Teams Best Practices Microsoft Teams is a workspace for real-time collaboration and communication, meetings, file and app sharing, and even the occasional emoji! All in one place, all in the open, all accessible to everyone. Creating New Teams New Teams are created by the IT Department. Once the new Team is created, the owner can create additional channels and control access for additional users. For more information on managing Teams https://youtu.be/0PrqWoaA7kY?list=PLD3boy6eO4w_T3ZFThOUcA2LHhh17DjAf General Best Practices Use @mentions to get someone’s attention without overusing it. Keep messages concise and clear to improve readability. Use threads to keep conversations organized. Pin important channels and chats for quick access. Use status updates (Available, Busy, Do Not Disturb) to manage interruptions. Mute notifications during focus time to minimize distractions. Meetings & Calls Schedule meetings in advance and include an agenda in the invite. Use Together Mode or Large Gallery View for better engagement in large meetings. Mute yourself when not speaking to reduce background noise. Use background blur or virtual backgrounds for a professional look. Record meetings when necessary for reference, ensuring all attendees are informed. Use Live Captions for accessibility and better understanding. Collaboration & File Management As noted above, new Teams can be created by requesting creation from the IT Team. Channels will be managed by the Team owner(s). Store and share files in Teams, OneDrive, or SharePoint instead of email attachments. Provide a link in the e-mail to the location of the file. Use co-authoring in Office apps for real-time collaboration. Allows for multiple user modifications of files and elimination of multiple file versions. Maintain version control to avoid confusion over document updates. Set appropriate permissions for shared files and channels. Channel & Chat Organization Create dedicated channels for specific topics instead of using general chat. Use Tabs to pin important resources (Planner, OneNote, Websites). Archive or delete old channels that are no longer relevant. Use moderation in channels to manage who can post. Security & Compliance Follow company policies on data sharing and external access. Be cautious with guest access and limit permissions. Do not share confidential information with external participants. Report suspicious messages or activity to IT support.