informal networks

Stepping Outside the Bubble – The Case for Open and Diverse Networks

I grew up in a new age town surrounded by meditating, herbal tea drinking, liberals. It was all I knew. This oddity was compounded by the fact that I was a child of Indian immigrants. While I was living in America, my home and community life was quite a bit outside the traditional mainstream. When […]

The Power of Connection – Bridging the Divide

Earlier this year, I wrote a post about Keyhubs’ evolving blueprint.  We have branched into new areas since we embarked on this journey in 2009, and I wasn’t sure if / how all these new hobbies / developments were going to fit together. Then, in April, I had an epiphany. I could see the puzzle […]

Tooting Our Own Horn

We are nearing the 5 year mark of when Keyhubs transitioned from being “just a hobby” to a real business. It was around this time that we started to think a lot about what our mission was going to be. What are we selling exactly? Why do we exist and what are we striving to […]

How Blogging Changed My Life – Why I Blog and Why You Should Too

I have been blogging for over 4 years now and it has been one of the most enriching activities of my life. Like most great things that happen to me, the joy and magic of blogging unfolded somewhat accidentally – imposed by outside forces – triggered by a convergence of factors and circumstances. I went […]

Shake The Tree and Fruit Will Fall – Entrepreneurial Lessons in Business Development

When you are launching a new business (or even if you are a fairly established business) you experience peaks and troughs when it comes to monthly or quarterly revenue.  When things are flowing, you think they are going to flow forever.  And when things dry up you feel like you might have to close shop […]

Reorg with Purpose and Insight – Step Out of Dilbert

If you have worked in a decent sized organization for any period of time, there’s a good chance you have been part of a “reorganization”. Sometimes it is unclear why the reorganization is happening. Not only does the change come with uneasiness, due to poor communication and messaging, frequently the details of who gets moved […]

Networks Eat Strategy for Breakfast…Everyday

The new year is here and businesses everywhere are in the process of developing, refining or finalizing their strategies for 2012.  That said, how many organizations are taking a close, in-depth look at their culture as a basis for driving strategy? Peter Drucker (management science pioneer and guru) has said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast everyday”. […]

Informal Networks and Social Capital in the Workplace: Keys to Driving Change

In this Magis Ventures executive roundtable event, Harold Hegg – Director of New Business Development at Thrivent Financial, discusses the role of informal networks and social capital as a key, yet often overlooked, ingredient in driving change in the workplace.

Democracy in the Workplace? It’s on the rise.

When I enrolled in business school several years back, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Contrary to my trepidation about being fed the “corporate” way of doing things, I ended up learning many new concepts that were, shall I say, pleasantly surprising. One of the most memorable of such learnings happened in my first […]

Talent and Influence Transcends Hierarchy

Have you ever worked in an organization where someone was extremely critical to day-to-day operations, yet surprisingly low on the ‘totem pole’?  Have you ever been shocked by a promotion/hire that was given to someone who seemed unfit for the job in light of other, more capable, internal candidates? Did you ever wonder why management […]

Partnerships at Work – A Leading Indicator of Employee Satisfaction

I have been reading the “Power of 2”, by Rodd Wager and Gale Muller, and was intrigued by some of the research cited in the book.  Specifically, how partnerships at work serve as a powerful driver for engagement, satisfaction and happiness. Some interesting findings: 1) Employees with just one collaborative relationship are 29% more likely […]