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    14 best practices for Microsoft Teams video meetings

    It’s simple to start out a video assembly in Microsoft Teams, however there are methods to reinforce the expertise for you and the opposite attendees, whether or not it’s an off-the-cuff video chat with co-workers, a presentation to a shopper, or a department-wide quarterly replace. Here’s how one can get essentially the most out of video conferences in Teams — greatest practices for earlier than, throughout, and after your assembly.This story is primarily for customers whose organizations have a subscription to a Microsoft 365 or Office 365 enterprise or enterprise plan. Although Microsoft affords subscriptions tailor-made for residence customers, in addition to a free model of Teams, these don’t embrace lots of the options lined on this story. Also observe that these directions describe the Teams desktop app; some options should not obtainable within the internet or cellular variations.Before the assemblyTo schedule a video assembly in Teams, click on the Calendar icon on the left toolbar. This brings up a calendar in the primary window. Click the New assembly button on the upper-right nook.A fill-out type will seem in the primary window. Type in a title to your assembly.In the Add required attendees field, sort within the electronic mail addresses of the individuals who you wish to attend your assembly — or, in case your group’s tackle e book is built-in with Teams, you’ll be able to simply begin typing co-workers’ names (or the names of company electronic mail lists) and choose them from the record that seems. If you wish to invite folks with out making them really feel that they’re required to attend, click on +Optional on the proper finish of the required attendees area and add their names within the Optional area that seems under. IDG

    Scheduling a gathering in Teams is easy and integrates with Microsoft 365 contacts and calendaring. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    Then within the fill-in bins under, select a date, a begin time, and an finish time to your video assembly. Click the Save button on the upper-right nook, and your invitation will probably be despatched to those folks with a hyperlink to affix the assembly in Teams. This covers the fundamentals for inviting folks to your video assembly and scheduling it. So now let’s go over methods to reinforce your invite and put together to your assembly.1. Fine-tune your assembly timeBefore you click on the Save button: There’s a software you should utilize to seek out out if a selected assembly time works for all of the folks you wish to invite. When you’re composing your invite, click on Scheduling Assistant on the prime of the fill-out type. Along the left facet of the panel that seems is a listing of all of the required and optionally available attendees you’re inviting. To the correct is an hourly timeline for the day you picked to carry your assembly. Color coding on this timeline signifies when somebody you invited will probably be busy or free all through the day in accordance with their Outlook calendars. IDG

    Use the Scheduling Assistant to ensure everybody you’ve invited is accessible to attend your assembly. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    By referring to this timeline, you will discover a date and time when all your invitees will have the ability to attend your video assembly. Click on the column for a time frame to alter your assembly’s begin and finish occasions. You may also scroll forward by the times within the timeline to see if one other day has fewer scheduling conflicts for the folks you’re inviting.If no less than considered one of your invitees is unavailable for a gathering time you’ve chosen, Teams will robotically counsel alternate occasions, if any can be found. These seem under the beginning and finish occasions that you just set to your assembly. Click one of many prompt occasions to exchange the beginning and finish occasions that you just initially selected.2. Share your assembly’s agendaWhen you’re scheduling your assembly, it may be useful to incorporate your assembly agenda so invitees know what will probably be mentioned and might put together appropriately. At the underside of the fill-out type for a brand new assembly, you’ll be able to add a message to incorporate within the assembly invite. This is an efficient place to incorporate a quick assembly agenda (particularly in an easy-to-read format, equivalent to a desk or a bulleted record). We counsel that you just don’t make the agenda too lengthy, since which may make it exhausting for recipients to seek out the hyperlink to affix the assembly within the invitation electronic mail. IDG

    Providing a quick assembly agenda helps invitees put together for the assembly. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    If you might want to present a extra detailed agenda, you’ll be able to ship a separate electronic mail with a doc (equivalent to a .docx or PDF file) hooked up. Or think about internet hosting your assembly in a Teams channel as described under. There you’ll be able to put up a reply to the message that says your assembly with the agenda hooked up.3. Host your assembly in a staff channelIn most instances you’ll in all probability wish to invite particular folks to your assembly. But you’ll be able to arrange an “open” assembly that’s introduced in a staff channel. This could be helpful if, as an example, you’ve created a channel in Teams for a selected challenge and also you need all people engaged on this challenge to attend the assembly.As you’re going by the fill-out type for scheduling your assembly, click on contained in the Add channel field, and from the drop-down menu that seems, choose a staff and a channel inside that staff. You don’t want so as to add members of this channel as particular person attendees, however you’ll be able to optionally invite extra attendees who aren’t members of the channel. IDG

    Hosting a gathering in a channel lets any member of the channel be a part of the assembly. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    Another manner to do that: Go to the staff channel the place you wish to announce this assembly. At the upper-right nook, click on the down arrow subsequent to the Meet button. From the menu that opens, choose Schedule a gathering. The fill-out type for a brand new assembly will seem in the primary window with the Add channel field already stuffed in with the identify of the channel that you just’re in.When you’ve completed filling out the brand new assembly type, click on the Send button within the upper-right nook. Your scheduled assembly will probably be posted to the channel’s Posts tab. Members of the channel will get a discover of your assembly announcement, they usually can reply to this put up with background data or requests for the assembly. You can reply and fasten an in depth agenda as a doc by clicking the paperclip icon. IDG

    The assembly data seems within the channel’s Posts tab. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    4. Test and configure your laptop {hardware}If it’s your first time main a Teams video assembly in your present laptop, do a check name to make sure that your gadget works accurately with Teams. You would possibly have to grant permission to Teams to entry your gadget’s digital camera, microphone, and/or audio system, and in addition to permit display screen sharing in your gadget. Recent variations of macOS, as an example, require you to grant some permissions in System Preferences.To check your gadget, click on the Teams icon on the left toolbar. Then on the higher proper, click on the Meet button. On the video assembly panel that opens, click on the Join now button on the decrease proper. The assembly window will open, and Teams ought to pop up a message asking for permission to entry the digital camera, mic, and/or audio system if wanted. (If you don’t get such a request however you’ll be able to’t see or hear your self, you in all probability have to grant these permissions anyway.)If you intend to share your display screen throughout the assembly, click on the icon of an upward arrow inside a sq. within the assembly controls toolbar alongside the highest of the display screen. This will open a panel that allows you to share your display screen, an app window, or different content material. If Teams wants permission to share your display screen, it ought to pop up a message requesting this entry.If you’re utilizing a Mac, the permission messages Teams pops up ought to take you to System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Privacy, or you’ll be able to navigate there manually. On the left facet of the display screen, click on Camera, then discover the Microsoft Teams checkbox on the correct and ensure it’s checked. Find Microphone, Accessibility, and Screen Recording within the record on the left and examine the Microsoft Teams bins for them as nicely. You’ll have to restart Teams earlier than the adjustments take impact. (Marquette University affords extra particulars and troubleshooting ideas.) IDG

    If you employ a Mac, you would possibly want to go to System Preferences to grant Teams permission to make use of the digital camera and microphone and share your display screen.

    Likewise, if any of your invitees are new to video conferences with Teams, request that they arrive 10 minutes early. You can begin the assembly early to allow them to get their gadget working correctly earlier than the assembly’s scheduled begin time.5. Practice PowerPoint displays with the Speaker CoachThis is definitely a characteristic in PowerPoint, however it’s nice preparation for presenting throughout a Teams assembly: As you observe giving your presentation by talking aloud and clicking by the slides, Speaker Coach listens to and watches you thru your PC’s digital camera. It offers you real-time ideas (as banner notices that pop up alongside the highest heart of the display screen) on tips on how to enhance your efficiency, such because the phrases you select to say, your tempo, and even your expressions and physique language.Microsoft plans to implement a model of Speaker Coach to be used throughout Teams conferences someday in spring 2022. But within the meantime, you’ll be able to nonetheless use it as a technique to observe giving a PowerPoint that you’ll current to others in a Teams video assembly.To entry Speaker Coach: Open your presentation in PowerPoint. On the toolbar alongside the highest of the display screen, click on Slide Show and from the menu that opens choose Rehearse with Coach. IDG

    Speaker Coach listens to your PowerPoint displays and affords ideas for enchancment. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    6. Optionally flip off attendees’ cameras and/or micsIf you are conducting a video assembly with many attendees, you could wish to forestall attendees from turning on their cameras and mics. This can enhance name high quality and reduce distractions so that you just’re the one one talking or being seen.To flip off cameras and mics earlier than the assembly begins, open a gathering from the calendar within the Teams app and click on Meeting choices. (If you don’t see it, click on the three-dot icon within the toolbar after which choose Meeting choices.) In the “Meeting options” pane that opens, flip off the Allow mic for attendees? and Allow digital camera for attendees? switches and click on Save.You may also do that after you’ve joined the assembly: On the toolbar alongside the highest of the video chat panel, click on the Show individuals button, which is able to open a panel alongside the correct facet. At the highest of this Participants panel, click on the three-dot icon and choose Disable mic for attendees or Disable digital camera for attendees. IDG

    In massive conferences, disabling attendees’ mics and cameras can enhance sound and video high quality. (Click picture to enlarge it.)

    You may also forestall a selected individual from turning on their digital camera or unmuting their mic. On the Participants panel, click on the three-dot icon subsequent to the individual’s identify and choose Disable mic or Disable digital camera.

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