YAMMER Guidelines for CCAFS Social Learning Group* *Based on CGIAR Master Guidelines

Overview 1.Understanding What is Yammer? 2.Getting set up on Yammer 3.Understanding the basics: how it works / the system 4.Using Yammer by / the message workaround 5.Working out the basics: how to make it work for you / your practice 6.Additional info: troubleshooting, guidelines & help

1. What is Yammer?

1. What is Yammer Yammer is a by invitation social network designed to help: – Share information among staff and partners (updates, current work, important outputs etc.) – Discuss different issues outside – Plan events – Network / build a team (through conversations, likes and praises)

2. Getting set up

Create an account (on invitation) Update your profileprofile – Include your affiliation in the job title field in your profilejob title – Add a picture of yourself Set your notifications and direct messages to get for each network you are part ofnotificationsmessages to get Set your applications and preferences In details…

Create an account (based on an invitation) Accept the invitation

Create an account Fill out all the details Indicate your affiliation in the job title field Choose a strong password which you can remember Then press ‘next’

Create an account Join groups which you think will be useful to you / where you would like to engage with others Then press ‘next’ Don’t start a group straight away, see if existing ones cater for your need

Create an account Add a photo (from your files) to give yourself a face for others. It makes Yammer more ‘human’.

Create an account You may (you don’t have to) decide to download and use Yammer via the desktop application

Create an account Check the welcome message you receive upon entering Yammer

Create an account You are now set and ready to use Yammer!

Update your profile (mention your affiliation and position) 1. Click my profile 2. Edit profile

Include your affiliation in the job title field in your profilejob title

Add a picture of yourself 1. Click Basics (while editing your profile) 2. Choose a picture file on your computer

1. Click Notifications (while editing your profile) Set your notifications (per network) 3. Select what changes you want to be notified about 2. Select digests’ frequency (summary of Yammer network messages by ) New notifications are displayed in this icon

What direct messages do I want to receive? 1. Click ‘subscribe to feeds’ to open this menu 2. Select what messages to receive by or else

Select your applications (phone etc.) and other preferences

3. Understanding the basics: how it works / the system

Where it all happens: the news stream (updates from the people you follow) Where you share updates (simple updates, polls, praises, questions and events) Where you find & can edit your profile Where you read important notifications and private messages Where you can check all networks you belong to

3. Basics: How it works (the system) Work across open networks Follow others to see their updates Share updates about interesting work, links, questions, events, documents etc. Send each other direct messages for private conversations Upload files, pictures, videos, add links, and create pages (to keep important information) Follow the flow of messages on various media: on the web, via , on a smartphone…

Follow others to see their updates (select who you follow!) BE SELECTIVE WHO TO FOLLOW

Select who you follow BE SELECTIVE WHO TO FOLLOW

Share updates about interesting work, polls, links, questions, events etc

Send each other direct messages for private conversations 1. Select who you want to write to (multiple recipients possible) 2. Type your message in the main box

Upload files, pictures, videos and create pages (to keep important information)

Create pages (to keep important information) 1. Select ‘pages’ in your apps menu 2. Create a page

Follow the flow of messages on various media: on the web, via , on a smartphone… Through various ‘applications’ (under your profile)

3. Basics: How it works (the system) Use Topics (with # e.g. #innovation) to find all content and conversations related to specific topicsTopics Notify People can be notified when they’re mentioned Just typing name suffices (Yammer turns them into links) Find all content collections links, topics, files etc. in one place And again: Having an updated profile matters to know who is who – update your profile!profileupdate your profile Notifications help manage traffic: adjust your account’s notifications for each of your networks account notificationsnetworks

Find common topics Use Topics (keywords) They help find all content related to specific topics. Add a topic to a message with # (e.g. #Yammer)Topics

Notify people when it concerns them

Find all content collections in one place

4. Using Yammer by / The message workaround

4. Yammer by 1.Select your preferences (notifications) for each Yammer network 2.Decide if you want to receive daily/weekly digests (or not) or instant notifications 3.Select the type of changes you want to be notified about 4.For instant notifications, select which groups (in the network) you want to receive instant s from 5.Answer by to individual s or to digests (the latter help)

1. Click Notifications (while editing your profile) 4. Yammer by Set your general notifications 4. Select what changes you want to be notified about 3. You can receive digests – select the frequency (summary of Yammer network messages by ) New notifications are displayed in this icon 2. Select the network for which you want to set notifications

4. Yammer by instant s (feeds in real time) 1. Click ‘subscribe to feeds’ to open this menu 2. Select what messages to receive by or else

4. Yammer by instant s (feeds in real time) 1. Click ‘subscribe to feeds’ to open this menu (in the case presented here: ALL types of messages specified above will be sent by instantly) 2. Validate your choices

4. Yammer by answering individual s 1. You receive notifications like this one 2. Reply directly to the you receive

4. Yammer by answering to digests 1. You receive digests like this one 3. You can reply directly to any message or comment (but you can’t ‘like’ a post by …) 2. You can change the frequency on the spot

5. Working out the basics: how to make it work for you / your practice

5. Basics: How to make it work (your practice) Active listening: Follow and learn – Follow people that matter, that you know or like If you follow people you will receive s when they post (change your notification settings?) Follow specific people rather than everyone? – Join groups that are relevant for you – Follow the flow of updates – Ask yourself what you like and don’t like about it: Reflect, learn new stuff and learn how to learn more…

5. Basics: How to make it work (your practice) Active engagement: Engage and converse – Post (relevant) updates on new documents, events, ideas – Share summaries of important events you’re attending – Ask questions, seek feedback and ideas – React to what others post: reply, like, (very) occasionally praise people you admire – Make Yammer a conversation space!

6. More information? Troubleshooting, guidance and help

Troubleshooting Lost your password? – Go to and click ‘Forgot password?’ and write your password somewhere safe for next timewww.yammer.com Can’t open a Yammer page? – Your connection might not be good enough. Try later or with a better Internet connection Overwhelmed with Yammer messages? – Set your notifications better Set your notifications Mind not to delete your account (you can not recover it!)

More guidance information? Yammer network usage policynetwork usage policy Yammer essentials page Yammer essentials Tinkering with tools: What’s up with Yammer? A reflexive blog post about the CGIAR's use of Yammer and links to further resources. Tinkering with tools: What’s up with Yammer?

More human help? Power Yammer users: – Pete Cranston Pete Cranston – Carl Jackson Carl Jackson – Ewen Le Borgne (ILRI) Knowledge sharing and communication specialist Ewen Le Borgne – Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) Head of Knowledge Management & Information Services Peter Ballantyne