5 smart tips for more effective internal communication

To remedy this, I've put together my top tips on how you and your staff can use the platform to communicate smarter and work more efficiently.  

Much more than email

More and more people are working remotely without the daily meeting with their employees. Instead, most things should be done digitally and dThe "physical" contact may not be completely replaced. While one thing is certain: Microsoft 365 provides completely different (and for many still undiscovered) opportunities for users than before. But in order to take advantage of them, you need to address a common and persistent habit: using email for everything..

An educated guess is that 70-90% goes via emailwhether it's a quick question to a colleague, a document to be shared or information to everyone about new procedures.

Today, it is much easier to get a story out there news via the intranet or start a chat with employees than it used to be. For starters, you can do it directly in the app you use without having to switch apps or windows.

It is just a matter of distinguish between different types of communication and choosing the communication channel accordingly.

That said, time for the tips!

Tip #1: Communication pages for information to many people

General company information that affects all or many in the company is ideal for communication pages - such as the home page of your company's intranet. You can have one webpage for the whole organization and one for each area, department or large team. HR, for example, can gather all HR information on one easily accessible page that everyone knows.

Avoid distracting mass mailings to everyone by email "for information".. Information drowns in the tsunami of emails. And in a Teams channel "it can" be easily lost.

The basic principle is to keep all information (and all conversations) easily accessible for those who need it and when they need it.

Communication page 

Tip #2: Chat in Teams for quick communication between employees

If you're a bit hesitant about the idea of "chatting at work", you're not alone. However, chatting in Teams is not like chatting with friends on social media. It is far more effective than email when an idea needs to be discussed in the group, or when you want get a quick answer to a question. With the exception of a phone callit is as close to talking to your colleagues in the office as you can get without being there.

In addition, those who chat with each other in Teams can easily share documents, notebooks documents, notebooks and shared calendars, hold video meetings and much more.

When there are more chat participants I recommend topic-based, threaded conversations rather than large group chats, which can easily become unstructured. All messages are then linked to a specific post and are open, which gives a lot of familiarity. At the same time, selected topics and people can be tagged - more on that in the next tip!

Chat and tag in Teams

Threaded conversations and mentions in Teams

Tip #3: Tag people, don't email them

Use mentions whether you work in Teams, an Office program or Lists. Instead of emailing a copy of a Word file when you want to get feedback on a text in Word, you can tag the person you want feedback from directly in Word. Through the comment function (type @name), the person will immediately receive a request for feedback together with a link to the right document in the right version, and can respond directly in the document. Really smooth.

If you want to draw someone's attention to something you write, use tags across all channels and apps. However, avoid tagging the whole team if it's just one person. You can communicate something in one channel that everyone should know about. But tag the person who will handle it.

Another reason to use mentions is that Microsoft Viva can then send you relevant info so you don't have to look for it. It also gives you insights into what conversations you've been tagged in, documents shared with you, and more.

Mentions in Word

Email when you are mentioned in Word

Tip #4: Shared channels instead of private ones

Now you can give someone who is not a member of a Team access to a shared channel in the Team, without giving them access to the Team's other channels. This is different from private channels in a Team, which only members of the team can access.

Shared channels can be used both internally and by people outside your organization. This is a big improvement for the latter, who see the shared channel directly in their own team environment under "Your other teams" without having to change environment.

Shared channel in Teams

Tip #5: "Discover" Teams

The "Discover" feature in Microsoft Teams is designed to help you find and engage with relevant conversations, channels, and documents within your organization. It does this by using AI technology to analyze activities and content related to your work and interests. Here are some of the ways the 'Discover' feature can work:

1. Recommendations: The feature suggests channels and teams that might be relevant to you based on previous activities and collaborations with your colleagues.
2. Search features: In addition to automatically suggesting content, you can actively search for specific topics, files, or discussions within Teams.
3. Personalization: The "Discover" feature adapts over time based on your interactions and changing interests, making recommendations more relevant and useful.

The 'Discover' feature is designed to make it easier for users to stay up-to-date and engaged with the most relevant and important conversations and projects within the company.

"Discover" in Teams

In summary, don't be afraid to using multiple surfaces and channelsbut keep each conversation where it belongs. Quick pucks within the team can advantageously be handled directly in the app everyone works in.

Want to know more about how to communicate more effectively within your company? Get in touch!