Over the last several years, many "experienced" workers have been asked to join collegues and friends online by joining formal business social networks such as LinkedIn, Plaxo, Zoominfo, Spock, ecademy and others.  Similar to Facebook, these sites allow business professionals to electronically network for business prospects, new ideas, and advice.

On the personal side, they can also allow you to reconnect with lost friends.  I spend most of my time on LinkedIn, and have had the pleasure of reconnecting with a college roommate who orginally lived in Kuwait (and now lives in Dubai), sharing some fun emails with other college friends, and touching base with former colleagues from earlier places of employment.  I am still learning to take advantage of the business information and contacts side of the equation.

Many larger organizations are even using these connections to prospect for new employees and to build up "brand" communities that include their vendors, customers and employees.

One pitfall of social internet networks is that it can absorb considerable work time from employees.  However, any internet access can do that.

What it can do for organizations, though, is open up yet another avenue in which it can cultivate and build relationships that can help foster success and growth.  If you haven't yet visited any of these business network sites, spend some time prospecting its potential.

"Experienced" workers need to take advantage of new tools, even if those tools were first brought into the mainstream by their younger counterparts.