Four years after 2020, which prompted a global shift to hybrid and remote work, the “new normal” in terms of flexible work is here to stay in many industries. According to Forbes, around 98% of workers want to work remotely at least some of the time, and approximately 37% of US companies are now operating with a structured hybrid model, up from 20% in 2023.
This month, we’re focusing on the secrets to creating a thriving, cohesive, and engaged team in today’s business space. In this blog, we’ll be talking about how to use technology to facilitate better workplace cohesion and collaboration.
Even though hybrid work has become the norm for many years, many businesses have not fully optimized their hybrid/remote setup. As a technology company, we roll out Microsoft 365 to all of our new clients, and we often see that many people are barely scratching the surface of what Microsoft 365 can do.
Teams: The Hub of Microsoft 365
One of the core components of Microsoft 365 is Microsoft Teams. Microsoft sees Teams as the central hub where everyone spends most of their day. In the past, Outlook and email were the primary tools for communication, but now, Microsoft Teams has taken center stage with its instant messaging capabilities.
Teams lets you share information, access files, and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint documents—all in one place. It’s designed to handle almost everything you need to do. Plus, there are add-on apps, from Salesforce to YouTube, that you can integrate to extend its functionality even further.
Teams enhances collaboration by providing a central spot for sharing files and data, making it easier for people working both in the office and remotely to collaborate effectively.
Unlocking the Power of Co-Editing with Microsoft 365
One of the most underutilized features in many companies today is the ability to co-edit files. Traditionally, collaboration on documents involved emailing files back and forth, leading to multiple versions—and even more confusion. With Microsoft 365, this is a thing of the past. Multiple people can work on a document simultaneously, ensuring everyone is on the same page and eliminating the chaos of version control.
This feature also streamlines communication. Instead of sending numerous emails with brief messages like “approved” or “yes,” you can now use instant messaging. Microsoft Teams allows you to post messages directly in a team chat, making communication more efficient and less cluttered.
Moreover, Microsoft Teams can replace traditional office phone systems. Many organizations have transitioned to using Teams as their primary calling platform, eliminating the need for on-premises phone systems and headsets. All calls are now seamlessly integrated into the Teams environment, simplifying communication across the board.
By leveraging these features, companies can enhance collaboration, improve communication, and streamline their operations. It’s time to fully embrace the capabilities of Microsoft 365 and transform the way we work.
Simplifying Meetings
Microsoft Teams meeting rooms have become very popular over the last few years, but may still be neglected by many organizations. Traditionally, companies might have one large meeting room that has AV equipment in it, and it could get complicated for team members to use: you’d need to log in to the room’s computer, there would be all kinds of problems with it.
With Teams, meeting rooms typically only require a tablet sitting in front of the boardroom table, with cameras and a couple of screens. This makes sharing information, joining meetings, and inviting other people to participate much more straightforward and user-friendly.
Additionally, in a hybrid/remote setting, more meetings require a combination of some people sitting in a small meeting room in your office while others are dialing in remotely. One thing that organizations have not adopted as much as we would expect is having that basic equipment in their smaller rooms that were previously used only for in-person meetings before the shift to hybrid and remote work.
Essentially, having these hybrid meeting rooms or huddle rooms set up to allow seamless Teams calls is a really important part of adapting to the hybrid workplace.
Promote Wellness
Another great feature of Microsoft Teams is its focus on employee wellness. Many people might not realize that Teams includes wellness components, such as meditation sessions powered by Headspace. These features help employees combat feelings of loneliness and foster a sense of connection to something bigger than themselves, reducing workplace stress.
Teams also uses AI to enhance connections. It can recognize the people you interact with regularly and notify you if you haven’t spoken to someone in a while, suggesting it’s time for a quick catch-up call. This helps maintain and strengthen relationships, which is especially important during times of remote work.
During the pandemic, a common complaint was the lack of separation between work and home life. People would get out of bed, walk a few steps to their kitchen table, and start working, blurring the lines between personal and professional time. To address this, Microsoft Teams introduced a virtual commute feature. This simulates the drive to and from the office, helping workers mentally transition between home and work, and vice versa. This separation can make it easier to manage time and reduce the chaos of blending work and home life.
AI Solutions
The adoption rate of AI has skyrocketed, and Microsoft has been a key player in this space. AI has long been part of Microsoft’s strategy, with various AI features already integrated into tools like Excel, Word, Teams, and PowerPoint. For example, PowerPoint’s Presenter Coach can listen to your presentation and provide feedback on your speaking style.
Since Microsoft’s investment in OpenAI, they’ve introduced even more AI-driven features. One notable addition is Microsoft 365 Copilot, which leverages ChatGPT technology to help employees write memos, emails, and white papers more efficiently. Other third-party AI tools, like ChatGPT, are also making significant inroads into the workplace by enhancing video and voice capabilities.
If your organization isn’t yet leveraging AI, it’s time to start. Adopting AI can greatly enhance productivity and collaboration, making it an essential consideration for any forward-thinking business leader.
Ensuring Security
Finally, it is important do recognize that despite its many benefits, a hybrid work environment does come with additional security risks that your business needs to stay aware of and mitigate.
Preventing Insider Threats
When managing a remote workforce, especially with employees you may never have met in person, it’s crucial to thoroughly vet your team to prevent insider threats and cyber risks. Hackers can exploit home computers or networks to breach your corporate systems, so these risks are very real. It’s also essential to be cautious about what access you grant and to conduct thorough background checks to mitigate these threats.
Staying Secure with SASE Networks
Most companies use VPNs and remote access for their remote workers, but these technologies come with their own risks. So one of the things that you’re probably going to see over the next year that’s going to have very high adoption rates is what we call SASE, Secure Access Service Edge. To put it simply, this is where we take all of the remote workers as well as people within the office, and we create a virtual network that connects all those devices together and puts a perimeter around it. SASE is particularly important with the rise of cloud services. It’s possible to configure this solution so that, if a person isn’t part of the virtual network, you can’t access your Microsoft Office 365, you can’t access your Salesforce, and so forth; it is necessary to be part of this virtual network in order to actually access those resources. All of this substantially reduces the risk of cyberattacks on your cloud services and overall environment.
Embrace Microsoft 365 to Future-Proof Your Hybrid Workforce
The shift to hybrid and remote work is here to stay, and businesses must fully embrace the capabilities of Microsoft 365 to adapt and succeed.
Ready to transform your workplace? Book a meeting with our team today to learn how we can help you leverage these technologies to their full potential.
