What E-Mail Users Don’t Want You to Know About Microsoft Teams

We've all heard complaints about receiving too many emails and how some of us feel overwhelmed by all the notifications, most of which seem to come from emails, followed closely by instant messaging. Some of us try to address this by using MS Teams Channels, and I'd like to highlight some of its features that are really useful and worth discussing. However, maybe it's just me, but I don’t see much discussion about this.

So what are the problems it can solve?

Knowledge silos, transparency and general awareness

In a typical corporate environment, information is either sent only to those who must know and need to take action, or to those who should take action while copying everyone else. If people aren’t copied, they simply won’t know—easy, simple, clear. The problem is, if they don’t know, they don’t know. If they are copied, they might know, but many of us, upon realizing we're just on copy, file the email away and never look back. Now, let’s assume in this example that we aren’t copied and don’t have the option to check what’s being discussed in the office. The worst part? We don’t even realize what we’re missing.

So, how can Teams Channels help? First, we notify only those who need to be involved, but that doesn’t mean others can’t see the conversation. We can mention the colleagues we want to involve initially, but if someone wants to check what others are working on, they can easily browse the channels. The channels even turn bold to give a hint that something new has happened.

Less notification (channel based notification)

When posting in a channel, you have several options for getting attention. I'd like to explain channel-based notifications. This involves mentioning the channel in your post, usually, it's as simple as typing @channel. This will notify all users who have the channel set to visible, allowing them to choose which information they want to be notified about. Of course, if a user hides the channel, they won't receive notifications but can still visit it whenever they're interested in seeing what's new.

The team owner can set a few channels to be visible by default, but this is limited, usually to around 10 channels, even though you can have up to 1,000 channels in total. So, users need to take action to stay informed. If you post in the relevant channel but notify everyone unnecessarily, it creates a 'cry wolf' situation, where users will gradually start ignoring the notifications.

Minimize issues with leavers and newcomers

Having conversations and files in the channel makes them independent of the user(s) who created them. Anyone joining the team can browse through previous discussions and access old files, even if the original user has left the company. There's no need to forward anything, everything is there, organized by the latest activity.

Easier to read the conversation

Email threads can be frustrating, especially with many recipients. You get flooded with replies, sometimes about issues already resolved. You’re stuck in the thread, even if it’s unrelated to you, and have to dig through signatures and timestamps for a simple answer. This hassle often leads people to stop responding to avoid adding to the clutter.

With channels, you notify only those involved, and they can mute notifications if needed. Replies stay current without the clutter, and everyone stays informed.

Conversation from meetings is kept in the channel

You can also organize meetings directly in a channel. This has the advantage of allowing you to send email invitations to everyone on the team, or simply mention the channel, tag, or specific colleagues in the meeting invitation. Once the meeting is live, anyone can see who’s attending, join, and participate. If there’s any conversation during the meeting or if it’s recorded, everything is right there in the channel for easy access!

Connected approvals are more clear

This is a slightly more technical topic but bear with me. In workflows needing approvals, you can assign a team or tag to handle specific steps, keeping the process flexible as team roles change. Team owners can update members without altering the workflow. Plus, automated reminders and decision logs show who approved what, keeping everything transparent.

Risks to watch!

Training, training, training

Among others, users must understand the difference between mentioning a team and mentioning a channel (and making sure channels are visible). This needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, or else you'll face endless complaints.

Files

All Office files can be easily edited by anyone on the team, sometimes even by accident. If you need to share a document that shouldn’t be edited, I recommend using a PDF or storing the file in a separate site collection. Microsoft doesn’t recommend changing file permissions within a team; instead, permissions should be managed through team membership.

Dedicated Channels for Repeating Topics

Any recurring topic should have its own channel. Using channel mentions is only appropriate when the channel is dedicated to a specific topic. Having channels organized by topics also makes it easier for users to find the information they’re looking for.

Bye Bye, Email

Once you decide to move away from email for internal communication, commit to it fully. Stop using email for internal discussions, avoid using chat for lengthy conversations, and forward all emails requiring further discussion to the relevant channel. A clear, strict shift is necessary, or you'll end up with notifications from every direction. However, email may still be needed for external communication, and chat can still be used for short, simple exchanges.

From Top to Bottom

If you’re planning to use channels for company-wide communication, the approach should be initiated by top management. It’s essential that mentioning individuals in a channel is seen not as a way to mob colleagues, but as a way to foster a collaborative and transparent environment.