I received my first invitation to join LinkedIn, an internet-based “social network,” back in October 2004. Admittedly, I didn’t pay much attention to the details of this service when I responded, mostly because I trusted the judgment of the person asking me to participate. It wasn’t until my fourth request to be part of such a network that my curiosity forced me to take a closer look. My research uncovered a surprising number of players in this space, all leveraging they theory of six degrees of separation by allowing users to tap into the existing affiliations of other professionals. At first, this trend seemed merely the internet version of networking – a faster, cheaper, more precise way to schmooze than the conventions, business lunches and golf outings I was familiar with. What struck me, however, is the mounting evidence that maintain a good network might well be the most important business skill of all.

A recent MIT/Sloan Management Review article states that what really distinguishes high performers from the rest of the pack is their ability to maintain and leverage large, diversified networks that are rich in experience and span all organizational boundaries. Creating such a network is rarely motivated by explicit political or career-driven motives. Building relationships is simply intertwined with how these “connected” people get their work done, and stems from a natural ability to find points of commonality and blend business utility with a personal touch.

Ironic that in the "Information Age" success becomes less what we know (because knowledge is changing so rapidly) and more who we know.

I spent most of last week in Phoenix, facilitating several sessions with a group to help them co-create a substantial change in their organization. Instead of requesting the usual “motivational speech,” this company was savvy about what it really takes to bring help people deal with the challenges and optimize the opportunities that transformation always brings.

Here’s the takeaway: Engaging people in organizational change takes more than the pep talks and change-management techniques of the past. Increasingly, it takes interactive strategies – what I call creative collaboration. Whether you are designing a conference for several hundred people or planning your next staff meeting, high involvement will produce energy, engagement -- and results.