Stay Connected and Be Productive with Microsoft Teams

My personal point of view - Giselle Alaniz

As the pandemic mandated social distances all around the world, people had to start looking for places or platforms that could give a semblance of actual communication. Virtual interaction platforms like Microsoft Teams were able to give people a sense of togetherness and being with their loved ones. At the same time, they were able to forge online communities, where people came together from all walks of life for events, readings, and activities and stayed on for the engagement.

But imagine if your device constantly keeps creating hassles for you. Which, in turn, affects your online presence, isolating you from the virtual community just as much as you are physically isolated. The only way you can be a part of exciting things and recreate an actual get-together online is by investing in reliable Microsoft Teams meeting room devices. Buying a device that allows Microsoft Teams application to run smoothly can help you stay connected across the globe.

Not only this but personally, Microsoft Teams has been a great tool for me to conduct live events. In a short span of time, I have been able to help quite a few partners to get certified through these events.

With reliable Microsoft Teams meeting room devices, you can easily put your work online and engage with people conveniently. Like, providing online trainings on something you are particularly good at. Not only does it help you in keeping connected with people, but it also takes away the constant worries about your device, such as your device crashing unexpectedly or application lagging, etc.

I would also like to point out how Microsoft Teams has connected me with great people who are an absolute delight to work with. Especially Michel Bouman and Jeroen Jansen, who have been very generous in sharing their knowledge about the platform and helping others.

Productivity at Work

The whole world witnessed an unprecedented change in all walks of life. Similarly, our relationship with work and working spaces has also transformed dramatically. Imagine having to wake up an hour earlier for that Monday morning meeting, having breakfast in a hurry, dressing up while getting out, and rushing to get on the road to avoid traffic, all at once. However, that is no longer our reality. Work has now become more flexible. It now caters to our pace, much more than it did previously. And a lot of it can be credited to Microsoft Teams. With its versatile features and impeccable service, it has changed how we once perceived online conferencing.

But working remotely from the comfort of our homes also poses the risk of decreasing our productivity significantly. The motivation to work which we would derive from the office environment and our colleagues is no longer there. However, Microsoft Teams allows us to work together, helping us in staying motivated. Virtual interaction, aided by it, helps colleagues to be with each other. Not only this, but virtual coffee breaks are also helpful in de-stressing and regrouping your thoughts on a difficult workday. However, you require the right kind of technology to be able to utilize this platform and stay connected and productive.

The key to having a productive online meeting is to keep the attendee's attention and energy focused. With different activities and a seamless transmission, you can make sure that everybody is attentive. It becomes hard to retain attention given the physical disconnect, but Microsoft Teams' interactive platform can be very helpful.

Productivity also depends on your physical health and how does your body feel. And while everything, from work to casual conversations, is happening virtually, it is crucial to have devices that are comfortable to work on. Some devices are made in such a way that using them for long periods of time can cause neck sprains. You can completely avoid it by having technology that does not tire you out. So look out for devices that aid your virtual interaction in a way that does not take a toll on your body.

Considering that our use of online platforms has increased exponentially in the last year, we can no longer work on devices that are uncomfortable.

Countering Key Hurdles

Microsoft Teams proves to be particularly helpful on days when you have a bad connection. This platform does not immediately drop you from a meeting even if the connection is unstable or slightly weak. It will first give you a message about the weak connection. This means you can switch between networks while still being on call and not miss out on anything.

Moreover, you can always join an online meeting using the local number provided. This feature is particularly helpful when you are having network and connectivity issues. You can join the meeting while you figure out your internet.

Microsoft's Teams is also equipped with a breakout room feature which helps you manage a larger meeting better. You can create breakout rooms and create groups among your colleagues to work on a particular task while the meeting continues. You can join these rooms anytime, or you can also make an announcement for all groups. Once the rooms are closed, the participants will join back in the original meeting.

The chat feature for each online meeting that you create is available even before the meeting begins. This means that you can share important information, files and catch up on the agenda for the meeting. These chats are a perfect solution to store all your files related to the meeting, which helps you keep a better track.

Not only this, but you can also take notes, assign tasks, and track projects using the additional tools that are provided by the platform. Moreover, the meetings can be recorded and uploaded on the Microsoft cloud, making them easier to access for anyone in your network. This recording is automatically uploaded once the meeting ends. It is also equipped with the feature of searchable transcripts for these meetings, which makes it convenient for you to keep up with the group even if you miss out on a meeting.

Using Microsoft Teams on a personal device means you can use the platform to its full potential. The interface is easier and friendly on a meeting room device, with all options available in one toolbar. It also allows you to have a quick chat with your colleagues in the chat window. So there is improved collaboration.

Analytics to Improve Work

Another way this platform has aided my progress was by providing me with analytics. Through Microsoft Teams, I was able to measure participation in my live events. It shows you the attendance of the event. This way, you can know how many people are showing interest in one type of event so that you can do more of them. Similarly, the data will tell you when people are not engaging with your content, and so you can change it and keep up with changing interests.

Rethink the Idea of Online Meetings

While it is difficult to adapt to the idea of online meetings, we need to change our perceptions about it. We should not think of these meetings as a disconnected experience. Rather we should focus on engagement. Every meeting is a step towards the project completion.

It can be thought of as a lifecycle, a series of meetings, one after another, until the project is completed. Microsoft Teams is the perfect platform to support this lifecycle. It brings you all kinds of different features and gathers everyone together more efficiently. With everything in one place, you can save a lot of your time.

Teams provide you with a unique meeting experience, a remarkable alternate for your physical, face-to-face meetings. This unique experience is what keeps people focused before, during, and after the meeting.

Before

With the availability of relevant files, notes, previous meeting transcripts, and other features, participants can always prepare better for the meetings. Moreover, they can chat and collaborate even before the meeting begins. This, in turn, makes your meetings much more effective and productive.

During

While the meeting is going on, Teams ensure a seamless collaboration through its features. From co-authoring a PowerPoint presentation to hosting a group discussion with together mode, Teams ensures that the meeting is as close to a physical meeting as possible, or maybe even better.

After

Once the meeting ends, all the meeting assets, such as recordings, transcripts, etc., are saved in the conversation window for that meeting. All the team members can get back to this information whenever they like or even discuss anything using the chat feature long after the meeting is called off. This keeps everyone motivated and makes sure that nobody misses out.

Microsoft Packages

Microsoft also offers you multiple packages to ensure that Microsoft Teams devices are kept secure and continue to meet your requirements. The Microsoft Teams Rooms Standard device can be customized, and its management is automated. It is quite simple to use. Moreover, by having Microsoft Teams Rooms Premium, you don't even have to worry about handling the device. It allows Microsoft experts to manage the room operations through their Premium services. This means that the device functions efficiently and effortlessly. And also take away your stress of managing the operations.

Takeaway

I would not have been able to thrive in these testing times without having the ease and flexibility that Microsoft Teams ensures. And not only in terms of having live events and other activities but also in terms of connecting with amazing people. I now look forward to continuing collaborating with them for new events as we continue to stay connected and productive through Microsoft Teams meeting room devices. 

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