Learn About Teams for NMLTA Committees

Info and Tips for NMLTA Leaders and Committee Members to Use Microsoft Teams to Streamline Committee Work

NMLTA supports the use of Microsoft Teams to enhance collaboration, improve productivity, and ensure effective communication among committee members. This tool, included with our Microsoft 365 subscription, can help streamline committee work, making it easier for members to stay connected and organized.

If you already use Teams in your company or organization, you can work as a Guest within the NMLTA Teams environment, and easily toggle between your user account for company work and for NMLTA work.  If you have never used Teams, you can download it for “work or school” and login to the NMLTA committees to which you are assigned. You can watch a helpful video about using Teams as a guest - HERE.

Here’s a guide on how committee members can leverage Microsoft Teams for their work in our organization:

1. Dedicated Team for Your Committee

We have created a dedicated Team in Microsoft Teams for your committee. This serves as a central hub where all conversations, files, and meetings related to the committee are stored. Organize your committee into channels based on different topics or projects, such as "Rate Hearing," "Membership 2025," or "Event Planning," This makes it easy to keep discussions focused and organized. If you are a member of a committee and have never used Teams, please contact me and I'll make sure you have been properly assigned. When you are logged in to Teams for NMLTA you should have access to all committees to which you belong.

2. Communicate Seamlessly with Chat and Channels

Microsoft Teams offers multiple ways to communicate effectively with committee members:

• Chats: For quick, direct conversations, members can use private chats. This is perfect for one-on-one communication or small group discussions without cluttering the main team’s channels.
• Channels: For larger group discussions, you can use channels within your dedicated Team. For example, a channel for “Event Planning” allows committee members to collaborate on event details, share ideas, and track progress without flooding the general chat.
• Threaded Conversations: Threads within channels keep conversations organized, ensuring members can track discussions and respond in context.

3. Collaborate on Files and Documents

Committee work often involves sharing documents, budgets, plans, and reports. Microsoft Teams integrates seamlessly with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), allowing committee members to:

• Share Documents: Upload and share files directly within a channel or chat.
• Collaborate in Real-Time: Use collaborative editing features to work on the same document at the same time. Whether it’s editing a strategy document or drafting a meeting agenda, collaboration becomes much easier.
• File Organization: All shared documents are stored in SharePoint, which allows easy access and version control. You can organize files into folders for better organization.

4. Hold Virtual Meetings and Video Conferences

With committee members often working remotely or in different locations, regular meetings are essential to keep everyone aligned. Microsoft Teams offers robust video conferencing capabilities:

• Scheduled Meetings: You can set up recurring meetings or ad-hoc video conferences directly from Teams, sending out invites to all members.
• Virtual Meetings with Screen Sharing: Use video calls to connect committee members, share presentations, or work collaboratively on a document. Screen sharing allows everyone to view the same content, making it easy to present reports, share updates, or review proposals.
• Meeting Notes and Recordings: Teams automatically captures meeting notes and allows for the recording of meetings, ensuring that members who couldn’t attend can catch up later.

5. Assign Tasks and Track Progress

Microsoft Teams integrates with project management tools like Microsoft Planner and To Do, allowing you to assign tasks and track progress:

• Planner: Create tasks, assign deadlines, and track the progress of various committee projects. Use visual tools like Kanban boards to organize tasks and assign committee members to specific responsibilities.
• To Do: This allows individual members to organize their own tasks and set reminders for upcoming deadlines.

6. Use @Mentions for Clarity

To ensure that important messages are not overlooked, use the @mention feature to tag specific committee members in messages or tasks. This way, you can directly draw their attention to key points or responsibilities. It’s especially helpful when a task needs specific feedback or approval.

7. Share Important Updates via Announcements

For important updates or organizational news, use the announcement feature within channels. Announcements allow you to make certain messages stand out, ensuring key information doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. This can be particularly useful for reminding committee members about upcoming deadlines, meetings, or changes in direction.

8. Use Polls and Surveys for Feedback

To make decisions more efficiently, committee members can use Microsoft Teams to create quick polls or surveys. The built-in Polls app (integrated with Microsoft Forms) allows members to submit their votes or feedback on key topics, helping to make decisions quickly and democratically.

9. Ensure Security and Confidentiality

For nonprofit organizations, security and confidentiality are key. Microsoft Teams offers built-in encryption, multi-factor authentication, and secure file-sharing capabilities, ensuring your committee’s sensitive information remains safe. You can control who has access to specific files, channels, and meetings, so only relevant committee members can view or edit certain content.

10. Video Tutorials

Microsoft has created many video tutorials on how to use Teams easily and effectively.  Visit the video training site – HERE.

Conclusion

Microsoft Teams is a powerful tool for NMLTA committees, offering a range of features to enhance communication, collaboration, and organization. By utilizing Teams, our committee members can streamline their workflow, make better decisions, and focus more on their mission rather than administrative tasks. From file sharing to virtual meetings and task management, Teams brings committee work into the 21st century—making it more efficient, productive, and connected.

By adopting Microsoft Teams, we can empower our volunteer committees to work together more seamlessly, improving the overall effectiveness of their initiatives and contributing to the success of their goals.