet sometimes, reaching out to one very important customer becomes more important, more effective, and more manageable than trying to reach 1,000 average prospects.
For example, influencers are people whose opinions may cause important customers to stay loyal, and even spend additional dollars. Creating unique brand-related experiences, that the influencer will then report on to peers, communicates your competitive advantage. Engaging influencers ties closely with conventional concepts of market segmentation.
Competitive Advantage
As people become more self-aware, they are usually amazed at the abilities of the conscious mind to choose, handle situations with deliberation, and behave appropriately for different occasions. On the flip side, the unconscious mind is a powerful force driving our behavior. Within our unconscious lie veiled assumptions and beliefs that formulate what is called default behavior. The dictionary defines default as the “failure to perform a task or fulfill an obligation,” which means that default behaviors are reactive responses that occur when we fail to consider the appropriate response.
Becoming aware of our personal reactive tendencies is crucial if we want to make sense of our toxic behaviors, understand why we have permitted these gremlins to continue, and develop a plan for taming them. Our attitudes are choices, some of the most important choices we will ever make.