"First, just get people comfortable connecting, sharing, helping one another, seeking one another out to exchange value... If the culture is one of sharing and the social networking tools are present in the same space as the tools people use for their practice work, communities of practice can emerge.

Beyond social media:  Focus on social strategy!

An increasing number of organizations are informally experimenting with and benefiting from the use of social networks and Web 2.0 tools for business purposes, a new study has found.

Conducted jointly by Washington-based think tank Human Capital Institute and talent-management software provider Cornerstone OnDemand, based in Santa Monica, Calif., the study found that more than half of 200 senior human resource professionals surveyed said their companies use communities of practice/groups, and chat and instant messaging programs.