Preparing for group work.

Our scenario states that we have been asked by a CIO to work with the IT manager to report on the use of social networks in providing professional development experiences for staff. From the definition of Professional Development:-

- refers to skills and knowledge attained for both personal development and career advancement. This includes rapour with clients, co-workers and alike.

In today's society it is becomming more and more commonplace to have web presence, and to cater for a 24/7 audience. The CIO of the company wants us to research and test new ways of interacting with staff, colleagues, and customers. Three mediums were suggested - Facebook, Second Life, and Twitter. Our yellow POD set themselves up on each of these three tools, and we attempted to research the ways that these three mediums COULD POSSIBLY bring a higher degree of skill and knowledge, not only inter-personally, but intra-personally.

Professional development is all about advancing one's self within the confines of the business to become someone that is approachable, friendly, and whom upholds themselves as a business professional. Profession Development should also be used to better inetractivity, and possibly using this to increase market share.

The CIO knows how important it is for colleagues to get along - it makes things run much smoother, it gets customers fast turn around times, and it helps the business mesh together and run seamlessly.

As previously mentioned, businesses today are global conglomerates of suppliers, manufacturers and deliverers, meaning staff could literally be anywhere in the world. Web 2.0 is helping to break down the structure of a physical office and thrust employees into the world of the virtual office - that is being able to work anywhere, at any time. Many of these employees will not get the chance to meet and greet with their colleagues, let alone get to KNOW them.

The CIO sees Social Networking as a way to fix this issue. By researching the idea that Social Networks can help you get to know your colleagues, employees will have a better understanding of how to get along and work together, no matter the distance between them.