It’s a new school year and a fresh start to tackling one of any organization's largest issues—communication.
Communication concerns seem to never find absolute resolution. There are always news tactics and policies that seem to assist in keeping the channels of communication open for a bit, but as time lapses there it is again, communication troubles popping up on employee evaluation forms, in suggestion boxes, and on the tails of the gossip comet.
Well, a new school year brings yet another solution—Yammer. Recently, ISM-ers have been exploring the possibilities of this Web-based software, and so far we think we like it. Since this is a new system, we haven’t had the time to work out all the details and neat features, nor have we had time to find a flaw (other than the desktop application not working). It’s been helpful for cross-departmental communication challenges—and, if everyone would join (and stay logged in), it could potentially be very valuable.
What is Yammer? From what we can make of the program so far, it seems just like Facebook, only private to your organization. Essentially, it is an on-line place for your employees to interact and share news, information, and items of interest, both personal and professional. Typical postings can range from “Reminder to turn in mid-term grades by Wednesday” to “I love apple pie,” and everything in between. It’s a place for faculty and staff to be themselves within the “safe” walls of “your own” network, sort of.
There’s a feature that allows you to create groups, which could be used for creating department "nests" for communication among those members. For example, everyone in your Business Office could join your Business Office group and share ideas, documents, and even polls between one another. There is also a meeting set-up feature, which has so far worked pretty well for some of us. For those who use an online Google calendar to keep track of their to-do lists, Yammer's meeting feature can coordinate with it.
There’s also the ability to follow others. If you choose to follow someone, what they post will appear on your activity wall, giving you the chance to respond to them. If you chose not to follow someone, they won’t be a part of your Yammer experience.
Yammer may or may not work for your school’s unique mission. It seems that everyone, or at least the majority, needs to buy in to the system for it to work as intended. And, as with any other social media platform, time is a major consideration. But, take a look for yourself and see if it’s something that might work for your school.
Disclaimer From The HR Guy Our HR consultant is “cautiously enthusiastic” about Yammer, but does have a few concerns. First in foremost, he reminds us that all schools should have a Social Media Policy—so that everyone is clear on the ground rules for using Yammer or any other social media sites that may in any way impact their professional role at your school. He is glad to share ISM’s sample policy. Just e-mail michael@isminc.com to request a copy—and feel free to customize it for your needs (i.e., no copyright issues to worry about it). The bottom line is communicating basic expectations to faculty, staff, and administrators about how they interact on-line in a professional capacity—i.e., we must always show respect, honor privacy and dignity, and protect personal and confidential information.
5 Tips for Traditionally Promoting Healthy Communication
- Management by Walking Around—Get out of your office and be physically present to students, faculty, and parents on a regular basis. You’ll gain a great sense of “what’s going on”—as well as a first hand feel for what is not understood or what needs to be better communicated.
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- Pay Attention—As the great Yogi Berra once noted, “You can observe a lot by watching.” This one sounds simple, but given the whirlwind of events that make up most administrators’ days, keeping your mind on one idea at a time and focusing on the scene that is before you—instead of the 12 other things remaining on your “to-do" list for the day—is often easier said than done.
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- Listen Actively—Are you really listening to what the other person is saying—or, are you just waiting for them to stop talking so that you can start? Try to consciously focus on listening to what the person is saying and understanding what they mean.?
- Ask More Questions, Make Less Statements—By making a statement, we’re establishing a position—one that implicitly communicates, “Here’s what I think, regardless of what you have to say.” By asking questions, however, we’re inviting the other person into a dialogue—creating a “safe” atmosphere for them to share their ideas and opinions. We’re also communicating, “I care about what you have to say.”?
- Remember a Detail—Some of us are “big picture people” and others are “detail people.” Regardless of which category you fall into, remembering a personal detail about someone from a prior conversation (such as what grade their youngest child is beginning) goes a long way toward communicating positive feelings and caring toward a person. This helps create a personal “bond” and, again, a “safe place” from which further conversation can grow.
New fall Webinar! Social Media Policies 2.0. October 19, 2010, 3 p.m. EDT.
The explosion of social networking in recent years has schools scrambling to consider, “How does this affect us?” "Are we at risk if we don't have policies regarding social networking by faculty, staff, and administrators?" "Is this any of our business—or is it purely personal in nature?" This Webinar is designed to answer those questions and more.
Sample Employee Handbook: Policies for Private-Independent Schools ISM’s Sample Employee Handbook Policies for Private-Independent Schools is a wide-ranging resource guide specifically for private-independent schools to writing a legally compliant, comprehensive handbook.
