Effective collaboration strategies for remote teams using Microsoft Teams and Outlook

EasyLife 365 is a fully remote company, and we are proud of the dynamism and flexibility that come with this type of organization. Of course, we are not the only ones taking advantage of this solution; it’s estimated that around 14% of employees in Europe now work fully remote – quite a big number! Facing these figures, it comes naturally to ask ourselves: Is it all unicorns and rainbows as one might think?

Quick answer: unfortunately not. Working remotely can have downsides such as slow communication, collaboration hiccups, and security risks.

Having experienced all these issues myself, I can share some tips and tricks on how to make remote teams shine with Microsoft Teams and Outlook.

Communication

1. Try to meet regularly and efficiently

Strategy: Schedule regular meetings using Microsoft Teams to keep everyone connected. Utilize video calls to ensure that team members can communicate face-to-face, even if virtually, to foster a sense of belonging.

Implementation: Set up recurring meetings in Outlook and sync them with Teams. Use Teams' calendar integration to manage and join meetings effortlessly.

Pro tip: Try to keep the meetings under four participants; this will ensure everyone can actively participate in the conversation, and no one sits in the background.

2. Clear Communication Channels

Strategy: Establish clear communication channels for different types of interactions. For example, use Teams channels for project-specific discussions and emails on Outlook for more formal communication.

Implementation: Create dedicated channels in Teams for various projects and departments. Use @mentions to notify specific groups within a channel, ensuring that messages reach the right audience.

3. Instant Messaging and Status Updates

Strategy: Encourage the use of Teams for instant messaging and status updates. Prioritizing instant messages will reduce email clutter and ensure quick responses to urgent queries.

Implementation: Utilize the chat feature in Teams for real-time communication. Encourage team members to update their status to reflect their availability, making it easier to know when colleagues are free to collaborate.

Pro tip: Take advantage of the chat features such as polls, surveys, praise, emojis, and GIFs to make some conversations more fun and to interact beyond the work scope. Being remote doesn’t have to mean being strangers!

Task Management

1. Integrated Task Management

Strategy: Use Microsoft Teams and Outlook integration with task management tools like Microsoft Planner and To-Do to assign and track tasks.

Implementation: Create Planner boards within Teams channels to organize tasks and assign them to team members. Sync tasks with Outlook to keep track of deadlines and priorities.

Pro tip: Add links to documents, files, or URLs directly to the tasks in Planner. For example, I always add the link to my design files to make handouts to the dev team a breeze!

2. Transparent Workflows

Strategy: Develop transparent workflows where tasks and their progress are visible to the entire team. This promotes accountability and helps in identifying bottlenecks.

Implementation: Use the Teams Planner to visualize tasks and their status. Share Planner updates in Teams channels to keep everyone informed about project progress.

Pro tip: Set up the buckets in your planner to reflect the status of the task based on your workflow, for example, “Backlog,” “In development,” or “Under review.” This will make it a lot easier to keep track of progress!

3. Automated Reminders

Strategy: Set up automated reminders for task deadlines and meetings to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Implementation: Use the “Due date” and “Reminders” features on Planner to define exactly when the task should be finalized. Reminders will be automatically activated every day, week, or by a custom schedule.

Pro tip: Use the “Start date” feature to jot down the start of the task. This will help you and your team understand the timing for certain tasks, so that next time you’ll be even more accurate in establishing deadlines!

Collaboration

1. Outlook Calendar

Strategy: Regularly update your calendar so that your colleagues know the best time to get in touch with you – or when to leave you alone!

Implementation: Use the calendar feature in Outlook to schedule appointments, meetings, and events, but also block out time for specific tasks and update your calendar regularly to reflect your availability. Choose your preferred status for that timeslot so that your colleagues will know if you are “Available,” “Away,” “Busy,” “In a meeting,” etc., and will act accordingly.

Pro tip: If you find it difficult to focus on tasks while your colleagues keep messaging you, you can even book a meeting with yourself for the duration of the task and decide to be shown as “Focusing,” “Busy,” or even “Do not disturb.” This way, they will know not to message you during that time, and your notifications will be automatically muted while on these statuses.

For more time management tips, check out: 5 Tips for improving your personal time management

2. Centralized Document Management

Strategy: Consistently use Teams and SharePoint for centralized document management, ensuring that all team members have access to the latest versions of documents.

Implementation: Store all project-related documents in Teams' integrated SharePoint libraries. Use Teams' file tab to easily access and collaborate on documents in real-time.

Pro tip: Pin frequently used documents to the relevant Channel tab for immediate access.

3. Collaborative Editing

Strategy: Leverage the collaborative editing features in Microsoft Office 365 apps within Teams to allow multiple team members to work on the same document simultaneously.

Implementation: Open Office documents directly in Teams and use the co-authoring features to collaborate in real-time. Use comments and @mentions to discuss changes within the document.

Pro tip: Use meetings while collaborating on a task. Sometimes direct collaboration can be a lot more efficient than asynchronous work. Seeing and talking to your team members will give you immediate answers, and discussing different points of view will produce ultimately better results.

4. Consistent Updates

Strategy: Maintain consistent updates on project status and key decisions in Teams to keep everyone informed and aligned.

Implementation: Post regular updates in Teams channels and use the announcement feature to highlight important information. Record and transcribe meetings to share with those who could not attend.

Pro tip: Ask Copilot to give you a summary of the latest updates or action items in a chat or a Channel, and even of what was said in meetings! This way, you’ll never miss anything!

Conclusion: The Secret Sauce? The Right Tools and Strategies

Making remote teams shine requires a combination of the right tools and strategies. Microsoft M365 empowers you for communication, task management, and collaboration. Find the right strategies for you and your team to step up your working remote game.

On top of this, you should always keep in mind that we are humans, and most of us need interaction to feel part of a team, so make sure that your team has enough face-to-face time to work and to play. This is what transforms a group of individuals into a team.

Curious about how you can enhance your teamwork's efficiency and security even more? Get in touch with us for a demo of EasyLife 365. We can’t wait to meet you!