HPT and Social Learning: David Wilkins via Skype #ISPI -Sharing some key points...

I just attended an #ISPI session hosted by the Massachusetts ISPI chapter (@MASS_ISPI).  

The session was on HPT and Social Learning: Organizational Performance in the Cloud by David Wilkins, VP of Product Marketing at Learn.com. Jean Marrapodi (@jmarrapodi) in her inimitable fashion made it possible for me to attend this session via Skype. And Dave (@dwilkinsnh) made getting up at 4:00 a.m. so totally worth it. 

A keen and passionate believer in the power of Social Networking (SN) in improving organizational performance--not marginally but manifold--this session was an eye-opener for me.

Before I launch into my take on this one, I have pasted below some of the tweets from @jmarrapodi capturing the key points of the session.

1. SoMe is largely driven by groups other than L&D. We need to get w/the program!
2. No one owns SoMe. We should! ~@dwilkinsnh #ISPI #ASTD
3. GenY has a tribe. People move in tribes. Your SoMe group always moves w/you. ~@dwilkinsnh
4. Much of using SoMe is abt trust.Putting name on the line helps. Can't be anonymous. Shared expertise builds credibility. #ISPI 
5. 
   
   "We should no longer teach a man to fish. We should teach a man to teach & share expertise." ~@dwilkinsnh
6. Organizational network analysis (Rob Cross) shows how companies really work. Sometimes reveal that C-level disconnected. ~@dwilkinsnh 
7. @dwilkinsnh is talking about @hjarche & @jaycross Inverted Pyramid needs of training.Not mgmt down but collaborative work http://j.mp/aRxfQT

At the same time, sort of fortuitously, Guy Wallace (@guywwallace) was tweeting some very pertinent questions about the viability of implementing SoMe in organizations. I have pasted those below as well since they form a part of the larger whole. 

1. Don't expect executives to see the value in what you propose if you don't understand how they calculate value in the first place. Homework.
2. What is the philosophy in your Enterprise about using ROI, ROA, EVA, etc.? What business metrics are the most important? How do you link?
3. What is the typical expected payback period for investments in your Enterprise? And what total payback will there be x2 or x3 years out?
4. When you suggest/ask the Enterprise for funds for Training - do you look at both First and Life Cycle costs in the ROI forecast?
5. What costs could be avoided/lessened, and to what extent, if Informal Learning tools were embraced in work processes? That's part of the R.   
6. What types of Performance would you recommend which SoMe tools for - if you had a 90 floor ELEVATOR ride w/ the CEO - and she asked?
7. Could SoMe help remote Sales Teams respond better to RFPs? What would that be worth? And then how many times might that be repeated a year?
8. Could SoMe help Field Marketing Teams do their work? What would that be worth? And then how many times might that be repeated a year?
9. Could SoMe help a Global Team do their work? What would that be worth? And then how many times might that be repeated a year?
10. Activity measures (results) without the Value measures (results) don't tell enough of the picture to make a decision on anything.

Highlighting the movement from the one:one to one:many and now to the many:many model with the rise of different SoMe platforms, Dave stressed on the importance of the network, of being connected.   

My take:

With the increasing availability of informal content via different networks, customers are more connected than ever before. The "Cluetrain" effect is here to stay.     

Thesis #12: There are no secrets. The networked market knows more than companies do about their own products. And whether the news is good or bad, they tell everyone.      

Networking, exchanging and sharing, learning from one another--be they partners, clients, competitors, subordinates--is imperative. Connecting is no longer an option. An organization that refuses to break down the rigid walls of hierarchy, top down management, one way communication, control and command approach will stagnate.

Stagnation is a notion of false comfort. There is no such thing as status quo. Nothing stagnates. It just decays and dies.