08/30/2024

Congratulations! If you're reading this, you're equipped with one of the most popular collaboration tools in the world: Microsoft Teams. It's so powerful that it can transform how you work and keep your teams productive from anywhere in the country.

But some of us are still just using it for instant messaging. Don't worry, it happens to us all at one point in time.

Whether you've had it for a month or for several years, it can be easy to get "stuck in a rut" with your collaboration technology and miss out on the advantages it can give you.

Well, no more!

In this comprehensive guide, the FirstComm team will walk you through practical ways to unlock Teams' full potential so your hybrid team can operate quickly, easily, and proficiently, no matter what.

Getting the Most Out of the Basics

With over320 million active users, many people are familiar with how to use the basics of Teams. But it can be a struggle to get them to use it daily. So here are a few ways you can help them do so!

Encourage Adoption

Start by promoting awareness and training sessions, so your employees know the ins and outs of Teams' features and functionalities, like:

• What they can do within an instant message.

• How to schedule, setup, and run a video meeting.

• Where to find important information and how to search for it.

You can also encourage them to explore the different channels, chat options, and collaboration tools already available within the platform and emphasize the importance of using Teams for all their communication needs.

Why is this important? Because making it easier for teams to stay on the same page streamlines their day-to-day workflows. When you encourage this type of collaboration, it has a direct impact on your business. Studies have shown that when companies encourage collaboration,their teams have five times the performance of those who don't.

And it should be an easy sell, because almost51 percent of employeesprefer instant messaging over email for internal communications.

Organize Channels Effectively

Create dedicated channels for specific projects, departments, or topics to streamline communication and avoid clutter. We recommend descriptive names and proper categorization to ensure team members can easily find everything.

Wondering what channels to create? Here's a checklist that can help:

1. Identify common topics or projects that need regular discussion within your team.

Goal: To figure out what types of channels you need

1. Determine the main activities your team engages in - brainstorming, document collaboration, etc.

Goal: To find out how your team will use said channels

1. Figure out what information should be shared company-wide and which should stay within a specific group.

Goal: To determine what channels should be public or private.

1. Review your corporate structure.

Goal:To see if mirroring that hierarchy would make it easier or harder for employees to communicate.

1. Create guidelines for each channel.

Goal:To ensure your team members know what the channel is for and how to use it well.

This checklist will help you build a detailed and easy-to-understand channel structure. Once your team has had some time to get to know the organization, check back in.

Are certain channels being used more than others? Archive the ones that no one uses.

Do your employees talk often and make jokes on channels that should only be about work? Make a "social" channel for the banter.

Have too many channels about similar topics? Consolidate them.

Don't be afraid to flex to fit your teams' evolving needs.

Two Examples of Teams Channel Structures

Walk-In Medical Clinic

• General

• Patient Care

• Administrative

• Training & Continuing Education

• IT Support

• Special Events

• Team Health (for building up staff morale)

Software Development Team

• General Announcements

• Curriculum & Instruction

• Student Affairs

• Facilities & Maintenance

• Finances

• Parent/Teacher Collaboration]

When team members know where to go to ask questions or search for answers, it not only reduces the time spent on research but also makes them feel more capable of doing their jobs well.

Utilize @Mentions Strategically

This seems simple, but you'd be surprised how many teams don't use this feature when they need it. To ensure timely responses and notifications, use@mentionsto notify team members directly in conversations or comments.

This helps draw attention to important messages and tasks, reduce response times, and improve teamwork across the board. In fact, research has shown that improved collaborationallows employees to do better work, innovate more, and be more satisfied at work.

Our only warning? Do not abuse this power. If you use @mentions too much, people will start to ignore them. Instead, only use them when you:

• Have an urgent update or request

• Want to call out a team member for their accomplishment(s)

• Remind them of an upcoming meeting or call

If the message isn't time-sensitive, message them normally.

Leverage Integrated Apps and Services

Don't stop with Teams! Bring other platforms into the mix. Take advantage of the wide range of integrated apps and services available in Teams - not just the Microsoft ones like Planner, SharePoint, or OneNotebut others like ClickUp, Salesforce, Zendesk, and more. Now, all your data isn't siloed away across multiple applications - it's all available in one location.

More accessible data can have far-reaching effects on employee productivity. According to a recent report,having a tool that integrates easily with others could save employees up to 12 hours of "work about work" each week,hours which they can reinvest into more critical projects instead of chasing down data.

Unifying Communications Helps Teams Feel Less Fractured!Sixty-eight percent of employeessay different groups use different communication tools, making it hard to share necessary information. And their work is suffering because of it. Thankfully, Teams can help.

Empowering Inclusive Meetings with Teams Rooms

According to a forecast by Gartner,over half of American knowledge workersare embracing a hybrid schedule. This means ensuring meetings are both flexible and engaging is more important than ever. And that's where Teams Rooms come in.

What are Teams Rooms?

There are two common definitions. The first is an app Microsoft created to bolt onto Teams and give you all sorts of video conferencing features.You can get limited capabilities for free or pay $40 per room per month.

Want to learn more about Teams Rooms?Check out this playlist of helpful videos.

The second refers to a dedicated space within your office. These Teams Rooms are equipped with the hardware and software you need to host meetings both in-office and remote employees can enjoy. It's a great way to put previously abandoned meeting rooms to good use!

Together, these two definitions form the base of Microsoft Teams Rooms. To set up a great meeting room, you'll need the Teams Rooms app.

But why? Why should you set up a Teams Room in your company? What's in it for you and your team? Well, we're glad you asked.

The Benefits of Teams Rooms

Here are some of the top benefits businesses have seen when adopting Teams Rooms:

More Inclusive Meetings

Teams Rooms bridge the gap between physical and remote attendees, making sure everyone can fully participate. It eliminates common barriers like connectivity issues and limited visibility, providing a wonderful experience for all participants. Plus, with clear audio and video, noise reduction, and speaker recognition, everyone can be seen and heard.

Boosts Engagement

With features like content sharing, raising hands, live reactions, and more, remote participants can easily engage with in-office colleagues without plugging in extra cables or worrying about wiring. All it takes to join the meeting is a single click, whether it's via Outlook, Teams, or an in-office panel.

Simple to Use and to Scale

With an intuitive interface and one-touch join capabilities, Teams Rooms are easy for employees to use. Because they can continue using Teams for audio and video control, their learning curve is far less steep. And if you add more users, your Teams Rooms can quickly grow alongside you.

How to Set Up Your Own Teams Room

First, choose the room.

Pick a suitable space that fits your team's needs. Hosting a lot of all-hands meetings? You might need a bigger conference room. Meeting with only three to four people at a time? Downsize to a smaller huddle room. Whatever you choose, be sure it has good internet and A/V connectivity.

Second, install the proper hardware.

To make the most of a Teams Room,you need Teams-certified devices. This includes things like cameras, microphones, speakers, and display screens. Each piece of hardware helps guarantee meeting participants are seen and heard with minimal tech glitches.

Wondering what hardware to choose?Check out the informative video on this page.

Third, configure your software.

Install the Teams Room app on a dedicated device and link it to your organizations' Teams account. We'd recommend a tablet or laptop that always stays in the meeting room - it makes it easier for the host to get everything started. Be sure to keep the software updated with the latest features and security.

Fourth, test everything.

You want to be sure everyone in your Teams Room can be seen and heard. And that means being very strategic about where you place your hardware. Experiment with different locations for microphones and cameras so everyone's in the frame and comes through clearly. Once you've decided on the proper organization, test everything thoroughly so you can address any technical glitches before any meetings begin.

Fifth, train your users.

The best Teams Room in the world means nothing if your team doesn't know how to use it. So, once everything's set up, be sure to walk them through the room layout, equipment controls, and software features so they know how to make the most of the space.

How to Optimize Your Teams Rooms

Once you've gotten your Teams Room set up, we'd recommend taking these steps to ensure you're getting the most bang for your buck:

Implement Room Scheduling

Use Outlook to streamline the room booking and reservation processes. Decide what meetings merit the Teams Room, how many people can be in the room at once, and how long a "standard meeting" should be. This will ensure that your employees use the Teams Room efficiently and prevent scheduling conflicts.

Standardize Your Settings

You want your meetings to be consistent, both in terms of quality and in terms of discussion. That means you need to set some standards. This includes setting up default meeting policies, configuring audio and video settings, and managing room devices from your admin portal. This will keep each meeting consistent and avoid any confusion down the line.

Enable One-Touch Meeting Management

Providing simpler meeting experiences starts with your IT team. Make sure they take the time to program your laptop, tablet, or Teams console so it allows in-office participants to join meetings and manage the room's audio, video, and presentation settings with just a few clicks.

No more awkward pauses while someone fumbles around for the correct cable or button. Now your presenters can streamline meetings and keep attendees' attention no matter what.

Working Together Well Saves You Money.According to Deloitte, effective team collaboration is worth almost $1,700 per employee per year. And the improvements made as a result are worth over $2,000 per employee per year.

Level-Up Your Productivity By Upgrading To Teams Premium

Now that we've covered the basics and the benefits of Teams Rooms, it's time to talk about Teams Premium. If you've already upgraded, congratulations! Feel free to scroll to the next header to determine how to make the most of it.

If you're on the fence about upgrading and have been for a while, here are a few questions you can ask to be sure you're ready:

• Are tasks like notetaking and meeting transcription eating up valuable time?

• Do you deal with a lot of sensitive information during meetings?

• Are virtual events like webinars becoming more important to you?

• Do you want to track engagement during meetings so you can keep improving?

If the answer's "yes," it's time to embrace the next step in cross-team collaboration. It's time for Teams Premium.

Harnessing Teams Premium to Your Advantage

As soon as you've made the switch, there are some key features and capabilities your team should start using immediately.

Speed Up Comprehension through AI-generated Notetaking

This isn't your regular spelling-mistake-filled transcription service. With Premium, your team can automatically generate meeting notes and tasks from live transcriptions, ensuring no action items are missed. These notes also have personalized timelines and speaker markers so you can navigate to the correct sections in seconds.

This goes for meeting recordings, too! The AI engine can easily break recordings into chapters and topics, making it easy for anyone who couldn't make it to review what was discussed.

Lock Down Your Meetings with Custom Security Measures

With so many teams working remotely, full-time or part-time, it can be challenging to ensure your meetings stay secure. Thankfully, Teams Premium has everything you need to keep your proprietary information under lock and key - metaphorically speaking.

• Premium's meeting watermarks protect attendees' content and videos from plagiarism or misuse.

• End-to-end encryption (E2EE) keeps conversations private and limits access to only invited participants.

Plus, Premium gives your IT team advanced controls to help you stay compliant through customizable meeting configurations and standardized templates.

Make Each Meeting Your Own with Flexible Branding

If you're meeting with an important client or hosting an informative webinar, you want them to know who they're talking to. Teams Premium lets you infuse your brand elements into meeting backgrounds, virtual backgrounds, and even in Together Mode to create a cohesive and engaging environment for participants. And it keeps your brand top-of-mind.

Get the Data You Need to Improve Your Meetings with Engagement Analytics

Ever wonder who raises their hands the most during meetings? Or if people who never turn their cameras on are listening? Teams Premium can help! It shows meeting organizers who reacted to messages, who raised their hands, and all kinds of other metrics to help you know how to engage with your team.

Teams also allows you to generate a summarized view of this information straight from the platform, so you can:

• Understand how different teams engage during meetings

• Follow up with quiet attendees to see if they have any questions

• Take the necessary steps to improve future meetings

With Teams Premium, you'll have the data you need to ensure your meetings are as productive as possible.

Let's Sum Up

And there you have it - just a few ways to maximize your Microsoft Teams investment. We've talked about using the basics, building better collaboration spaces, and the benefits of upgrading when you're ready.

But if you're looking for even more advice and support, there's one more way to get it - by partnering with a Teams-certified provider like FirstComm.

Want to Maximize Your Teams Investment from the Start? Partner with FirstComm!

Our experts know the platform inside and out and always seek to understand your goals now and in the future.With FirstComm by your side, you'll always have the support you need, from setting up your first Teams instance to expanding to new locations.

And let's not forget the other perks like:

• Exclusive discounts on Microsoft Teams products.

• Personalized training for your team.

• Top-tier support 24/7/365.

• And more, all designed to keep your collaboration ahead of the curve.

Ready to see how FirstComm can help you?Contact our team today, and we'll be happy to get you started. The best version of Teams is just a click away!