‍ONA explained: The shadow org chart

Let’s talk about the org chart you don’t see.

Organizational Network Analysis (ONA) maps how work actually gets done. As Abby put it - think “6 degrees of Kevin Bacon,” but for your company.

Your formal org chart shows titles and reporting lines.

ONA shows:

• Who people actually turn to for help
• Where information really flows
• Influence without the title
• How informal collaboration powers the system

When she was at Carta, Abby’s team took it a step further - integrating ONA into performance management. Because the network is the work.

The most effective companies run on informal influence. Not just hierarchy. ONA helps you:

1. Find hidden experts
2. Spot collaboration bottlenecks
3. Identify real change agents
4. Make smarter promotion calls

Org charts show structure. ONA shows reality.

How to capture ONA data: surveys vs. metadata

Instead of complex surveys, Abby shared just TWO questions that surface your most influential employees:

1. “Who do you go to for help or advice?”
2. “Who motivates you?”

That’s it. These responses reveal:

• Knowledge hubs
• Cultural champions
• Informal leaders
• Technical experts
• People who elevate work quality

You can collect this through:

• Standalone survey
• Performance review add-on
• Metadata analysis (with proper privacy guidelines)

The beauty is in the simplicity. No need for complex frameworks or 50-question assessments.

Start with the business problem you’re trying to solve, then let these questions surface the hidden connective tissue of your org.

🕸️ Identifying network influencers, brokers, and force multipliers

Organizational Network Analysis reveals hidden organizational dynamics.

She shared how it identifies key players in company networks. Here’s what most leaders miss:

There are 3 critical roles that shape your org’s collaboration:

1. Network Influencers - Not just the loudest voices, but those with highest eigenvector centrality (real impact on information flow)
2. Force Multipliers - The most connected individuals who amplify culture. They’re your central nodes carrying behaviors across teams
3. Brokers - These are your bridges. Without them, entire departments could be disconnected silos

The real power comes from visualizing these patterns. You can overlay filters for:

• IC vs Manager status
• Location
• Performance ratings
• Tenure

Quick example: Does longer tenure correlate with being a network influencer? Not always.

Most interesting insight: You can identify “islands” - people completely disconnected from advice/collaboration networks. This is a leading indicator of engagement issues.

Stop guessing at collaboration patterns. Map them.

How ONA helps managers understand team dynamics

Stop picking “high potential” employees based on gut feelings.

Most leaders (we’ve all been guilty of this) pick “influencers” based on who’s most visible or who has the most connections. We’re usually wrong.

Here’s what’s interesting: Someone with just 5 high-quality relationships can be more influential than someone with 50 surface-level connections.

Quick example: A new VP once told Abby on the most valuable info he got during onboarding wasn’t the org chart - it was seeing:

• Who his team went to for help/advice
• Who came to them for help
• Who acted as motivation catalysts
• Which team members were “bridges” between departments

When someone leaves, this network view becomes critical. You might lose more than just skills - you could lose key relationship bridges between teams.

Want better people decisions? Stop relying on gut feel. Map your org’s actual relationship networks.

Advice for someone starting in HR today

"Get to know the business, like really know the business, and understand how your company actually makes money."

One thing they'd steal from another company

“This might be cheating, but since I no longer work at Carta, I can say this — I want one of Carta’s strategies to follow me wherever I go next, especially as a candidate. It’s called First and Best.

The idea is simple: when Carta makes an offer, it’s the first and best one they’ll give. No back-and-forth, no negotiating.

And it’s done with sincerity. The offer reflects the highest compensation they’re willing to pay. I think that creates a sense of fairness and trust right from the start — nothing hidden, nothing held back. Just full transparency between the employer and the candidate."

See you next week!

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