How to avoid the mistakes companies make when they start with Teams

Was there a rush to get Microsoft Teams up and running when everyone suddenly needed to work from home?

Are you tired of Team Chaos?

If you are in a hurry, it is very common for lots of Teams to be created and each Team has different ways of working. Files are put in holes about noise and no one finds anything that someone else has created. Teams become a source of frustration instead of a great collaboration tool.

Start in a good way

Here are some tips for restarting (or rebooting) Teams in a good way.

*Rather start with a few teams and channels and create more if necessary*

Start with a plan

Step one in the process is to lay out a plan. Take a step back and think What needs you have in terms of communication, file management and permissions - it's much cheaper to make the mistakes “on the drawing board”. It is also important to communicate the plan so that everyone pulls in the same direction.

It's easier to add than remove

It's very easy to create new Teams and channels, but just because it's easy doesn't mean it's good. Too many Teams and channels cause your internal communications and files to be scattered and you have a hard time finding and getting a complete picture.

I'd rather start with a few teams and channels and break out when you notice there is a need but be sure to avoid renaming Team afterwards as it can cause structure issues.

Take the opportunity to structure and clear

A file move is a good opportunity to create structure and order so “think before” and think through What information structure is right for you best - should all Teams basically have roughly the same structure or is it unique to each team.

Create a structure for what you want to keep and clear away what you don't need to save.

Move to the cloud

The advantage of having the files in the cloud is that you can access the files wherever you are and you can switch between desktop, tablet and mobile without having to mess with moving files. Move the files you want to keep and continue to work with Teams and the cloud. DO NOT work with local copies.

Think about educating

Teams is a powerful collaboration tool with lots of great features, but in order to dare and want to use a new application, most people need training. Make sure it is easily accessible and Encourage everyone to take their time to educate themselves.