In my experience anyone with any credibility as an executive within an organization has already adopted "Social Networking" in some form or another.  Either by creating formats where they engage others to meet with them, share experiences, ask for feedback (and reply to that feedback themselves) and in situations where Executives show their own willingness to be the Chief Learner.

Most "Social Networking" initiatives have failed in the past as there has not been a defined measurable outcome.  There have been a lot of intangibles within the whole concept of social networks and the value they create within an organization.  I view  most social networks as having a huge benefit to Informal Learning within the organization.  This outweighs most of the other learning within an organization today, both on a factual basis and the cultural atmosphere of an organization. 

Informal Learning happened through informal avenues today in most organizations through:

• Email
• Lunch
• Meetings
• Informal team gatherings; either on the job or off
• Ad-hoc collaborative forums; share-drives, bulletin boards, etc.

For trainers, managers and executives working to develop effective training methods and materials, the ideas held in informal gatherings and in the brains of some key employees, is key corporate intelligence and a highly valuable commodity.  Therefore, if a company can capture this intelligence is a more flexible and easier form, a broader base of learning is possible. 

This is where "Social Networking" or "Informal Learning" technology solutions have needed to evolve.  But now that solutions like, CustomerVision are on the market and beginning to address the gap, what does this mean for corporate training?  Very simply, learning is possible at the informal level of the organization.  Informal learning can bring about:

• A method for capturing intellectual capital
• A means to collaborate and share ideas easily
• The ability to "Search" and find answers when "I" need them
• Enhancing cognitive learning
• Company "Social Networks" 

Next to hiring an effective workforce is training and developing a successful workforce.  Customers and companies expect a high-level of expertise and knowledge from every individual within most organizations.  Therefore, laying a foundation for real-time effective and collaborative "informal learning" and "social networking" is what can separate you from your competition.