Microsoft Teams: Tips and Tricks

Hundreds of thousands of different teams are using Microsoft Teams to accomplish shared objectives. You and your colleagues can work remotely on projects together, communicate, share files, and more without spending a dime.

A new post on our site, How to Set Up Microsoft Teams, covers the basics of starting the program. It is now necessary to familiarize oneself with it. Today’s article offers advice and suggestions for remote workers using Microsoft Teams.

If you’re starting with remote work or looking for ways to be more productive, give these suggestions a go.

Remote work checklist: How to stay true to the course

First things first: before getting down to business, every remote worker should perform these generic things. If you want to get your game on while working from home, these suggestions will show you how to set up an ideal workspace.

1. Make sure you have a good work area. Before doing anything else, verify that your current work environment meets all of your requirements. Locate an area that is peaceful and free of distractions. Minimize your distractions by keeping only the essentials close by. Things like snacks, company, and cell phones take your focus away from your work. To keep your snacks organized, we suggest a dedicated table or stand. 

   Pro tip: If your phone isn’t an essential tool for your job, you should put it away. Turning off your phone’s notifications is a great way to get more done.
   

2. Make better use of apps to boost your productivity. We live in a technologically advanced world where there’s no excuse not to use software to your advantage. Time management, daily goal setting, and distraction blocking are all possible with the help of apps. 
3. Keep yourself healthy. Many people put their health on the back burner when working from home. Your mind and spirit will suffer if you sit in front of a screen for long periods. Engage in physical activity, stay hydrated, consume a balanced diet, and take periodic breaks to move around. 
4. Keep in touch with your team. Believe us when we say that your team is just as interested in hearing about your plans as you are in hearing about theirs. Use tools like Microsoft Teams to constantly update them on your progress, schedule, and meeting availability. 
5. Make sure everyone feels welcome. Remote work moves at a different pace than in-person work. Always remember to include your teammates in discussions, texts, and calls and pay close attention to what they have to say. By being kind and inviting, you can make sure that everyone on the team gets an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas. 
6. Socialize with your colleagues. Working from home will limit your opportunities for in-person interactions with coworkers. Maintain high morale with your fantastic team by making use of direct messaging, creating a general chatting channel in Microsoft Teams, and engaging in casual conversation. 
7. Take some time to relax. Many people who work from home find it difficult to unwind after a long day. Following a routine can help you get things done, and then you can unplug from work by doing something enjoyable, like walking or bathing. Remember that you shouldn’t feel obligated to work nonstop simply because you have the option to. (And remember to underload yourself!)

After you’ve arranged your workstation according to the aforementioned checklist, how can you maintain concentration when working from a distance?

Methods for maximizing efficiency in remote teams

Several distinct obstacles will arise as you acclimate to the speed of working remotely. Your team will be more equipped to face and conquer these obstacles with the proper routines.

Regular status updates

Reporting to your teammates on your progress benefits everyone involved. Keeping your coworkers and yourself apprised of your daily accomplishments will encourage you to work harder and more efficiently. This can further improve communication while also establishing healthy behaviours. Positive comments about your team make a difference, so leave one.

Organize meetings virtually

Meeting virtually is crucial for remote workers. You can strategize, communicate, and consult with your team to compensate for being alone at home. Promote using video calls as a means of face-to-face communication with your staff.

Make sure to capture all of your meetings.

Due to everyone’s hectic schedules, it can be difficult to reschedule meetings to catch up on those who were absent or who forgot important information. If your team is open to recording meetings and sharing them in a dedicated channel, you can help everyone stay up-to-date or review important points at any time.

Team activities

Schedule team activities to stay inclusive. Healthily motivate one another by collaborating on files and projects, making boards, or thinking up creative challenges. Teams get together through various activities, which boosts morale and energy levels even on dull days.

Microsoft Teams: essential knowledge for every remote worker

Take advantage of channels.

A well-established channel system is a hallmark of a first-rate team organization. Please make sure you form several groups and provide each member of those groups with their channel to participate in. Create dedicated channels for teams like “designers” and “developers” to keep your projects organized, and use general channels like “suggestions” and “reports” for general team communication. Make sure to include some fun, general chat rooms and channels!

Filter your activity feed.

The activity feed is disorganized utilizing the filter feature; you have the ability to command Teams to show only certain items, such as direct replies to your messages, unread messages, @mentions, and more. It will obstruct your path to the items you want. By using the filter option, you can restrict Teams from displaying just certain items, such as direct answers to your messages, unread messages, @mentions, and more. Make good use of this to train your brain to focus better by reducing distractions.

Quick commands.

You may complete tasks quickly by putting commands into the search box at the top of your Teams window. There are numerous commands available in the application. However, most of these will only be utilized by some people. To get you hooked on commands, here are some of our favourites:

• Call: Make a call to anyone in your team’s organization.
• /testcall: Evaluate your current call quality.
• /away: Change your status to away.
• Goto: Quickly navigate to a channel or team.
• /whatsnew: Check out the newest Microsoft Teams news.
• /help: Get help with Microsoft Teams.

Bookmark essential messages.

You can bookmark a vital message and any connected material. You can save a message by clicking the three dots in the upper right corner and then choosing “Save this message” from the menu that appears. To find your bookmarks, type saved into the search field, and you will never lose another post.

Rich text editor

Using the Rich Text Editor, you may write nicely styled messages without unintentionally sending them before they are ready. Before you begin typing, click the first icon under the input area (the letter A with a pencil) to start crafting your message. ) and begin composing your message. Add a title, indicate the message’s importance, use formatting, add bullet points, and much more.

You can attach pre-formatted messages by clicking the Send icon located in the text editor’s lower right corner.

Do Not Disturb

You are most effective when you are entirely concentrated. In this state, even a single notification can divert your attention and keep you from working. Microsoft Teams lets you change your status to Do Not Disturb, which means you will not receive pop-up notifications.

To enable Do Not Disturb, type /dnd into the search bar. Once you have finished your work, type /available to turn it off.

Use GIFs and stickers.

Keep things exciting and energized by using GIFs and stickers and even creating fun visuals – memes — to share with your colleagues. These can be used as a rapid response to communications or to lighten the mood in appropriate channels. Click on the corresponding icons that appear beneath the message input field to gain access to these features.

Other tools that may be useful to you

While Microsoft Teams handles communication, online meetings, file sharing, and collaboration, we encourage using additional products in conjunction with it. While these tools are optional to sustain an effective remote work style, they can be helpful for those looking for extra ways to improve attention and productivity.

Time Doctor

Time Doctor is an excellent application suited to more giant corporations and organizations. It enables you to track employee time and provide precise, powerful reports. Get an accurate snapshot of productivity and payroll.

Hubstaff Tasks

Hubstaff Tasks is a beautiful complement to your Microsoft Teams workflow because it focuses only on task creation. What you say in Teams during a meeting or in a channel can be routed directly to Hubstaff, where it can be categorized and managed.

Freehand

Use Freehand’s interface with Microsoft Teams to collaborate on a virtual whiteboard. Team members can utilize comments, drawings, and other visual elements to discuss designs, layouts, and other topics.

Conclusion

We hope this essay has taught you more about remote work with Microsoft Teams. To get started with the application, refer to our How to Set Up Microsoft Teams guide.

See our other articles and the resources in our Help Center to find out how technology can enhance your remote work experience. Please let us know if you have any further questions concerning this subject.