Tip: Strategic networks explained really well

By Gayle Hallgren and Judy Thomson

Tip: Strategic networks explained really well.

We often refer to Herminia Ibarra’s three categories of networks (operational, personal, and strategic). Ibarra, who is a Professor of Organizational Behaviour at London Business School, says that developing your strategic network is the most important one for your career but it’s also the most challenging to build.

But what is a strategic network? Ibarra says internal or external it’s “how you keep your finger on the pulse of what’s happening”. But she reinforces the point that to be strategic you must connect outside your organization and deliver that information and those ideas back to your organization.

And why do managers not do this? Professor Ibarra says we fall into “competency traps”, we are comfortable and good at building relationships in our operational or personal networks, so we do more of that.