As one employee, part of a larger company, organization and team, we often get wrapped up in our daily jobs and forget to lift our head up and take a look around. We occasionally may lose sight of how our work impacts the company or how other employees could influence our work.
Looking beyond your own work, and reaching out to others in your company is a vital part aligning yourself to your teammates and organization.
How do we go about doing this? Being transparent about what you’re working on, asking for help, and sharing information is just the beginning. This may seem overwhelming, but the fact is, being transparent in your work is as easy as mentioning a colleague on Yammer.
In one small action, you are essentially saying “Heads up, this may be important to you”. Instead of keeping your work to yourself (where no one can benefit from it), you are actively seeking opportunities to share. Let’s take a look at three situations where you could mention someone you work with and facilitate transparency in your work.
1. Bringing in an expert
We all encounter problems at work that we just can’t solve alone. Posting this problem or question to Yammer and admitting you need help is nothing to be ashamed of! Say you need to order supplies for an event, but have no idea what vendors to work with. Instead of searching the internet for prices, save time by at mentioning the events manager at your company. As an expert in the area, they will be able to help out and perhaps even save you money! People are keen to share knowledge, especially if it means they can help you with your job, save you time or solve a problem.
2. Expanding the conversation
Adding someone into an existing conversation on Yammer helps in two ways. One, it adds a new perspective to the discussion, which opens up new questions, opinions and ideas. This employee may have insights that participants may not have previously discussed. Two, you are helping that colleague participate in a conversation that they may not have been aware of. Expanding the conversation allows for more employees to share their opinions and participate in a wider variety of topics.
3. Sharing knowledge or information or updates
If you come across an interesting article, note, thread, or file on Yammer that may be useful to a coworker – mention them! Not only are you helping to spread useful information around the organization, you may even be making someone’s job easier. If a coworker is looking for a editorial calendar, and you know that one exists on Yammer – mention them on the file. Simply mentioning a colleague helps bring awareness to something they may not have previously seen or found.
There are many other reasons to mention someone on an interesting discussion or relevant file on Yammer, but the benefits are clear. Sharing information and conversations helps save time, increase collaboration and get work done.
When have you mentioned a coworker and discovered something beneficial? Share your story below!
Photo Credit: Marc Wathieu via Compfight cc
