ONA Implementation Process Flow - Agiledge

Organizational Network Analysis

Implementation Process Flow for 400-Employee Organization

Activity/Step
Decision Point
Phase Milestone
Feedback Loop
Weeks 1-3
Foundation
Weeks 3-4
Communication
Weeks 5-7
Data Collection
Week 7
Validation
Weeks 8-10
Analysis
Weeks 10-11
Interpretation
Weeks 11-12
Action Planning
Week 12
Reporting
Months 4-9
Implementation
Ongoing
Monitoring
Phase 1: Foundation & Design Weeks 1-3
1.1 Executive Alignment & Business Case
• Secure executive sponsorship
• Establish Agiledge-Client-Polinode triad
• Define success criteria and ROI
• Allocate budget and timeline
⚡ Decision A: ONA Approach
Active (survey) vs. Passive (digital trace) vs. Hybrid?
Active ONA Passive ONA Hybrid Approach
Both/And Tension
Hybrid approaches yield richer data BUT require more effort and coordination
1.2 Define Objectives & Research Questions
• Articulate specific business problems
• Identify performance metrics to correlate
• Define potential interventions
• Clarify stakeholder expectations
⚡ Decision B: Scope & Boundaries
Full organization (400) or pilot department? Which relationships to map?
Whole Organization Pilot Department 3-4 Relationship Types
1.3 Select Attributes to Correlate
• Behavioral assessments (Harrison/Hogan)
• Career aspirations
• Process improvement involvement
• Energy patterns & psychological safety
⚡ Decision C: Privacy & Ethics Framework
Anonymity level, data retention, access policies
Individual-level Aggregated GDPR Compliance
Both/And Tension
Transparency builds trust AND may reduce candor. Response rate depends on honest participation.
✓ Phase 1 Complete: Foundation & Design Established
↓
Phase 2: Communication & Preparation Weeks 3-4
2.1 Develop Communication Strategy
• Create messaging for all levels
• Executive: Strategic value
• Managers: Team optimization
• Employees: Individual benefits
2.2 Stakeholder Engagement Cascade
• Executive briefing sessions
• Manager training
• Employee town halls/Q&A
• Create FAQ document
⚡ Decision D: Participation Approach
Mandatory vs. Voluntary participation?
Compulsory Voluntary Incentivized
2.3 Pilot Test Survey Instruments
• Test with 10-15 diverse employees
• Validate question clarity
• Check completion time
• Refine based on feedback
✓ Phase 2 Complete: Communication Strategy Deployed
↓
Phase 3: Data Collection Weeks 5-7
3.1 Deploy Network Survey
• Collaboration networks
• Advice-seeking patterns
• Energy exchange (energizers/de-energizers)
• Trust & innovation sharing
3.2 Collect Supplementary Data
• Demographics & tenure
• Behavioral assessments
• Career aspiration surveys
• Performance metrics
⚡ Decision E: Response Rate Management
Monitor daily - Is response rate >70%?
Yes: Continue No: Extend & Incentivize
3.3 Passive Data Collection (if Hybrid)
• Email & collaboration platform data
• Calendar interaction patterns
• Configure APIs
• Ensure monitoring compliance
✓ Phase 3 Complete: Comprehensive Data Collected
↓
Phase 4: Data Validation & QA Week 7
4.1 Data Cleaning & Validation
• Remove duplicate responses
• Handle missing data
• Check response validity
• Verify network completeness
⚡ Decision F: Data Quality Gate
Does data meet minimum quality standards?
Pass: Continue Fail: Extend Collection
4.2 Reality Checks with Stakeholders
• Select 5-8 organizational insiders
• Share preliminary network maps
• Validate against experience
• Refine interpretations
✓ Phase 4 Complete: Data Validated & Ready for Analysis
↓
Phase 5: Network Analysis Weeks 8-10
5.1 Network Construction & Visualization
• Overall organizational network
• Department subnetworks
• Energy & expertise networks
• Trust networks
5.2 Calculate Network Metrics
Individual: Centrality, betweenness, brokerage
Network: Density, clustering, modularity
⚡ Decision G: Analytical Depth
Level of analysis sophistication?
Descriptive Correlational Predictive Modeling
5.3 Statistical Correlation Analysis
• Network positions × Performance
• Personality traits × Centrality
• Career aspirations × Network diversity
• Process involvement × Brokerage
5.4 Identify Patterns & Insights
• Key influencers & bottlenecks
• Silos & bridges
• Energizers vs. de-energizers
• Innovation champions
✓ Phase 5 Complete: Network Patterns Identified
↓
Phase 6: Interpretation & Sense-Making Weeks 10-11
6.1 Internal Validation Workshops
• Present to leadership team
• Test against organizational knowledge
• Refine narratives with context
• Gain buy-in for insights
⚡ Decision H: Handle Sensitive Findings
How to address politically sensitive patterns?
Aggregation Level Confidential Reporting Coaching Approach
6.2 Create Insight Narratives
• "The Invisible Leaders"
• "The Bottlenecks"
• "The Bridges"
• "The Energy Drains"
6.3 Link to Business Outcomes
• Calculate intervention impact
• Build business case for changes
• Quantify risks of inaction
• Project ROI
✓ Phase 6 Complete: Actionable Insights Developed
↓
Phase 7: Action Planning Weeks 11-12
7.1 Identify Intervention Opportunities
5 Categories:
• Communication & Information Flow
• Culture & Collaboration
• Talent Development
• Structural Changes
• Process Improvement
⚡ Decision I: Intervention Prioritization
Quick wins vs. structural changes? Pilot vs. organization-wide?
Quick Wins Structural Pilot First
Both/And Approach
Build bottom-up approach leveraging key players to disseminate vision AND address structural issues simultaneously
7.2 Design Intervention Plans
For each priority:
• Specific actions & owners
• Timeline & milestones
• Success metrics
• Change management approach
✓ Phase 7 Complete: Intervention Roadmap Created
↓
Phase 8: Stakeholder Reporting Week 12
8.1 Create Tiered Reports
• Executive Dashboard (1-2 pages)
• Manager Toolkit
• Organization-Wide Communication
• Individual Feedback (optional)
⚡ Decision J: Transparency Level
What to share broadly vs. keep confidential?
Full Transparency Tiered Access Aggregated Only
8.2 Presentation & Engagement
• Executive briefing
• Manager workshops
• All-hands presentation
• Department-specific sessions
📋 Key Deliverables
Executive Summary
Full Analysis Report
Network Visualizations
Statistical Tables
Team Diagnostics
Intervention Playbook
Implementation Roadmap
Measurement Dashboard
Manager Toolkit
✓ Phase 8 Complete: Stakeholders Aligned & Informed
↓
Phase 9: Intervention Implementation Months 4-9
9.1 Launch Priority Interventions
• Execute action plans
• Monitor early indicators
• Gather feedback
• Make rapid adjustments
9.2 Change Management Support
• Engage network champions
• Address resistance points
• Provide coaching
• Resource allocation
⚡ Decision K: Intervention Effectiveness
Are interventions working as expected?
Continue Modify Abandon
✓ Phase 9 Complete: Interventions Deployed & Monitored
↓
Phase 10: Monitoring & Iteration Ongoing
10.1 Track Impact Metrics
Monitor changes in:
• Network structure
• Business outcomes
• Behavioral indicators
• Employee engagement
10.2 Pulse Network Analysis
• Quarterly light-touch surveys
• Track key metric evolution
• Identify emerging patterns
• Dynamic adjustments
⚡ Decision L: Re-Analysis Cycle
When to conduct full ONA again?
12-18 Months After Major Change When Plateaued
10.3 Continuous Improvement
• Refine based on data
• Scale successful pilots
• Sunset ineffective approaches
• Embed ONA into culture
🎯 Sustainable Network Optimization Achieved
2-3
Months Initial Cycle
10
Major Phases
12
Decision Points
400
Employees Analyzed

Developed by Agiledge | Organizational Network Analysis Process Framework