Networking Ability

Networking ability is one of the four dimensions of political skill measured by the Political Skill Inventory, introduced by Gerald Ferris and colleagues in 2005. It describes how effectively a person develops and uses a diverse network of relationships. People strong in this dimension build connections across functions and levels, maintain them over time and know how to bring the right people together when an initiative needs support.

In political skill research, networking has a specific meaning. It covers social contact and also the strategic value of relationships: access to information before it is widely known, allies who will speak up in a meeting, and the ability to form coalitions that move a decision. Effective networkers tend to invest in relationships before they need them, which makes later requests feel natural.

The dimension matters for career outcomes. The meta analysis by Munyon, Summers, Thompson and Ferris in Personnel Psychology (2015) linked overall political skill to career success and personal reputation, and networking is one of the most visible ways that skill translates into opportunity. Promotions, stretch assignments and sponsorship frequently flow through relationships.

Many leaders underinvest in networking because it competes with immediate work or because it feels self serving. A useful reframe is to see networking as building the relationships an organization needs to coordinate across boundaries. Relationships built on mutual benefit and honesty are also more durable than those built on short term exchange.

Practical ways to strengthen networking ability include identifying gaps in one's network compared with the stakeholders of current priorities, scheduling regular contact with people outside one's own team and offering help before asking for it.

In the Pine model, networking ability corresponds most closely to Relationship Navigation, which describes how well a leader builds and sustains the strategic relationships that turn intent into action.

Reference: Munyon, T. P., Summers, J. K., Thompson, K. M., & Ferris, G. R. (2015). Political skill and work outcomes. Personnel Psychology, 68, 143 to 184.