Comments on: Happy Hours Are Meetings

By: Mark Drapeau

Mark Drapeau — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:23:10 +0000

Kate – So true! Work, and especially career development, is about building relationships. Web 2.0 technologies make that easier, but I tend to think that people who network well on Facebook, Twitter, etc. are the same people who network well in real life (once they learn the new tech!).

By: Kate

Kate — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:09:34 +0000

Happy Hours ARE meetings…

Just like a ton of work gets done on the golf course, work gets done at social functions! Because WORK is all about RELATIONSHIP BUILDING, and would you rather take a phone call from (or do a favor for) the guy who bought you a beer last night, or the guy who just handed you a business card across a boardroom table?

By: Mark Drapeau

Mark Drapeau — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:36:45 +0000

Thanks for all the comments and links, everyone.

@Justin – Q: “What’s your favorite social media tool?” A: “Beer.” (Love it!)

By: Justin Thorp

Justin Thorp — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:00:26 +0000

At Gov 2.0 Camp, someone asked me what my favorite social media tool was. I said beer. Hell yes. Happy hours are meetings.

By: Teri Centner

Teri Centner — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 12:17:10 +0000

Great observations! My overseas assignment at a Joint military command for the past five years has provided me with experiences that have led me to think similarly.

HQ USEUCOM sponsors an exercise in Europe known as Combined Endeavor, or CE. (http://www.combinedendeavor.net/) In the past 10+ years, they have found that both professional *and* social interaction is required if we want successful working relationships among coalition partners.

And it looks like our Canadian partners agree. An article on their website at http://www.forces.gc.ca/site/commun/ml-fe/article-eng.asp?id=3282 notes, “The human interoperability aspect of CE is what everything depends upon; making social interaction vital to the success of the exercise.”