Ten Tips for Getting the Most out of Microsoft Teams
As the global pandemic rages on, working remotely has become the new norm for many business organizations. To support this growing work-from-home culture, the use of video conferencing and remote collaboration tools has escalated. One tool that has gained a lot of momentum is Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams is an app, included in Office 365, which enables efficient collaboration between teams working remotely. It is now the leading choice for businesses looking for a secure cloud-based collaborative platform, skyrocketing to a whopping 115 million users in November 2020.
In this article, Outsource IT presents ten tips which business organizations can use to take full advantage of this amazing business tool.
Change the Background
A cool feature of Microsoft Teams is the ability to change the background to exciting options or even blur the background during both video and audio group conferencing. Of course, this does not completely make up for face-to-face meetings, but it does make the meetings a bit more interesting. On the same hand, it is also a great way to hide things like clutter, or hyper active kids in the background!
Avoiding Team Duplication
The self-service creation feature of Teams can sometimes end up creating duplicate teams and team names. Before setting up Microsoft Teams, it is always a good idea to check for any existing teams performing identical functions. A way to get around this issue is to set up a review of all new Groups or Teams a day after they are created to nip it in the bud.
Record and Transcribe
Instead of jotting down lengthy notes or trying to keep a record of an entire virtual meeting, hitting the record button from the control panel at the start of the meeting will save a copy to Microsoft Stream for access later. A meeting transcript can also be shared for easy backtracking and collaboration.
Make Use of the Together Mode
The Together Mode is one of the coolest and newest features of Microsoft Teams which can elevate team spirit. It places all the team members on a shared background making it seem like all the participants are sitting in the same conference room or an auditorium. The Together Mode can be easily found under the in-call background options.
Avoid Duplicating Groups
It is a good practice to remember that every Team is also a Group and every time a new Team is created, essentially a new Group is created as well. If the owner of a Group wants to add a new Team, it is important to connect it to the existing Group. Otherwise, Microsoft Teams will automatically create another Group with the same name, with a different ID number. It is also wise to create mini groups to add relevant members related to that project or team. Â
Create and List Favorite Channels
Channels can be created in Microsoft Teams related to a task for different members of the enterprise and can also be used to request and offer support. If any specific channels are frequented more than others, then they can be listed on the top by marking them as favorites. This can simply be achieved by clicking on the three dots next to the Team or Channel name and then selecting Favorite.
Whiteboard and Screen Sharing
Doing product demonstrations is easy in Microsoft Teams. Use the whiteboard and screen sharing functionalities to exchange ideas, de-brief, and demonstrate product capabilities.
Use Live Events for Large Attendee Meetings
Microsoft Teams can be used to host large meetings, such as town halls or enterprise-wide gatherings, accommodating up to 10,000 attendees by default. Until June 30, 2021 Microsoft is extending this feature to support up to 20,000 attendees. For organizations needing even more capacity, meetings of up to 100,000 attendees can be organized using the Microsoft Office 365 assistance program.
Do Not Disturb Mode
Nothing can distract an employee and shatter productivity more than constant pings from incoming messages. Thanks to the Do Not Disturb mode offered by Microsoft Teams, those pesky pings can now be disabled. By clicking on the profile icon, the availability status can be changed easily. Another alternative route is to simply enter the command /dnd into the search bar.
Priority access can be granted to important individuals through the privacy settings, which ensures that messages received from certain individuals are still going to be delivered despite the Do Not Disturb mode being turned on. Â
Avoid Confusion with Auto File Sync
Microsoft Teams makes it easy to collaborate on files such as documents and spreadsheets, while keeping track of version histories. Teams can eliminate the confusion of multiple file versions. With auto sync the latest copy will always be available across everyone’s device.
Optimizated Remote Work Environment
Microsoft Teams is at the forefront of enhancing the experience and productivity of the remote workplace for businesses across the globe. This tool elevates virtual team collaboration to a different level and equips employees with greater flexibility and options to adapt to their new remote workplaces. Thanks to tools like Microsoft Teams, businesses and teams can now practice social distancing without being socially distant or isolated.
For business organizations interested in taking advantage of Microsoft teams look no further than Outsource IT. We are Microsoft Gold partners, with the experience and know how to implement and support all Microsoft products including Microsoft Teams. Contact your Outsource IT account manager to learn more.