1. Leveraging the
PNA in Leader
Development
Mindy L. Levy, Ph.D.
Presentation to the Network Roundtable
April 3, 2013

2. Booz Allen Hamilton
• Provide consulting services to the US
government in defense, intelligence,
and civil markets, and to major
corporations, institutions, and not-for-
profit organizations
• Our approach leverages our matrix of
deep domain expertise and our strong
capabilities in strategy and
organization, analytics, technology,
and engineering and operations
• We pride ourselves on having created
a strong leadership and people
development culture, supported by a
number of institutional mechanisms;
networks have long been an important
part of our culture and talent
management processes
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3. Our Own Network Analysis
• For many years we have been advising clients on
analyzing and interpreting networks
• In 2010, we began to explore the impact of networks
within our own organization in a major market segment
of Booz Allen, with the following objectives:
– Ensure Network Alignment
– Assess Revenue Producing Collaborations
– Improve Current Talent Management & Change Initiatives
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4. Findings and Action Planning
Sample Actions
 High performers and more satisfied
employees have larger networks and tend
• Infuse the network conversation into leader
to work across boundaries such as levels, development
capabilities and locations • Make new network connections with a
focus on high performers/high potentials
 A small percentage of people provide a and new hires through proposals,
large amount of network benefits (e.g. assignments, mentoring, etc.
political support, revenue generation, • Create profile of the characteristics of high
decision-making, career advice, performing/highly connected individuals
and leverage in development and
purpose/impact, personal support, and onboarding programs
problem solving) • Use network data to identify a few key
individuals that, if linked, could provide a
 People tend to reach upward for large increase in interconnectivity
information and other network benefits • Evaluate impact on the network of
individuals who have left the market or who
 Most highly networked individuals have are high retention risks
• Leverage highly connected and high
been with the firm >5 years energy individuals to engage others and
lead change initiatives
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5. Integration into Leader Development
We’ve begun to pilot the integration of the Personal Network Analysis into key
leadership transition programs, as well as our programs aimed at high potentials
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6. Example: Leadership Excellence Program
The PNA was
conducted
following the
formal program
for continued
development
Focus Areas: Grow the Business Inspire Followership Influence Others Collaborate/Manage Your Network 6

7. Using The PNA in our Programs
• Participants exposed to
network concepts during
the program
• PNA administered
several months following
the program
• Webinar to help
participants understand
their personal results
• Ability to revisit the PNA
to add/modify network
relationships
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8. Taking One Further Step
• Studied characteristics of those successfully managing their networks
• 28 leaders were interviewed across the following categories: all were
highly networked and met one of 3 conditions:
–
1 Quickly integrated into network (“tenure”)
–
2 Appropriately balanced network demands and leveraged others
(“access”)
3 Able to energize and motivate others (“energy”)
–
• The resulting Success Profiles are being used to:
– Enhance training solutions for existing leaders
– Accelerate onboarding of new leaders
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9. Key Themes—Tenure Category
Supporting
Research
Advice for their colleagues…
Tenure • “Be patient, we are in an organization that
moves at a quick rate but let the relationships
• Entered the firm with a form and don’t act like you know everything.”
plan or strategy related • “Embrace the culture, there are no single
to networking heroes. Build your network as quickly as
• Benefited by having possible. Have a plan of who you want to
meet and by when. At each interaction, ask
someone to guide them for two more names.”
or people to turn to for • “Build your colleague network as broad and
questions wide as possible. Trust the institution and
• Leveraged prior understand that collectively we succeed and
experience to facilitate individually we fail.”
• “Don’t say no and recognize the value that
networking opportunities
you bring to the table and make it known.
• Proactively engaged in Attend, meet, and accept all invitations and
network development the fog will lift.”
behaviors • “Observe whose ideas are getting picked up
and get to know them.”
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10. What’s Next?
• Continue to explore use of PNA in our programs and to
improve its effectiveness
– Integrate into new or existing programs
– Determine the right timing to conduct PNA
– Find ways to increase resulting learning and action planning
– Encourage participants to revisit their survey
• Pilot use of PNA with executive coaching
• Conduct evaluations at multiple points in time
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