Getting Started With Microsoft Teams
Are you looking for a new way to connect with members of your organization? Microsoft Teams is the collaboration app you’ve been waiting for. In this video, we discuss how Teams can elevate your company in both efficiency and communication.
Microsoft Teams is designed to help organizations stay connected when physically apart. Using Teams to chat with others, set up meetings, manage a calendar, share files, use apps, and have audio or video calls will make any business more cohesive. Through Teams information sharing features, collaboration will be easier than ever.
The navigation bar will help you work your way through Teams. It is located on the left-hand side of the screen, and it has tabs for activity, chat, teams, calendar, calls, files, and apps. This bar is where all notifications are held. You will know how many notifications you have based on the number next to each tab.
A team is a collection of people, content, and tools that help you do work within your business. Each team has different channels, with a general channel always being present. The general channel is where you can share information that all members of the team need to see. Additional channels within the team are used for individual projects that do not pertain to everyone. One way to think of these two is by thinking of teams as a way to organize people, and channels as a location to do work and hold data.
You may have a team for your whole business, each department, and more for each project that is being worked on. While everyone should be included in the company-wide team, not all members should be included in the more specific teams, just the ones relevant to them.
Notifications are used in many different areas of Teams. Channels that have new activity will be bolded until you check them. To see your notifications across all of Teams, check the activity tab on the navigation bar. Here you can use keywords to filter through all your notifications, helping you find specific ones.
Private conversations that are held between you and other members are found under the chat tab. Video and audio calls are also placed here. The calendar shows your schedule for the day, workweek, or week, making you more organized. Calls, if enabled for your organization, can capture voicemails or be used for individual calls. Naturally, all files shared through Teams can be found in the Files area. Under the Apps tab, you can access additional features to make the most out of Teams. That’s an area you definitely want to utilize. Also, your profile picture, which takes you to the profile section, lets you change settings, set your status, or use other areas of Teams related to yourself.
In Teams, pretty much anyone in the organization can create a team. To do this, select “join or create team”, then “create team”, “build a team from scratch” or “create from an existing team”, and pick the type of team you would like to create. After this, you will add the name and description, hit “create”, add the team members, and select “add”. Depending on the settings you use, the team will be either private or public.
The Teams chat has a variety of options, including changing the format of your message and adding an attachment, emoji, sticker, GIF, praise, or stream. It is also possible to edit messages after they’ve been sent. Reactions can be used as a lighthearted way to show your response to someone else’s message. The compose box, another feature when chatting, is opened through formatting and can change the text of a message or make a message into an announcement.
Mentions help you draw attention to specific messages in the chat. People, channels, or teams can be tagged through mentions. To use a mention, type @ and then the person or group you would like to add. This will create an indicator for the tag, which will pop up next to the chat.
A person in a team can be either an owner, member or guest. To change a member’s role, use the “manage teams” section. As an owner of a team, you can manage the team by hovering over the team’s name, selecting “more options” (three dots), and hitting “manage team”. This is where you can change members or delete the team. Only owners can invite guests to a team. It is good practice to have more than one owner in a team so that multiple people can handle the administrative duties without everything falling on one person.
Channels can be created by anyone. It does not require being an owner. Similar to teams, channels can be public or private. Three tabs are at the top of each channel: Posts, Files, and Wiki. Posts is used to share information between members. Under the Files tab, files can be worked on or stored. Drafts can be collaborated on in real-time by using Wiki. More options can be added to the tabs by pressing the + button.
To create a new chat, use the shortcut Ctrl + N. Under the chat tab, you can also make audio calls, video calls, or screen share. If you receive a message while outside of the chat area, a notification will pop up alerting you. Chats of people you talk to regularly can also be pinned to the top of the page for convenience.
Using the calendar, you can schedule meetings with anyone, including people outside of your organization or non-Teams users. To see other members’ availability, use the scheduling assistant to pull up their calendars and schedule a time. The “meet now” option will become available to you once a meeting is set up.
The command box is one of the easiest methods for navigating through Teams. You can either search for keywords or use commands by typing / and then what you would like to do. You can also do this by using the shortcut Ctrl + /.
Are You Ready To Get Started With Teams?
Microsoft Teams is a valuable tool for any business looking to work more cohesively when out of the office or otherwise separated. Do you want to make the switch to Teams? If so, reach out to us. At DeVeera, we want your company to be as successful as possible. Feel free to contact us online or by phone today.
