What type of channels will we use in Teams?
When setting up a team, the first question is: what type of channels will you use? Keep the following in mind:
- Standard channels are accessible to all team members and are ideal for general collaboration.
- Private channels offer exclusivity but are less flexible when it comes to shared resources.
- Shared channels open doors for collaboration with external parties without requiring them to join your entire team.
A poor choice can lead to inefficiency or even data loss. Make deliberate decisions and align them with your teams or business needs.
Who can bypass the Teams lobby?
Imagine this: you’re hosting a critical meeting, such as a strategic session with your management team. During this meeting, sensitive information will be shared. Who do you want to grant direct access, and who should wait in the lobby?
You might decide that only internal colleagues can join directly. Or you may want specific invited guests to bypass the lobby as well. If you’re open to allowing anyone to join, that’s also an option—but does that feel secure for this particular session?
Setting who can bypass the lobby may seem insignificant, but it greatly impacts how professional and secure your meetings are.
I’ve learned firsthand how important it is to make thoughtful decisions here. For meetings involving sensitive information, I always configure the lobby so that only internal users and pre-approved guests can join directly. This ensures security and smooth operations—no one has to wait, and we can start right away.
What makes this setting so powerful?
- Security: Protect sensitive conversations and information from uninvited attendees.
- Professionalism: Create a seamless experience without unnecessary interruptions.
- Compliance: meet organizational and legal requirements for access control.
With Microsoft Teams, you can flexibly configure who can join directly. By using this feature wisely, you enhance not only meeting security but also the experience for participants. A true win-win!
Will we work with standard Teams templates?
Does your organization need structure? Teams templates help ensure that new teams are set up with the right channels and apps from the start, saving time and preventing chaos.
Suppose your organization works on projects with external vendors. For each new project, you need a team with a consistent format: a channel for general communication, one for planning and deadlines, and apps like Planner and OneNote for project management. Teams templates can standardize this setup so that every new project team automatically has the same structure and functionality. This ensures consistency and prevents employees from wasting time configuring new teams repeatedly.
Benefits of Teams templates:
- Save time: predefined structures mean employees can get started immediately without configuring a team first.
- Ensure consistency: all teams within a specific context (e.g., projects, departments, or client management) look the same and operate in the same way.
Which apps will we allow in Teams?
Will you allow all standard Microsoft apps in Teams, or will you take a more selective approach and critically assess third-party and custom apps? Striking a balance between productivity and security is in your hands.
My advice: start with the standard Microsoft apps. These are fully compliant and designed for secure collaboration within your Teams environment. For third-party and custom apps, make informed decisions. Take the time to assess the risks. For example, a municipality might offer Power Automate and Power BI by default but only allow tools like Trello and Zoom after thorough security checks.
Want to maintain control over this balance? Use app permission policies in the Teams admin center. With these, you can decide which apps are available and to whom. Start smart, protect your organization, and boost productivity.
In conclusion: make a plan!
Microsoft Teams offers countless possibilities, but without a clear plan, it can become overwhelming. Think carefully about your strategy in advance: who gets which permissions? How will you ensure consistency? And most importantly: how will you ensure Teams truly supports your organization?
Want to learn more?
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