Groups can offer you many different things—more than you may realize.

“Ok, great, I’ve followed Max’s instructions and joined a bunch of groups. What do I do now?”

First, go to the Groups tab on the Knowledge Network. 

Today we are using the open group Center for Management Strategies as an example, and although the content of groups will differ, the main setup will be the same for every group you will encounter on the Knowledge Network. If you click on Center for Management Strategies, this is what you will see:

 

Open Groups: These are groups that anyone on the Knowledge Network can join! All you need to do is click the “Join this group” button, which you can see in the upper right-hand corner of the picture.

Closed Groups: Instead of a “Join this group” button, closed groups will present a button that says “Ask to join this group.” Click on that, and within a few days a group member will approve you and you will be able to participate in the group.

Hidden Groups: These are groups on the Knowledge Network that you need to be invited to join. If you are invited to join such a group, you will receive a message in your inbox giving you further instructions. Hidden groups are not a topic we will be covering in depth in this blog post.

Now we will cover the different tabs that you see below the name of the group.

Overview Tab

The group’s overview page gives you a basic idea of the group. Starting at the top, you’ll see the name of the group, the membership type, the group’s picture, profile options (“Join this group,” “Edit your interests and email preferences,” and “Start a new group”), and basic information about the group (see “This Group” below).

Description: Each group has a brief description, located just under the Overview tab.

Wall: The group’s wall, located just under the description, is where you or any member can post something to the entire group. This is a great forum for posting information or questions that pertain only to this group (rather than to the whole Knowledge Network) and for getting responses from people who know more about the topic. When something is posted on one of your group’s walls, you’ll get a message in your Knowledge Network inbox, and you and any other member can comment on it.

Members Tab

In the Members tab, you’ll see a search page much like the “Who’s Who” search. You can search by name, job title, and/or state; or you can simply browse through page by page (each page displays 10 results). 

Question Tab

This is where you’ll see the most recent questions asked of this group. You can search by name or topic, or you can just browse.

Files Tab

Use this tab to upload files relevant to the group and to see files that other members have added. All group members can access these files. To upload a file, just click Upload Files and select the one you want. If you have multiple files to upload for a folder that does not yet exist, you can create a new folder.

Calendar Tab

Here, you can add events that you think the group will be interested in, and can view other group events.

Wikis Tab

In the Wikis tab you’ll find a list of every group wiki that’s been created.

You may be asking yourself what IS a wiki? Technically a wiki is a web application that allows people to add, modify, and delete content in collaboration with others. However, it’s easiest to think of a wiki as being just like an online word document that you and everyone in your group can access, add to, modify, and delete from. Because it is all online and easily accessible, a wiki can be a great tool for when you want to collaborate with people from all over the world. 

This Group

In the dark blue box under the profile options, you’ll see statistics about the group—number of members, date created, and group founder.

Related Topics

Each group is tagged to at least one topic. Under the “This Group” box, you’ll see which topics are tagged.

Now that you have seen what groups have to offer, go out there and join some! There are 94 groups with thousands of members just waiting to engage with you on the Knowledge Network.

For even more information about how to join and use groups, visit the Groups section of our Help Center. And to browse groups, go to the groups homepage.

Maxwell Moline 

ICMA Knowledge Network Intern 

mmoline@icma.org