Top Microsoft Teams Tips and Tricks to Boost Workplace Productivity

Microsoft Teams has become the go-to collaboration tool for many businesses across Australia. Whether you’re in an office in Sydney or working remotely from the Gold Coast, Teams makes it easy to stay connected and productive. But are you really getting the most out of it?

Here at Gray Area Consulting, we work with heaps of organisations looking to streamline communication and boost productivity. Over time, we’ve picked up some handy Microsoft Teams tips that help teams work smarter, not harder. Here are our top tips and tricks to help you get the most from Teams – no IT degree required.

1. Use @Mentions Smartly

If you’ve ever been in a busy channel, you’ll know how easy it is to miss a message. That’s where @mentions come in. You can tag a person, team, or even the whole channel. For example, typing @John sends John a notification, while @Marketing gets the attention of the whole marketing crew.

Tip: Don’t overuse @everyone or @channel – it’s like shouting across the office. Use it when it’s really important.

2. Pin Your Most Used Channels

Have a few Teams or channels you’re always jumping into? Right-click the channel and select Pin. It’ll stay at the top of your Teams list, so you’re not constantly scrolling. It’s like putting your favourite coffee mug right next to the kettle – easy access, every time.

3. Turn Messages into Tasks with Microsoft To Do or Planner

Ever had someone message you something important, and you thought, “I’ll remember that” – only to forget it completely? You’re not alone. Use the More Options (⁝) on any message and choose More actions → Create task. You can assign it to yourself via Microsoft To Do or Planner, which integrates seamlessly with Teams.

We dive more into Microsoft 365 tools in our article on why small businesses love Microsoft 365.

4. Use Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcuts save time. Here are a few to try out:

• Ctrl + E: Jump to the search bar
• Ctrl + Shift + M: Mute/unmute in a call
• Ctrl + N: Start a new chat

It might feel a bit techie at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll zip around Teams like a pro.

5. Use Immersive Reader for Focus

Struggling to make sense of a long message or catching up after a day off? Right-click any message and select Immersive Reader. It can read the message aloud, highlight each word as it goes, and adjust text size or spacing – a bit like having a personal assistant for your inbox.

6. Customise Notifications

Notifications can be a productivity killer if they’re constant. Under Settings → Notifications, you can tailor alerts to suit your working style. Choose to be pinged only when someone @mentions you or replies to your post, instead of every message in a channel you barely use.

It’s all about reducing digital noise so you can focus on what matters.

7. Use Background Effects in Meetings

Working from home and your dog’s having a howling match with the neighbour’s lawnmower? No worries. Teams lets you blur your background or choose a virtual one. Just click More actions → Apply background effects before or during a call.

If you’re managing a hybrid team, check out our guide on enabling hybrid offices with Microsoft 365.

8. Use Together Mode for Better Team Vibes

If your team is feeling a bit disconnected, Together Mode can help. It puts everyone in a shared virtual space – like a lecture hall or coffee shop. It sounds a bit gimmicky, but it can really lift the vibe in long meetings, especially for remote teams.

9. Save Messages for Later

Need to revisit a message but can’t deal with it now? Hover over it, click on More options, then Save this message. You can find all saved messages under your profile icon → Saved.

It’s a great way to keep track of action items without letting them slip through the cracks.

10. Integrate with Other Microsoft 365 Apps

Teams really shines when you connect it with other Microsoft 365 tools. You can:

• Collaborate on Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files in real-time
• Use Power Automate to set up workflows (like auto-posting updates to a channel)
• Schedule meetings directly from Outlook

For more on how these tools work together, have a read of our article on enhancing security and collaboration with Office 365.

Bonus Tip: Use Tabs to Bring Everything Together

You can add tabs at the top of any channel for quick access to apps, files, websites or dashboards. For instance, if your team uses a specific Excel tracker daily, add it as a tab so it’s always one click away.

Wrapping Up

Like any tool, Microsoft Teams is most powerful when used well. A few tweaks here and there can make a big difference to how your team communicates and gets work done. Whether it’s simplifying your day with shortcuts or keeping your tasks organised, these tips can help you work just that little bit smarter.

If you’d like to take your Microsoft 365 setup to the next level, or you’re just getting started, our team at Gray Area Consulting is here to help. We work with businesses of all sizes to make sure your technology works for you – not the other way around.

Ready to improve how your team works? Get in touch for a chat about how we can help you get the most out of Microsoft Teams.