Importance Of Internal Networks In Business To Succeed At Work

Most know of the importance of internal networks in business. Their focus though is on such tangibles as networking bosses for raises and promotions. Yet, networks go beyond those things.

Doing a good job is not enough. Internal networks are crucial to success in an enterprise.

What Good Internal Networks In Business Can Do

For instance, good internal networks in business improve:

• Job satisfaction
• Thought processes
• Performance perceptions

Improve Job Satisfaction

The nature of a new employee’s internal network predicts the likelihood of succeeding at the job and staying with the firm. This predictor becomes reliable after only six to nine months.

That’s why more and more firms monitor the internal connections of their employees. Even just analyzing who employees email gives insights into an employee’s network. This analysis can give coaching direction. It can raise red flags on those likely to leave.

Improve Thought Processes

Internal networks improve thought processes in two ways. First, they give better intelligence for those thoughts. Second, they develop those thoughts. In both, learning from people beats learning from classes.

In this sense, the internal network becomes an external brain network. Just as a computer can have an internal and external hard drive, we can have internal and external brains. In fact, we use computers to do our research and thinking. Why not people? We already do. We just don’t see it that way.

Improve Performance Perceptions

Finally, internal networks improve assessments of the quality of our jobs. The more others know and like us, the more they are likely to like our work. Moreover, this compounds itself. The more others know that others like our work, the more likely they will like our work too.

This is especially true when it’s hard to measure a work performance. Even then, conditions such as working in a hot area, can discount that work for a critic.

People naturally see quality if many others do too. In short, assessing work performances is not only subjective. It’s political. Good internal networks ensure success at influencing both.

Doing A Great Job Isn’t Enough

In the end, doing a great job is not enough. Internal networks in business give us job satisfaction which motivates us to do better. They also make us better informed and better thinkers. This fuels problem solving. Finally, these networks stamp our work as great.

This doesn’t discount the need to do well. It just means we use these internal networks to promote us. After all, what is a great job if no one knows about it?