Top 3 tips for Project Managers using Microsoft Teams
Create a new team, or channel, for each project
It’s as simple as creating a new team for each project, or a new channel for smaller projects. All work for that project is then done in the team, with a channel for different aspects of the project. All files and documents for the project are shared in the relevant team channel. Every aspect of work for that project can then be found in the team on Teams.
Digital information consultancy Carpool creates a new team for every client, with each project assigned a new channel. If Carpool is working with SWOOP Analytics, a team would be created and SWOOP employees may be invited into some channels as external users. That way, all meetings, files and documents with the client can be accessed within the channel.
Andrew Pope, Digital Skills and Collaboration Consultant at Designing Collaboration, says channels should be created by tasks and deliverables for each project.
“The phases of your project are mapped to channels so you have a very nice, clear structure,” he said.
Talk Social To Me CEO Carrie Basham Marshall also recommends considering a new team for each project and using the tabs and apps in Teams for transparent work.
“Use the tabs feature to link relevant documents and content at the top of the feed,” she said.
“Always @mention people when you need them to read, review or respond - never throw an update into a team without targeting the recipients.”
Jaap Linssen, founding partner at OrangeTrail, says it’s important to create structure to ensure there is clarity in the channels. That means reminding people to commit conversations to threads.
“If you’re out on a client meeting and you have three things to do, start three threads and loop all the people in so they make sure these things roll and happen,” he said.
2. Invite clients into your team as external users
Forget endless emails with clients sharing updated documents where versions get lost or overlooked. Invite your client into your team on Teams, or into a relevant channel, where you can work asynchronously on files or documents and all conversations are transparent for everyone to keep up to date.
“Make teams external with your client,” was Digital Workplace Consultant at Engage Squared, Matt Dodd’s No.1 tip for project managers.
“It’s connecting from a client side and our side. We both have project managers so get them together on the same channel. You’ve got that open connection with them. It’s positive when things are going well and also when things aren’t going so well.”
If people are still using email on a project, send the email to the team on Teams, so it’s posted in the channel. Remember, you can decide what the client sees in the team by making channels you don’t want them to access private.
“A lot of clients use email. Project managers find it simple to flick that email into the channel so everyone can see; ‘We’ve been asked about this by the client’,” Matt said.
“The replies from the project team don’t become a reply all from a horrible thread.”
3. Add tabs and apps to Teams
Make Teams a one-stop shop for work for Project Mangers by adding apps and tabs appropriate for each channel or task.
Andrew Pope sums it up; “Add as a tab the apps that are appropriate for that channel or task. Build everything into the channel so your channel is as comprehensive as possible for what you’re doing.”
Byron Whitt, Director of Technology Services at ROI Communication is an advocate for bringing project management tools in Teams, with apps like Trello, Planner, Powerpoint. He recommends pinning integrations to the top of the team as tabs for easy access.
Byron said it’s not about using Teams as a replacement for other project management tools but using Teams as a hub for integrating their use among team members.
The consulting partners interviewed for this article are all project organisations who use Teams for their work. Many of their teams were ranked in the top 0.5% of SWOOP’s 2021 benchmarking of almost 100,000 teams on Microsoft Teams. Download the report:
