How should I be using Teams?

Modified on Wed, 14 Jul, 2021 at 10:26 AM

Structure

Teams is made up of Teams and Channels. A team is a general group of people such as the main team ‘Cambridge CAB’. Within a team, are channels. Channels split the team into smaller, more focused groups such as ‘Benefits’ or ‘Debt/Money’.

Some teams and channels are open to everyone while others are restricted to those who need the information. This will help your Teams page to look more simple and help you find the information you need much faster.

Communication

Teams allows you to communicate with colleagues publicly though the Channels. You can do this in the ‘Posts’ section. Note: everyone in the channel will see your posts and your comments.

Teams also allows you to communicate with your colleagues via private chats. These chats can be between you and one other individual or with a group of colleagues. Chats replace the main bulk of emails. Teams messaging is instant and creates an alert which allows much more efficient communication than traditional emails.

File Storage

Teams allows you to store files within Channels. This allows us to make file storage a lot more intuitive and efficient. This means you only see the information you need and don’t get lost in lots of files that don’t apply to you.

Most of the file storage is ‘Read Only’. This means you can’t edit the document. Most files are for reference only so you can read them or copy and paste the part you need. If a file needs to be edited, it can be downloaded and sent to the client, or you can download and edit a copy in your OneDrive.

You can use the search bar at the top of Teams to search the entirety of Teams to look for the file you’re trying to find. Alternatively, you can use ‘CTRL+F’ to search the page you’re on or, in the search bar at the top, type ‘/find’ followed by the Channel/Chat you want to search.