Yammer

Adoption
Playbook

Prepare the Yammer strategy for

adoption and engagement at your
organization.
Roadmap to success
We want you to be successful, so here is a roadmap to help you make a
successful and thriving network. While it's not required to have all of
these roles or questions answered, we've found that the most successful
networks invest in roles that include these responsibilities.
By having specific roles and responsibilities and clear guidelines of
expectations, members of the community know where to turn to when
they need help.

Getting started
A great network starts with a great plan. Follow these
five steps to make sure you’re ready for launch.

Introducing Yammer to your organization

Starting with your champions, all the way up to the
leadership team, get everyone on board and excited
to use Yammer in four simple phases.

Keeping the conversations going

Now that you’ve launched, check out three ways to
provide support and set up your Yammer network for
success.
Getting started

Master the technology

Develop your vision

Identify your team

Get executive buy-in

Set policies and guidance

 Master the technology
Start by working in partnership with your IT department to
establish technical needs like mobile access and network support.

You can learn to administer your network like a pro with the
Yammer admin guide. We walk through confirming system
requirements, setting admin privileges, and how to understand
your network.

Resources: Pro tip:

Use the Technical readiness checklist to In order to enjoy the full experience of
ensure your network is ready for launch Yammer integrated with the rest of
Learn more at Yammer admin help Office 365, ask your Office
administrator to enforce Office 365
identity and connect your Yammer
network to the Microsoft 365 groups
service.
Identify your team
The most successful Yammer rollouts occur when a committed team, representing a cross-
section of your organization, works together to execute tasks on time. These stakeholders
will help establish expectations, governance, and drive progress of the Yammer network.

Executive sponsor Project lead Internal communications, HR, IT,

Sales, Product innovation
Business decision maker who leads Oversees assigned tasks and
by example, sends announcements ensures program stays on track Representatives from teams that
can benefit from Yammer
or emails, drives accountability, &
usage.
This blog shares about the positive
effects of CEO engaging in Yammer.
[SAMPLE] Key Stakeholders

Role Responsibilities Department Name(s)

Project Manager Oversee the entire launch execution and rollout process.
Community Manage day-to-day network activity; provide guidance and best
Manager practices.
Executive Sponsor Communicate high-level vision and values of Yammer to the
company.
IT Specialist Oversee all technical aspects of the rollout, including
integrations.
HR Manager Integrate Yammer into HR processes and manage HR content
on Yammer.
Communication Oversee company-wide communications about Yammer.
Lead Manage and communicate training content about Yammer.
Power Users Help train users and manage objection handling.
 Vision, Needs, Goals
Align Yammer’s vision to the existing mission and goals. You will use this vision statement in upcoming
communication and launch efforts.

What are company values? How will Yammer help? What are your top 5 business
priorities?

Core values often align to excellence How will the organization know if Examples can include a focus on future
in integrity, teamwork, customer Yammer is successful? growth, on improving efficiency, on a
satisfaction, learning, and quality management effort, or on market changes
What problems will it solve?
How will it benefit employees? Write out your list of values and initiatives.
Set policies and guidance
Step 1: Develop usage policy and guidelines [See Microsoft Example]
Ensure it aligns with your company policies, code of conduct and culture.

Step 2: Determine IT standards around email archives, file retention, and external
sharing policies. These may already be in place for existing communication tools
and technologies and will adhere to Microsoft 365 policies.

More information on what is available for Yammer and data management can be found here

Pro tip:
• Keep policy and guidelines positive (not just a list of “don’ts”), and
provide plenty of examples and suggestions.
Mobile usage and
remote connectivity

Pro tip:
We encourage organizations to allow users to connect at
and away from their desks. Consider the impact of your
decisions with the openness and ease of use Yammer
provides.
Keyword Monitoring

Pro tip:
This process should align to your employee handbook for
inappropriate behavior.

Resources:
Yammer Keyword monitoring
Blog posts - How to set up Teams Tab/ Report Post Yammer Blog
[SAMPLE] Yammer Network Community Team
With an established cadence of communication and a place to share information, these team members can
support the community day to day, inform the stakeholders and make the best choices for the community.

Role Responsibilities

• Liaison with Community Admins weekly via Yammer

• Enlist and grow champions monthly
• Encourage executive sponsorship and involvement quarterly
Community
• Plan and prepare engagement activities ongoing
Manager
• Content owner for the community
• Analyze network usage weekly
• Showcase success stories monthly Resources:
Yammer Community Management
Community • Facilitate specific usage of Yammer monthly
Admins • Communicate with members related to use cases
• Encourage new members to use Yammer weekly
Champions
• Share YamWins to the broader community monthly
• Technical integrations and setup
• Support issues
IT Administration Pro tip:
• User management
• Data storage The rollout team should create a Yammer
community to have discussions on upcoming
• Mitigate risks
HR Sponsor initiatives, and product launches and the impact to
• Address misconduct your community.
Introducing
Yammer to your
organization

Develop a launch plan and

materials

Launch Yammer with a

few use cases

Identify and empower

your Yammer champions
Develop a launch plan and materials
Keep your team on schedule and prepared with a work back plan
for the months, weeks, and days leading up to launch. This should
include key dates for announcements, training sessions, and
developing materials.

Prepare launch materials to get your network excited to join Yammer.

Build awareness of your network

Show support for the network’s goals
Demonstrate leadership within the community
Drive user adoption and engagement
Train your team on how and why to use Yammer

Resources: Pro tip:

• Review the customizable communication plan. • Pair your Yammer launch so it supports
an existing initiative, campaign or event
like the launch of Office 365, company
rebrand, or the start of new senior
leadership.
Raise awareness and communicate
Share about what’s happening in your organization by
making Yammer the hub of company communities and
their activity:

Inspire leadership to reach out to the Spark engagement with a Yammer Use champions to identify “wins” big
entire organization for feedback and launch event and small, then celebrate by sharing
challenges, such as one customer on internal networks
who hosted a cost-savings challenge.

Resources: Pro tip:

Check the appendix of this guide for more Encourage executives to log in a
ideas for your launching your event! minimum of once a week and engage
with posts by liking and commenting.
[Sample] Yammer Launch Communication Plan
Select communications and events for your launch and organize them here in chronological
order. Below is a sample timeline that can be adjusted for your organization.

Time Communication or Event Owner(s) Status

Now Meet with stakeholders to define you vision, identify business outcomes & develop use cases.

Now Create a Yammer Help Community and upload educational content.

Now Create a Yammer Ideas Community. Throughout the launch process, encourage your coworkers to
share ideas here about how Yammer can help improve work processes at your company.
3-4 weeks before launch Send executive email introduction.
2 weeks before launch Send department introductions via email.

2 weeks before launch Notify your company about the launch YamJam, Live events, trainings
1 week before launch Remind your company about the launch YamJam, trainings and Lunch & Learn.
Week of launch Host training with first high-priority department.
Week of launch Host training with second high-priority department.
Week of launch Host training with third high-priority department.
Week of launch Host Lunch & Learn.
Week of launch Host YamJam.
 COMMU N ICAT I ON S L E A D E R S H I P E N G A G E ME N T H U MA N R E S O U R C E S
Modernize communications Align people toward shared Manage onboarding, training
with announcements, polls, vision and objectives and reviews across
video, and Q&A. to drive organizational change departments.

Yammer for Reach broad and targeted

audiences with critical info
across web and mobile.

different MA R K E T I N G IT SAL E S

departments Listen and collect customer

feedback. Answer inquiries
about proper brand usage and
Drive IT transformation and
change management
awareness.
Share best practices and
competitive insights
sharing between

and industries
marketing materials. employees
Plan, execute and
Celebrate public campaigns troubleshoot all phases of IT
and use a front door for deployment, adoption and
marketing team. rollout.

F IRST L IN E WORK E RS K N OWL E DGE SHARIN G E N GIN E E RIN G

Keep your Firstline workforce
informed, included, and
engaged.

Provide an opportunity for

feedback and knowledge
sharing front the field.
[Example] Community Scenarios & Use Cases

Product Research HR Sales & Marketing

Customer Feedback loop New Hire Onboarding Competitor

Business outcome. Stay connected to what Business outcome. Accelerate the employee Business outcome. Learn about our
customers are thinking. onboarding process. competitors and the advantages our product
for our customers.
Practical action. Understand customer Practical action. Answer questions and
needs as soon as they develop and change. review paperwork faster. Practical action. Post updates and answer
members questions quickly and consistently.
Yammer feature. Create a community and
Yammer feature. Create a Yammer
invite new hires to connect with senior Yammer feature. Create public
community and encourage customer-facing employees and managers there to learn communities in Yammer for your sales and
teams to post feedback customers give about the company. Use the community to marketing teams. Have employees share the
them. Use the feedback to inform product post key HR documents and answer latest decisions & developments about the
decisions. questions. competition to start discussions.
Bonus Exercise: Yammer Community Canvas
1. Purpose – why does this 2. Audience – who is this for and 3. Values – what 3 principles are
community exist? how do they find out? important?

4. Goals – what are 3 metrics we can 5. Experience – what happens on a 6. Roles – what different roles can
measure in the next 12 months? reoccurring basis? How are people people play?
1. onboarded?
2.
3.

7. Rules –what guidelines and 8. Governance – how do we make 9. Communication – what are the
boundaries help achieve the purpose decisions? Who gets to decide? channels for us to communicate?
and values? How frequent?
Identify and empower
your Yammer champions
Champions are your community of people who have bought into Millennials
using Yammer from day one. Champions also are people who They might naturally like the
would contribute to and benefit from the value created by this social capabilities of Yammer

community.

Create a Yammer Community in your network for your champions. Pilot program participants
In this group, they can share resources and best practices for getting Those that demonstrated
the most of Yammer, and for encouraging others to get as engaged. success with new technology
adoption in the past

Pro tip:
Set up a Yammer specialist community
that meets once a month to share Influencers
insights, ideas, and best practices with Regardless of title, these well
the broader network. connected veterans have that
leadership vibe that naturally
influences those around them.
 Enable champions
to provide
additional training
and support
Give your champions the confidence and
knowledge to be active on Yammer from day
one with up-front training sessions and resources
for getting set up.

Resources: Pro tip:

Review and repurpose the End User Create a Yammer 101 Community
Training Guide to help with any internal in your network
presentations, and share with employees
Employees can post questions and
Check out these training videos and post request guidance
them in your Yammer network.
Admins can upload “Getting
Started” resources and tutorials
Keeping the
conversations going

Provide day to day support

Monitor and optimize

your network

Drive ongoing usage

Create an Etiquette Guide

Pin the etiquette guide in your Company Resources on your

Yammer Network and add it to your Training

✓ Include the vision and purpose of your Yammer network to

help set the tone of the guide.

✓ Include specific details relating to employee handbooks

and code of conduct that also translates to Yammer.

✓ Include a list of do's and don'ts.

✓ Share clear examples of "Good, Better, Bests" posts.

✓ Be sure to let your organization’s culture show in the guide.

Be creative!
Sample list of do’s and don’ts

Do’s Don’t
Share what you are working on, what you are learning. Post solicitation

Keep your posts short and easy to scan. Share personal attacks, be careful of inside jokes, sarcasm, and
Be positive by liking, sharing, and commenting on blame. These do not translate well online.
conversations.
Use profanity.
Ask questions.
Shame or publicly embarrass individuals - including birthdays
Respond to @mention and tag others who may have insight to or performance issues.
contribute.
Talk about religion or politics should abide by our
Search before your post, someone may have already posted it. organization's handbooks and
code of conduct.
Offer critiques with respect. Be mindful of the tone.
Use your judgment and common sense.

Keep private or confidential things private.

Engage in conversations
Follow these tips to establish and encourage a culture of
A
positivity and inclusiveness.

Before posting to the network, be sure you are sharing articles

from sources that are known and confirmed professional sources
that would meet your network’s usage policy guidelines.
B

C
A B

C D
D
Sharing is caring A

A B

C D

D
Manage the conversations
Use best practices for keeping conversation on track and in the best places for continued dialog.

Tag someone in a conversation if their opinion or insight would be valuable.

If something doesn’t seem quite right, reach out to the Community Manager to help address the situation.

B C
A
Dashboards to support launch

Activity Dashboard Yammer Dashboard Community Insights in Yammer

❑ Proportion of users that are active ❑ Proportion of Yammer ❑ People and content activities
❑ Number of users posting, reading, communities that are active ❑ Member and non-member activity
and liking messages ❑ Number of messages posted, read, ❑ 7 day, 28 day, 12 month periods
❑ Number of messages posted, read, and liked in Yammer communities ❑ CVS data exports
and liked in company ❑ Number of members, posts, ❑ Available to community members in
❑ Number of messages posted, read, reads, and likes per Yammer Yammer
and liked per user communities
 Charleston

Dallas

Salt Lake City

Phoenix

Chicago
Share stories
Capturing and sharing stories

When sharing a story about your experience with Office 365, be sure to include these details:
Time.
Characters.
Events.
Visuals.

Stories about business value can easily be shared

Trainers should also use

Drive ongoing usage
Continue to identify areas of your organization that can
benefit from cross-company collaboration and engagement.
This could include people within the same function,
collaborators on a company initiative, or participants in a
trending topic – both work-related or not.

Promote ongoing discussion in Yammer:

YamJams

Pro tip:
Find and nurture your “power Provide positive enforcement by
users” – those that are using praising them on Yammer
Resources: Yammer to its maximum abilities
Give leadership visibility by hosting
Empower more champions with this Yammer Share conversations to show the lunch with the executive team
Community Admin Guide and Best Practices. value of participation
Appendix:

Ideas for launching

Yammer

Yammer Network
Competition

Live Events, YamJams,

AKAs, Yammer Chats

Ideation campaigns,
hackathons, and many
more…
Choosing your launch event
Consider your Yammer network vision and what your company
goals are for using Yammer. How can your launch event support
these objectives and these parts of the business?

Consider your company culture. What types of activities will

resonate with your leadership and your employees? Consider
hosting a live event to reach a wide employee base immediately.

Consider your time and resources. Mix and match different types of
event activities to plan something that suits your needs and fits
into your schedule.

Prepare launch materials to get your network

excited to join the conversation and communities in Yammer.
 Yammer Network
Competitions
D E TA I L

Organize a daily or weekly competition on your network,

and award prizes or recognition to participants.

VALUE

Helps to get users actively engaged on the network by

practicing their Yammer skill set. Select competitions that build
off your Yammer Tips, highlight your use cases, or support your
company’s vision.

RESOURCE:

Ya m J a m P l a y b o o k
 Executive Discussion
(a.k.a.) YamJam
D E TA I L

Engage one or more executives to participate in a one-hour,

live discussion via Yammer. Discussion topics are predefined and a
Yammer Community Manager can facilitate and moderate the
discussion.

VALUE

Visibility of executive leadership, employee engagement

with leadership and communication of corporate strategy
and values.

RESOURCE:
Ya m J a m P l a y b o o k
 Company
Yammer Time
D E TA I L

Schedule companywide 'Yammer Time’ - a time for employees

to meet on Yammer to provide feedback on important issues or
develop ideas for an organizational initiative.

VALUE

Employee feedback in an open environment, leading to

enhanced productivity.

RESOURCE:
How to host a Live Event in Yammer
 Coordinate a live event
in Yammer with Existing
Moment
D E TA I L

If an existing event is scheduled near the launch of

Yammer, use that opportunity to host a live event to drive
video and conversations on Yammer.

VALUE

Greater promotion of the existing event and embedding

use of Yammer into existing operations.

RESOURCE:
The event which unlocked our Yammer Success
 YamCam of
the Week
D E TA I L

Record a video interview with a coworker. Include what they

enjoy most about being an employee and what they’re currently
working on. Alternatively, invite employees to post their own video
and vote on the best one.

VALUE

Foster business collaboration, operational awareness and

community cohesion. Build greater awareness of Yammer
functionality.

RESOURCE:
Support your next campaign with video content via Yammer
 Lunch & Learns
/ Trainings /
Open House
D E TA I L

Hold informal Yammer learning sessions in the same space

every day for several days. Share sample messages, best
practices, and encourage users to sign on and interact
through Yammer during these sessions.

VALUE

Gain greater exposure of Yammer by reaching more employees

in the spaces they will congregate (e.g. lunch canteen) and
give them an opportunity to take it for a
test drive.

RESOURCE:
End User Training Guide
 Yammer Tips
D E TA I L

Post Daily or Weekly Yammer Tips on a variety of topics:

• How to use Yammer features
• Tips & tricks
• How to use Yammer to accomplish a certain task/goal
• Highlight Yammer communities that make work/life better

VALUE

Helps to educate users on features and functionality while

providing network activity and content during your initial
ramp-up phase.
Ask your Yammer champions to help post the topics to get
more individuals throughout your network engaged, and
showcase them as the Yammer experts throughout your
organization.
RESOURCE:
New Yammer Tips and Tricks
 Philanthropic Event

D E TA I L

Use Yammer to promote a charity fundraiser or other philanthropic

activity. You can use Yammer to recruit volunteers and organize the
event, apply a related hashtag, and update frequently with
progress towards goals so that everyone is informed.

VALUE

Promotes sense of volunteerism across the organization

and demonstrates the wider uses of Yammer.

RESOURCE:
How one community at Microsoft is changing the world,
one Yammer post at a time
 Think Tank

D E TA I L

Create Yammer communities for various topics. Assign times for

Yammer members to enter the Yammer community to discuss a
particular subject and crowd-source ideas.

VALUE

Encourages employee collaboration, idea generation

and greater engagement in organizational objectives.

RESOURCE:
Yammer – Our Ideation Hub
 Internal
Collaboration Expo
D E TA I L

Showcase the various collaboration tools available within

the organization (e.g. Skype for Business, Outlook Groups,
Yammer) and provide guidance on which tool to use in different
circumstances. Invite project team members to share the specific
ways they managed projects and coordinated work, what they
learned, and best practices.

VALUE

Build awareness of collaboration tools and educate employees

on how Yammer fits with these applications.
 Social Media
Conference
D E TA I L

Educate employees about the benefits and differences of

using social tools like Facebook, Twitter and Yammer. You can
compare your company’s external Facebook pages and Twitter
profiles with the internal communication and collaboration that
occurs within Yammer.

VALUE

Build awareness of the differences between Yammer and other

social networks that employees may be more familiar with. In
addition to driving Yammer engagement, employees will learn
how to use Yammer as their social workspace.
 Freebies! Treats!

D E TA I L

Hand out Yammer-branded or Company-branded swag as

prizes, or as delicious blue treats to bring employees together
to talk about Yammer in the break room.

VALUE

Everyone loves something sweet, or better yet, something free!

Builds excitement and energy around the Yammer launch and
can be used to reward people for participation.
 “ Streaming it Out
Loud” Displays
D E TA I L
“Streaming it Out Loud” is an application that allows you to easily
display a feed of Yammer messages on a TV or computer screen.
This is particularly useful during large internal events so that staff
can post about the event as it takes place. Place your display in a
shared space so that everyone can engage with the network.

VALUE

Publicizes the network to employees, reminds them to

participate in the network, and highlights how many other
people are actively using the network.

Watch this video to learn how to use Streaming it Out Loud:

https://streamingitoutloud.com