The presentation addressed such issues as:

• What impact will all of this have on the four generations currently in the workforce?
• Do Millennials really learn differently?
• Will FORTUNE 500 companies ever create their own Facebook for internal use?

There is no doubt that online social networking is weaving itself into the fabric of all four generations in the work force, defined as:

Veterans born between 1925-1945
Baby Boomers born between 1946-1965
Gen X born between 1965-1977
Millennials (Gen Y) born on/about 1978 or later

It was the discussion about these topics that really got us into a lively and engaged session with lots of questions and frank dialogue:

The four generations of the workforce should really be defined attitudinally (i.e., what they are involved in at work and how they have embraced social networking, rather than by their chronological age). I, for example, am a Baby Boomer, but think, act and engage like a Millennial.

Despite the huge popularity and widespread adoption of social networking websites like LinkedIn and Facebook, the concept of social networking has had a difficult time finding traction in the business world where IT managers fret about security issues, and rightly so. Instead, the “early adopters” of social networking for learning and human resources are creating “Facebook-like” applications behind their firewalls. They are also thinking about what they expect from social networking and how it will benefit the organization. In addition, they are asking themselves “What do we want ‘increased connectivity’ to bring to our business? What does success look like for the recruiting, sales and learning departments?”

A new category is emerging in the social networking landscape called “socialprise,” a mash-up of social networking and enterprise computing applications. Look for more examples here from companies like Select Minds and InsideView.

Finally, and perhaps most compelling, the audience for the session at CLO was overwhelmingly comprised of Baby Boomers. One Chief Learning Officer from a Fortune 100 firm came up with the most honest assessment of why FORTUNE 500 firms will continue to be slow to adopt to social networking:

“I know I continue to feel guilty when I am on sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. I feel that I am not working, not producing those power point presentations or answering those emails that I have stacked up on my in-box.”

But then another member of the audience shot back:

“That would never be an issue for Millennials. They have social networking in their DNA and know connecting to colleagues and using the latest technology to stay on top of industry trends is part of working in the 21st Century.”

But let’s remember as we explore how to incorporate social networking into the enterprise that it’s not about the technology. This is still relatively new to Fortune 500 firms – the larger issue is to have a clear vision for what you want to accomplish and build both online and offline solutions that allow increased connectivity for your employees, customers and business partners.

[tags]social networking, CLO, Facebook, LinkedIn, Millennials, [/tags]

The annual Business Week survey of the 50 Best Performers is out on newsstands.

Here are a few things to think about: Is your company on the list? What are the companies on the list doing in terms of people development?

First the top list of companies:
1. Coach
2. Gilead Sciences
3. Allegheny Technologies
4. Verizon
5. Questar
6. Apple
7. Colgate-Palmolive
8. BJ Services
9. Abercrombie & Fitch
10. MEMC Electronic Materials
11. CB Richard Ellis Group
12. C.H. Robinson Worldwide
13. IntercontinentalExchange
14. UnitedHealth Group
15. CME Group
16. Starbucks
17. Robert Half International
18. Avon Products
19. Cognizant Technology Solutions
20. Sunoco
21. Goldman Sachs Group
22. Exelon
23. Amazon.com
24. Rockwell Collins
25. Nucor
26. Varian Medical Systems
27. AT&T
28. Autodesk
29. T.Rowe Price Group
30. Bed Bath & Beyond
31. Pepsico
32. Expeditors International of Washington
33. Lehman Brothers
34. Google
35. Schlumberger
36. Best Buy
37. IMS Health
38. PNC Financial Services Group
39. Constellation Energy Group
40. Sherwin-Williams
41. Microsoft
42. Precision Castparts
43. Titanium Metals
44. Moody’s
45. Coca-Cola
46. Barr Pharmaceuticals
47. TJX
48. Centurytel
49. Nvidia
50. Exxon Mobil

A few observations:

The list is created based on financial measures. Business Week selects the top performers in each of 10 sectors based on two key metrics: return on investment and sales growth over the past three years (and for the financial service firms, their return on equity and growth in assets). But as we know that only tells a small part of the story. What about the commitment these companies are making to innovation and people development? One of the companies – Lehman Brothers is in fact doing both, all the more remarkable given the current chaos in the financial services and sub-prime marketplace. This year Lehman Brothers ranked number 33 on Business Week’s Top 50 list and while down slightly from the previous year, the company continues to make a commitment to people development.

One of the interesting innovations in learning used by Lehman Brothers is Metaphoric Learning, a learning method that takes participants out of their familiar surroundings and gives them the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new world. Metaphorical Learning is not just another fad. Rather, this learning method, as pioneered by Duke Corporate Education, ties learning outcomes to key business priorities. At Lehman Brothers, metaphorical learning is used to develop relationship building skills among investment bankers who become part of a pit crew changing tires trackside at a NASCAR race while building key skills sets that focus on developing execution skills and how to be a member of a complex team.

To date, over 500 Lehman executives have participated in metaphoric learning experiences and according to Lehman Brothers there has been a relationship between those who participate in these learning experiences and an increased retention rate. Is this method widespread? Currently it is focused on niche populations in financial services and medical fields but is gaining traction among a broader segment of workers even New York Police Department has used metaphoric learning to build observation skills among police detectives. Is it effective? The key to using metaphoric learning is to be sure it is linked to strategic business goals, the specific skill sets you want to build in a target audience and then measure the outcomes such as increased employee retention, revenue and productivity. If you have experience with metaphoric learning please share your experiences with us.

[tags]metaphorical learning, Duke CE, Lehman Brothers, Business Week[/tags]

• Competitive base pay
• Career development and advancement opportunities
• Challenging Work
• Flexible Work Location
• Flexible Schedule

So how does your organization stack up against these top five? You can see all the results at theTowers Perrin website.

As Don Tapscott points out in his book, Wikinomics , steam engine makers in 19th century England collaborated openly with mine owners to improve the efficiency of the steam engine used to pump water out of coal mines. A more recent example comes from BMW. When it came time to rethink the features for future models (such as GPS navigation), the company released a digital design kit on its website to encourage interested customers to design these features themselves. Thousands responded and shared ideas with company engineers, many of which have since turned into valued business initiatives.

Now BMW hosts a “virtual innovation agency” on its website, where small and medium-sized businesses can submit ideas in the hope of establishing an ongoing relationship with BMW. Increasingly smart companies see co-creation with their customers as an important way to develop new products.

[tags]Wikis, Corporate Learning[/tags]