Managing remote teams might sound like too big of a challenge, even for experienced team managers. However, with the right tools at hand, online team management can be turned into an enjoyable and exciting task. One of such tools is Microsoft Teams, a large scale team communication platform designed to make remote work a breeze. Here’s a brief team management tutorial that will help you keep your team members on track, regardless of their respective locations.
#1 Divide Your Teams
The key to successful team management via Microsoft Teams is to divide your colleagues or employees into very specific team groups. Be clear and precise about the division of teams and their members, as this will help you keep the communication flowing without major complications. For instance, don’t mix the content marketing and the graphic design team into one group, as this will make the conversation more difficult to follow.
#2 Utilize Microsoft Teams Channels
Microsoft Teams has a very distinct feature that allows you to create different channels within one team. Each channel you create should be dedicated to a specific topic. That way, the members will be able to distinguish discussed topics more easily, as well as easily find the information they are interested in later on. It is important to keep different topics separated to avoid complications and unwanted confusion.
#3 Use the General Channel
Once you create a team, all of its members will have access to the general channel, that is, one general chat where you can communicate with all of them. Just because you create new and more specific channels, as discussed in the previous tip, it doesn’t mean you should completely neglect the general one. In fact, you can use the general channel to leave generic notifications and announcements that are important for all members of the team.
#4 Offer Support
As a team leader, you should be ready to provide support to your team members at all times. This is a golden rule of team management, both in-person and online. A real leader is responsible for their team members’ progress and overall motivation regarding their tasks. Therefore, make sure to offer support and ask your colleagues whether they need help or a conversation about anything related to their work performance.
#5 Hold Progress Meetings
Last but not least, team leaders are responsible for the overall productivity and efficiency of the entire group. If one or two group members are slacking, the efficiency rate of the whole team will drop significantly. That is why it is important to keep track of everyone’s progress even through online communication platforms. In this case, you can use the Microsoft Teams’ video conference feature to hold progress meetings once a week. That way, each team member will get a chance to reflect and report on their progress, which will keep them accountable for the work they put in.
Team management is a task that requires lots of patience, organization skills, and responsibility. As a team manager, one should take advantage of the convenient online tools we have available nowadays. Microsoft Teams is one of the best platforms for this purpose thanks to its intuitive user interface and great collaboration features.
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