Inside Higher Ed released a story yesterday about a Tweetup at the Modern Language Association (MLA). For those of you wondering what a Tweetup is, it’s short for “Twitter meet up” or a gathering of Twitter followers. We’ll go into more depth in a minute, but I want to take a moment and recognize the MLA for their use of the Tweetup to expand the informal networks within their organization. By hosting a Tweetup they were able to integrate two diverse groups within their organization and facilitate information sharing in a way that was almost seamless to the attendees. Don’t you wish you had this type of informal learning success at your organization?
So What is a Tweetup?
As I said before a Tweetup (and yes, that is spelled correctly) is short for “Twitter meet up.” A Tweetup can be planned or impromptu. It can feature a speaker, formal agenda, or simply be a gathering at a local restaurant, bar, or conference room. The main purpose behind a Tweetup is to extend the relationship building aspect of Twitter beyond 140 characters. Although this might be the first time you are hearing of a Tweetup they are becoming quite commonplace. As a matter of fact NASA (yes, the NASA) has beenhosting their own Tweetups. The next scheduled Tweetup is for the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD (registration opens January 6 at 10am). At this Tweetup attendees will be able to meet the scientists and engineers that built the SDO and even tour the facility.
How can this help T&D?
So down to the nitty-gritty. What’s a Tweetup going to do for you and your organization? How can it enhance your training and development program? Well for starters this is a great way for your T&D department to foster informal learning opportunities and assist employees in creating their own personal learning network (PLN). As I stated in my predictions for 2010 corporate trainers need to recognize the power of PLNs the same way we respect the Mentoring/Coaching paradigm. With tools like Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In employees have the power to connect to their colleagues and outside experts in a way we never thought possible five years ago. We need to take the time to teach employees how to use these information sharing tools appropriately and to their full potential. Once employees have an understanding we need to support the use of these tools by providing both the technology and through events like a Tweetup.
Here are some reasons I am so excited to hear about the MLA Tweetup:
- Bridged the generational chasm: So many people are concerned over the presence of two or more generations in the workplace and the effect this has on how corporate trainers lead effective training. This social event provided a comfortable starting place for both generations. Baby Boomers who had been a part of MLA for a while were invited through their usual formal invitation while GenXer’s were brought in through the social buzz. These two diverse groups ended up in the same place and were able to participate in mutually beneficial discussions. For companies that are concerned about their soon to retire workforce, this is a great way to facilitate knowledge transition.
- Gathering of similar interests: This wasn’t just a get together for the sake of having a get together. The attendees had similar interests and were part of a common group. This is part of what makes using Tweetups for building PLNs so easy. Instead of having to figure out what people have in common each person that attends is interested in the topic at hand.
- Made key opinion leaders (KOLs) reachable: You may not believe this but some people aren’t comfortable approaching KOLs for a bit of informal chat. The Inside Higher Ed story quoted Erin Templeton, Assistant Professor at Converse College, as saying “it seems like [the MLA leaders] are removed from the rest of us.” However it looks like the Tweetup made a difference. In the words of Rosemary Feal, a leader of the MLA and the Tweetup’s organizer, “to be able to Twitter, to say, ‘If you’re reading this, come have a drink with me and I’ll personally greet you’ – that actually puts, to me, a level of humanity into it…”
You can host a Tweetup anytime. For example, host a Tweetup after a visiting speaker finishes their presentation, for a late night brainstorming session, to introduce a new employee, or when you have a new program or product to announce. Interested in hosting your own Tweetup? Mashable put together a great post on How to Organize a Successful Tweetup. Check it out and get your Tweetup on.
Best,
P.S. Looking for more information on Twitter? Try The Twitter Book. A guide that will teach you everything you need to know about Twitter quickly. Also, click here to see Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein (authors of The Twitter Book) talk about Twitter.
