At meetings, use video to create an intimate face-to-face environment and the translate feature so colleagues can confidently express themselves within chat and channels using their native tongue.

Make sure your team members can collaborate effectively with external guests by taking advantage of Teams' guest access feature. Guests can join meetings, share files (Word, Excel and other formats included in Microsoft 365 suite), view recordings and join meetings themselves.

1. Create Your Channels

Microsoft Teams' channels feature is an integral element, providing virtual spaces where team members can collaborate and organize conversations. Unlike group chats which are accessible by default, channels are restricted access spaces that only accept approved users to join. As Team owner, your responsibility lies with making sure access is appropriate and that only necessary individuals have access at appropriate times; this should include regularly reviewing permissions so only necessary people have access and taking measures to remove access for those no longer in your organization.

General channels are automatically created when new teams form, and are meant for general discussions related to their purpose and topics related to team membership. If you need to address specific projects or topics more in depth, standard channels can be created if desired; each has its own Files tab that displays content from its associated SharePoint site as well as being pinnable at the top of Teams navigation lists; you can even hide channels by clicking their name and clicking "Hide Channel."

2. Set Up Status Messages

One of the best features in Microsoft Teams is the ability to set custom status messages. This enables you to inform your teammates of your availability and location, which can help prevent interruptions when working remotely or being busy with work.

To set or update your status in Microsoft Teams, right-click your profile picture at the top and choose "Set Status Message". Next, create your custom status message which will appear when teammates mention you in chats or one-to-one conversations; your custom status message also syncs up with Outlook calendar to give an accurate picture of your availability.

Your team's status will automatically switch to Available when there are no meetings or calls scheduled and Busy (Do not disturb) when on a call or presenting screen and don't wish for notifications to come through. When on vacation or out of office you can manually change it to Away; an out of office message and status can even be scheduled automatically so teammates receive an automatic reply when trying to contact you.

3. Set Up Meetings

Meetings are an integral component of team collaboration. They allow team members to come together, build relationships, generate ideas and establish clear direction - not to mention being an excellent way to share content!

Microsoft Teams allows you to easily organize meetings from both desktop and mobile platforms. Use the app to quickly set up an ad hoc meeting or schedule regular ones; on desktop you can add attendees, choose an agenda topic, select time/channel settings, as well as send invitations outside your organisation for guests and outsiders alike.

As part of your meeting, consider turning on video and live captions for people without audio access; this will enable everyone to feel included and able to participate.

Screen sharing enables you to present what you have been working on to other meeting attendees, with the ability to mute attendees if there are distractions during a meeting, as well as sharing single windows or applications. Meeting notes are available after every meeting for easy updating; additionally Microsoft provides call analytics and troubleshooting features as well.

4. Set Up File Sharing

Microsoft Teams makes it simple and straightforward to organize departments, giving each group their own space for teamwork and collaboration, just as if they were at work. This feature makes it simple for remote workers to locate relevant people and resources quickly so they can get work done more quickly and easily.

Teams offers every channel a Wiki tab where you can set out guidelines for working remotely and ensure all employees follow the same set of work etiquette standards and are on the same page. This provides a great way to ensure everyone remains aligned and is following best practices at work.

Microsoft Teams makes file sharing simple for teams as well as people outside them; for example, Marketing could use its file-sharing features to send advertising receipts directly from one Team to the next - upload the file, share it and distribute it!

Work from home can be rewarding, but don't forget to take breaks during the day - maybe taking virtual coffee breaks during lunch hour or watching some cute animal videos will do just the trick!

5. Create a Community

Communities in Microsoft Teams' (free version of software) allows groups and organizations to collaborate effectively on their work. Community members can come together to exchange ideas and work through issues together. It provides an all-in-one hub for calling, chatting and file sharing with plenty of features such as group calendars, polls and together mode that ensure enjoyable video calls experiences.

One challenge of remote working can be its difficulty in detecting when someone is feeling overburdened or overwhelmed. While in-office employees might easily spot signs of stress such as messy desks or an ever-increasing task list, Teams make this recognition more challenging due to dispersed communication across multiple conversations and channels.

To stay abreast of important updates, set up channel notifications that include all new messages and replies. Screen sharing can also help ensure all the focus remains on what matters during meetings; plus it allows projects to be displayed more prominently!