Microsoft Teams is included with most Microsoft 365 subscriptions. Many businesses start using it without much planning. They create teams, add channels, and hope it works. But Teams works better when you set it up thoughtfully and use it consistently.
We’ve helped businesses that were struggling with Teams. Too many teams, disorganised channels, people not knowing where to find information, important messages getting lost. These problems are usually fixable, but they require some planning and structure.
Here’s how to use Teams effectively in small businesses, based on what we’ve seen work and what doesn’t.
organise Teams and Channels Thoughtfully
Don’t create a team for everything. Too many teams make it hard to find information and create confusion about where things belong. Start with a few teams for major areas: maybe one for the whole company, one for specific departments, and one for major projects.
Use channels to organise topics within teams. A team might have channels for different projects, different topics, or different functions. Keep channels focused and purposeful. If a channel isn’t being used, archive it or delete it.
Name teams and channels clearly. Use names that make sense to everyone, not just the person who created them. “Marketing” is better than “MKTG-Proj-2024.” Clear names make it easier for people to find what they need.
Set up default channels that make sense for your business. A general channel for announcements. A random channel for informal conversation. Project-specific channels as needed. Having a structure helps people know where to post things.
Establish Communication Guidelines
Teams supports different types of communication: posts in channels, private chats, video calls, and meetings. Help people understand when to use each. Not everything needs to be a meeting, and not everything needs to be a channel post.
Use channel posts for information that multiple people need to see or that should be preserved for reference. Use private chats for quick questions or conversations that don’t need to be public. Use meetings for discussions that benefit from real-time conversation.
Set expectations about response times. Not everything is urgent. Help people understand what requires immediate attention and what can wait. This reduces stress and makes Teams more manageable.
Use @mentions thoughtfully. Mentioning someone notifies them, which is useful for important messages but annoying if overused. Use @channel or @team sparingly, only for things that actually need everyone’s attention.
Manage Files and Documents
Teams integrates with SharePoint for file storage. Files shared in Teams are stored in SharePoint, which is good for collaboration but can create confusion if people don’t understand how it works.
Help people understand where files are stored and how to access them. Files in Teams channels are in SharePoint and can be accessed through Teams or directly through SharePoint. This flexibility is useful, but it requires some explanation.
Use the Files tab in channels to organise documents. Create folders for different types of files or different projects. Keep things organised so people can find what they need.
Be careful with file permissions. When you share a file in Teams, it’s shared with everyone in that team. Make sure people understand this, and use private channels or direct sharing when files need to be restricted.
Use Meetings Effectively
Teams meetings are useful, but they can be overused. Not everything needs to be a meeting. Use meetings for discussions that benefit from real-time conversation, not for one-way information sharing.
Record important meetings if people need to review them later. But be mindful of storage and privacy. Recordings take up space, and they might contain sensitive information. Don’t record everything, just what’s actually useful.
Use meeting notes and transcripts. Teams can generate transcripts and notes from meetings, which helps people who couldn’t attend or who need to review what was discussed. These features make meetings more useful.
Set up meeting rooms and equipment properly. If you have physical meeting rooms, configure them to work with Teams. This makes hybrid meetings easier and more effective.
Integrate with Other Tools
Teams integrates with many other Microsoft 365 tools and third-party applications. Use these integrations to make Teams more useful. Connect it to your project management tools, your CRM, or other applications your business uses.
Use apps and bots that add functionality. There are many Teams apps available that can help with specific tasks. But don’t add too many. Too many apps create clutter and confusion. Choose apps that actually add value.
Use Power Automate to automate workflows. If you have repetitive tasks that involve Teams, you might be able to automate them. This saves time and reduces errors.
Connect Teams to your phone system if you have one. Teams can replace traditional phone systems, which can save money and simplify communication. But this requires proper setup and configuration.
Security and Compliance
Teams has security and compliance features that should be configured properly. Guest access, external sharing, data retention, and compliance policies. These settings matter for security and regulatory compliance.
Control guest access. Teams allows external users to be added as guests, which is useful for collaboration but creates security considerations. Configure guest access policies to balance collaboration and security.
Set up data retention policies. Decide how long Teams data should be retained and configure policies accordingly. This matters for compliance and for managing storage costs.
Use sensitivity labels if you have sensitive information. Teams supports sensitivity labels that help classify and protect information. This is especially important for businesses in regulated industries.
Training and Adoption
Teams has many features, and people won’t discover them all on their own. Provide training on the features that matter for your business. Focus on what people actually need to know, not every possible feature.
Create documentation or guides for common tasks. How to create a team, how to share files, how to schedule meetings. Having reference materials helps people use Teams effectively.
Encourage consistent use. If Teams is your primary communication tool, make sure people actually use it. Don’t let important information live only in email or other systems. Centralize communication in Teams.
Get feedback and adjust. Ask people what’s working and what isn’t. Adjust your Teams setup based on how people actually use it. What works for one business might not work for another.
Making Teams Work
Teams can be a powerful tool for collaboration and communication, but it requires some planning and structure. organise teams and channels thoughtfully. Establish communication guidelines. Manage files properly. Use meetings effectively. Integrate with other tools. Configure security and compliance. Provide training and support.
If you’re struggling with Teams, or if you want help setting it up properly, let’s discuss it. We’ve helped businesses configure and use Teams effectively and can help you develop a strategy that works for your situation.