Lockdown started almost 12 months to the day, thrusting councils into a brave new world of online meetings. While many initially used Zoom, increasing numbers are now finding Teams is the best choice – not just for the mechanics of hosting effective meetings, but also for everything that supports them. It’s cost-effective too, as it’s bundled in with your Microsoft 365 subscription.
So how can Teams make life easier for you as a council officer?
Say hello to…
1. A one-stop shop
Zoom’s simple structure may make it superficially user-friendly, but it offers little more than a hosting and recording facility – which is only scratching the surface of what a successful council meeting involves. With Teams, you get a single B2B platform that manages both the room and everything behind it – from communications and calendars, file share and storage, to data security and support.
2. Accessibility for everyone
Making online meetings accessible can be challenging, but Teams has some handy tools to help. Options include private and public Q&A functions, live captioning and compatibility with other assisted technologies such as screen readers. Meetings for up to 1000 participants can be live-streamed and, despite the persistent myth, visitors don’t need the Teams app to attend – just an invite with a guest link.
3. Internet-free meeting access
It’s happened to us all, and it’s nothing to be ashamed of – your face frozen on screen in a rictus grin while your internet connection decides to enjoy some downtime. With Teams, you don’t have to take this lying down. Just switch to your mobile phone and jump back in as an audio participant.
4. More security than Fort Knox
The last thing you need is documents going astray or hackers getting into your system. Teams is built on Office 365’s enterprise-grade cloud, so it has a solid gold array of security features at its disposal, including two-factor authentication and encryption of data while it’s at rest or being transferred.
5. Seamless communication
Teams brings together Office apps such as Outlook and PowerPoint, along with valuable third-party tools like SharePoint, Trello and Twitter. If you just want to send a quick message, the WhatsApp-style chat and instant messaging features are super-handy – and because you’re staying within the Teams world, you get an easily accessible record of your conversation, saving time and creating clarity.
6. Better engagement
By making collaboration so much easier, Teams can help increase productivity, improve workflow and keep everyone more engaged – which is vital for boosting meeting attendance. We’re a social species, so the more effectively we keep in touch, generally the happier we’ll be.
And wave goodbye to…
7. Spending days pouring over a hot photocopier
No more running off hundreds of pages of agenda and notes, posting them out to attendees, only to realise they need updating. Clerks (and trees) can breathe a sigh of relief, as documents can be shared online instead and instantly amended or worked on live. You can also add different levels of security, so only the right eyes get to see sensitive data.
8. Losing work between devices
Teams automatically saves files to the cloud, so anyone with the necessary permissions can access them from all of their devices – desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. No more logging in to discover the data you need is stranded in another computer…
9. The sound of the crowd
Who wants to minimise their risks of Handforth Parish Council-style “audience participation”, where members of the public zoom-bombed their February meeting? There’s a place for fancy dress and the Benny Hill theme tune. Your live council meeting is not it. Teams gives you the control tools to deal with disruptions quickly, before you’ve become an internet meme.
10. Dodgy filters and internet infamy
As befits a system designed for professional use, there are no “amusing” filters in Teams. After all, who wants to share the fate of Rod Ponton? The now world-famous Texan attorney appeared in front of a bemused virtual courtroom, in the guise of a white kitten, plaintively protesting “I’m not a cat”, while his assistant desperately tried to alter the settings and restore his dignity. Some things have a cost. Others – like a feline-filter-free working environment – are priceless.
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With the May elections looming, there’s no better time to explore your meeting strategy. Find out more at our free online Meeting & Document Management Summit, supported by NALC, on 30 March from 9.45am – 2pm.
We’ll show how to use Teams to streamline and simplify your communications, create the agenda, promote accessibility and automate time-consuming tasks such as filing and transcription.
Register here to reserve your place and receive exclusive event offers – including free Microsoft Office 365 training for new councillors and 15% off licensing for new CloudyIT customers, available for a limited time only.
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