Getting the most out of Microsoft Teams
Jumping into Microsoft Teams without much education on it will probably mean missing a few tricks. New features are released regularly, and Microsoft is forever improving the tool. They’re making it more collaborative, more productive, and ultimately, more human.
To give every one of their users the best opportunity for mastering Teams, Microsoft offers various resources. Here’s an overview of them:
Microsoft Teams Quick Start guide
Ideal for: those in a rush and are new to the platform.
The clue’s in the name. It’s a short, easily digestible PDF outlining the basics you’ll need to get going. If you’re rather new to working digitally then it may help. Otherwise, you can skip it.
Read the guide here.
Video training from Microsoft’s support section
Ideal for: people who like to get a clear foundation of the basics before using a new tool.
This is, in effect, the official 101. It's a user manual but a little less dull and heavy. This will give the newbie everything they need to know from the ground up. How to manage meetings, how to set up and attend live events etc.
Videos are short, so expect this resource to be light. These videos sit within a broader support section, offering articles and listicles on other helpful topics. However, the critical foundational training is within the video section.
Access the video training here.
365 YouTube Channel
Ideal for: those who want deeper insight into how Teams works in the field.
Amidst all sorts of helpful content, lies a series on Microsoft Teams 101. It covers much of the basics that the support video section covers. There are tips on running effective meetings and other advanced tricks.
These go beyond the tool itself and into management best practices. Where this section excels, though is in how it presents mock scenarios. E.g. how does Sally in the marketing department set up and manage an event within teams? How does Derek, the engineer, share his test results with his team?
Find the Microsoft 365 YouTube channel here.
Instructor-led training
Ideal for: those who like learning in groups and don’t want any knowledge gaps.
Not everyone is a self-teacher. Microsoft clearly know that some people want to be schooled. Microsoft’s live training classes are free and need to be registered for in advance. Still, worth it. They cover everything from the basics, to running effective meetings, to app integration.
Most of the sessions are one hour long. And most of them have an attractive claim in their blurb. Many start with “after this session, you will be able to…” Fill in the blank with various typical user goals. There’s even a section on mastering working from home.
Access the instructor-led training here.
Some honourable mentions
Here are a few more of Microsoft’s resources that could prove helpful.
The Microsoft Teams blog is an area devoted to Microsoft Teams best practices, news, and trends. “3 Microsoft Teams apps for running productive standups while working remotely” or “Reach the right people faster with tags in Microsoft Teams”. These can be nice if you fancy a more editorial style to your learning.
In customer stories you can read a range of articles on the ways large corporations have found success with teams. And in the technical section there’s information for developers and admins.
Not surprisingly, there’s a wealth of knowledge out there if you want to learn teams properly. If you fancy paying, then Lynda and LinkedIn – both Microsoft owned – offer a library of lessons that can get super granular.
Whatever you pick will vary depending on how you like to learn. Either way, you can’t afford not to pick a path. Learning anything is usually a significant time investment. But it’s negligible compared to the days you’ll save when you’re a fully-fledged, Teams power user.
If you have read through the above and would prefer a human helping hand, or you don’t use Teams yet and this has piqued your interest, then get in touch.
As a Microsoft Gold Partner, and proven experts in Microsoft 365, we can help your business both with Teams integrations and getting the most out of all Microsoft 365 tools.
