Lately, I have heard my friends who work outside of GE making remarks about social networking and social events that understate the business benefit of connecting with coworkers outside the traditional office setting.  Comments surface in general conversation like "social networking is just for college students" or "social events like dinners, picnics and outings are just frivolous wastes of time".

I would argue (and GE seems to agree), that the exact opposite is true.  Social events and online social networking develop the internal connections that make doing my job at GE faster and more efficient.  Here are a few examples of social events, groups and networks at GE that make me more effective and knowledgeable on the job:

All Programs Council (APC)

As an IMLP at GE Healthcare, I participated in the All Programs Council, an organization that facilitates interaction between all of GE's leadership programs and direct hires.  Other GE businesses have similar groups as well. They organize professional development speakers, MBA/Graduate fairs, sports activities and evening outings.   By participating in these events, IMLPs quickly get to know people of their age group in the talent pipeline across the business whom they can rely on when they need information on any function(HR, Engineering, Finance, etc).

IMLP Best Practice Sharing Committee

This group organizes events and sessions within the IMLP program so all of the IMLP participants from all over the world can benefit from each others' experience through training sessions and seminars.

GE Connect

Can't find the right person with the right knowledge to help with your job?  Just looking to connect with people who work in similar positions to share knowledge?  GE Connect, GE's own social network is the place to go.  The power of GE Connect to accelerate the way we do business is evident in this post from Jason Meller:

"When other professionals ask me about my experiences working for GE, a company with over 300,000 employees, my normal response is that it can actually feel like a tightly knit group. How is this possible? Well it turns out GE’s been playing the facebook game as early as 1999 with a custom built tool called Support Central."

I could keep going with all the other social events and opportunities that build better teams at work but, I would like to hear from you, our readers.  Wether you are an IMLP reading this blog, or a student who has experienced this social team building effect in other  businesses, what are your most positive social/business experiences and how did they aid you in your day to day work?