15 rules you can implement to become a Teams First company

When I started in January as CEO of Xylos group one of the first things we implemented was a Microsoft Teams First mindset. Meaning we at Xylos use Microsoft Teams by default for all internal communication. Yup, we stopped using email for internal stuff.

During this Covid-19 pandemic, many organizations are rapidly adopting Microsoft Teams.

Too often they are forgetting to also implement a clear governance structure and guidelines on how it should be used. This will inevitably lead to inefficiency, frustrations, and a significant loss of productivity. In order to avoid this and maximize Microsoft Teams one of the things we at Xylos agreed on are 15 rules which are applicable to everyone in the company:

1. We always have MS Teams open on your computer and everyone has the app on their smartphone.
2. We don’t send any e-mails anymore for internal stuff, our default mindset is to use Teams.
3. We forward emails first. Still, need some input on an email? Forward it to your Microsoft Teams channel. Since each channel has its own email address, you won’t have to worry about cluttering your inbox with a long thread of responses.
4. We keep things short & informal. As the name suggests, Microsoft Teams is best suited for communication with colleagues you know well. Although it’s recommended to keep conversations short and informal.
5. We use the ‘like’ ?? button to save time when someone needs your sign off.
6. When we create a Teams group we always add a ‘code’ in the nameW_ => Workgroup (e.g. W_OneXylos), P_ => Project, C_ => Customer.
7. We all modify our notifications settings to avoid receiving emails about chat conversations .
8. We always use Teams for internal calls, for meetings with many participants (+15) you may use the Zoom app in order to be able to see everyone on your screen (gallery view).
9. We all follow our activity feed, to be aware of what’s happening.
10. We don’t start new conversations on the same subject, we always reuse the previous chat.
11. We archive or delete the teams we don’t use any more.
12. We use Teams for documents we are collaborating on.
13. We leverage bots and we try new apps to improve our life (e.g. Polly) which we can access via the Teams App Store.

1. We use @mention to tag people in conversations.
2. We always use the reply button in chats instead of starting a new conversation.

Curious to know more about the other tips & tricks, governance frameworks and guidelines we implement to maximize your productivity of Teams? Don't hesitate to contact me via [email protected]

#Microsoft #Teams #Xylos