In November 2019, Microsoft Teams was at 20 million daily users. In April 2021, Microsoft Teams reached an astonishing 145 million daily users. A lot of quick decisions were necessary in 2020 due to COVID-19 and a fast shift in the way we work. The rapid adoption of Microsoft Teams and other collaboration platforms is part of the movement forward that changed the technology culture forever.
Knowing that some of these decisions were made with unplanned agendas, now your IT Team must go back and reevaluate the business for gaps in security, compliance, and, more importantly, ensuring user education and adoption. They have a long road ahead in making sure your data is safe and properly governed, whether you are staying home or returning to the office.
As a day-to-day user at your business, you have your own job responsibilities, and learning new technology products at the same time is probably no picnic, especially during a pandemic. Adopting new technology is even a challenge for the tech-savvy user since the change was so overwhelming the past eighteen months.
When it comes to Microsoft Teams, here are some suggestions you can take to make your future work-life more enjoyable while enabling your IT Team to do their jobs more efficiently:
1. Immerse yourself.
Be the first to adopt. Fear and confusion are the top inhibitors of user adoption, not just with collaboration platforms but in just about any scenario. One of the great things about Microsoft Teams is that it is clean and straightforward to use. You really cannot break anything.
The only mistake a user can make is not to take the time to explore the tool. Teams is so much more than just a chatbox. Take Teams Calendar, for example. A meeting can quickly be scheduled from a chat session with just a few clicks. No typing needed!
2. Respect the policies.
You may be working for an organization that does not allow you to create your own Teams. You may feel this defeats the purpose of having the tool. Keep in mind that a single Team, once created, touches several products and resources behind the scenes for the magic of collaboration to happen. New team creation on the fly can lead to a management nightmare for your IT Team. Creating the team must make sense for the business.
As a Teams user, you can do your part to protect yourself and your corporate data while maximizing the features available by respecting the guard rails your IT team put in place. Instead of focusing on what you cannot do, continue exploring the great things you can do within Teams.
3. Centralize your work life.
The technology you use at home might be limited. Maybe you have just a laptop and an extra monitor, or even less than that. These gaps make for a more challenging workday since you have so many tools to manage.
Microsoft Teams lets you manage your Microsoft apps and non-Microsoft apps all in the Teams app itself, for a convenient, single location and pane of glass to work with daily. Websites, SharePoint sites, and even Outlook online can all integrate into your Teams, allowing for effortless management of your day.
4. Share your discoveries.
When you discover something cool in Teams, share it with your co-workers. If all users become more efficient, it circles back to enabling your efficiency throughout the day. Becoming a screen-sharing ninja is a great place to start. Your IT Team will appreciate the help.
Keep in mind that Microsoft is known for constant updates. So, don’t get frustrated if the button you click on every day gets moved. Many of these new changes are not about making things more complicated but making room for more innovative products to be incorporated into the app. If you’re confused about anything, it is O.K. to ask for help. These days we are all trying to keep up, even the experts.
Rick Trujillo is the MicroAge cloud business director, heading up our cloud initiatives and partnering with IT leaders to maintain their momentum and competitive edge. Rick has more than three decades of experience in technology and is dedicated to supporting organizations in driving their cloud-first approach while maximizing performance and value.
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