Keeping up to date on what is going on in the organization can be tough, especially when you take into account the fast pace at which we do things. Back in 2009, we wanted a way to stay connected as we opened offices all over the world. After debating the use of several different systems, we finally decided to use Yammer (www.yammer.com). Similar to a Facebook news feed, our team can post updates on Yammer about what they are doing and what’s going on in the office. With a mix of useful information and entertaining observations on the feed, Yammer creates a communication vehicle and promotes transparency within the company, both endlessly pursued goals of ours.
Consistent interaction with Yammer makes work easier in a number of ways:
- Brainstorming: Team members post a question and get immediate thoughts, ideas, and feedback
- Collaborating: Another team member might be able to contribute to a project someone else been Yammering about (i.e. a graph or a customer quote)
- Instant updates: Yammer provides access to the most up-to-date information within the company
- Feedback: Our team members can see what our customers or press are saying about the Rubicon Project
Frank said it best: “Active communication is one of our culture values. Yammer gives us the ability to communicate in real-time with our entire team in NY, LA, San Francisco, London, Hong Kong, and Sydney. We’re able to share more “raw” information, which has already increased our internal efficiency quite significantly. It also makes information sharing fun.” We highly recommend Yammer to any company hoping to encourage “by the people for the people” communication in the office!
