Tips for working from home with Microsoft
Microsoft is a favorite collaboration and production platform for businesses. Using Microsoft Teams and the rest of the Microsoft Suite, here are our best tips to make working from home a success.
Make your meetings go further
When you are working from home, your calendar can rapidly fill with meetings. Meetings are the main form of exchange to convey new information to a large group of individuals, allowing time for questions and clarifications.
Unfortunately, meetings can be draining. They require a strong focus, which isn’t always easy to maintain. People can get forgetful or confused after a long day of meetings. But you can make it more manageable for the team.
Record when allowed
Microsoft Teams offers a recording feature for all your online meetings. It’s best to check with your host if the meeting can be recorded. However, it saves participants the task of taking notes. It’s also a great tool if you want to remind yourself of a former meeting.
Make the most of the chat
Using the chat function lets participants and the hosts share documents and data related to the meeting. This is a great place for redirecting participants to existing resources, ensuring everyone is on the same page.
Set an agenda
The typical office life encourages a habit of spontaneous meetings. Yet, when the office becomes virtual, spontaneous meetings with no agenda do not belong in your schedule. A meeting with no agenda is unproductive and can increase stress levels.
Use the magic whiteboard
The Team Room System content-capture camera, or magic whiteboard, allows the host to use an analog whiteboard. The content is shared automatically with participants.
Ensure safe and fast access
For best results, businesses must keep their network and equipment safe and functional.
Secure and strategic infrastructure
Keeping laptops up-to-date with the latest security update and tool migration checks is a no-brainer. For remote teams, managed IT services to protect the devices and the infrastructure will preserve productivity.
Use a password manager
How many passwords does the average employee need to use in a day? The answer is more than 70. While users only need to remember one password for their Microsoft Account, integrating non-MS tools means different passwords.
Using a password manager can keep your team’s Microsoft accounts safe as they don’t compromise the password by using it more than once.
Focus on people
The virtual office can be an overwhelming jungle of digital information. Employees can experience data fatigue when working from home. But Microsoft has got smart features to regain focus.
Blur backgrounds
Participants have the opportunity to blur their webcam background in a meeting. It can prevent distractions for other guests.
Mute loud background
When a participant joins a meeting while in a loud environment, you can mute their microphone to avoid confusion and noise.
Show rather than tell
Being able to share your screen in a meeting makes it easier to convey new and complex information. An image speaks a thousand words, as the saying goes.
Communicate effectively
Microsoft Teams encourage collaborative and smart exchanges, saving time and effort for everyone via:
- Channel notification alerts
- Relevant channels pin
- Tabs use to collaborate on other MS platforms seamlessly
- Chat vs. emails for group questions or announcements
In conclusion, maximizing the benefits of Microsoft tools when working from home requires a strategic approach, encompassing cybersecurity, remote work best practices, and MS-centric features.
