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Good Practice

This article explains the importance of good preparation and practice creating, running or attending virtual meetings, such as Microsoft Teams meetings.

Teams: Do's and Don'ts

Do's

Wait to create channels and keep the Channel list simple - Channels should be created organically when it becomes clear that a specific conversation needs a separate channel to keep the Team organised
Create a group chat before a Team - create a group chat with you colleagues before creating a new Team to keep things simple
Keep your informal internal communication in Teams - whether that is through channel conversations or private chats, rather than emailing
Make your Out of Office message applicable to Teams - set it as Thank you for your message instead of Thank you for your email
@mention the channel or team - if the information you are posting is very important to all Team members

Don'ts

Create duplicate Teams - make sure to search for the name of the Team you want to make in case it already exists
Start a new conversation without checking if a similar active conversation already exists - reply to the existing conversation instead to keep the Channel organised
Automatically default to private chat - think if the information you are messaging to your colleague privately may be needed by other colleagues
Have a high member count in an ongoing chat - if you have an ongoing private chat with a large group of people consider creating a new Team
@mention individual colleagues - on your channel posts except where you feel it is necessary. If the information is only for one colleague create a Chat with them

Tips and tricks for improving sound quality

Good quality audio sounds natural. You can tell audio needs to be improved when you hear any of the following: humming, buzzing, hissing, room reflections (echoes from around the room), bumping sounds, keyboard clicks, etc.

It's crucial to follow conference call etiquette and have a quiet background during the call.  Before you start a call or a recording, double-check that your room doesn't reflect your voice back into the microphone. Carpet, furniture and wall decorations, all help calm the reflections. Being in a small space also helps.

Keep outside noises to a minimum. Common offenders are:

  • Open windows
  • Fans
  • Refrigerators
  • Cars
  • Phones and other electronics

Using your headset microphone

Speak near the microphone – but not too close. Adjust your headset so that it is comfortable,  and be mindful of your distance from your microphone. If you are too far away from the mic, your colleagues won't hear you. If you are too close to it, they will hear loud popping sounds ("Plosives") whenever you pronounce letters "p" and "b", and/or your breathing when you're not speaking. Wear your headset mic off to the side of your mouth and not directly in front of it, to avoid popping.

Make a test call - pronounce these sounds and pay attention to the way you hear them out of speakers. Instructions are available on Manage your call settings in Teams.

Have you ever been in a call when you speak and hear your every word back?

This usually happens when there are lots of people and your speaker system is too close to your microphone, causing the sound to be reflected in the speakers. It can help to move away from your speakers.

Connectivity

A good connection is important. Looking at factors like Wi-Fi speed can help to improve call quality.

  • Mitigate voice delay by clearing obstructions between you and the router.
  • Try getting closer to the router.
  • Turn off Wi-Fi on devices that aren't actively being used.

Good Practice

Collaboration apps are making employees more productive, but there's some etiquette to follows.  Here are a few quick tips. We have also created some tips on etiquette for meetings which may be useful

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