Chapter 6 MS Teams

TeamPSD and the VA are both using Microsoft Teams as their main communication and scheduling platform.

6.1 Quick Start Guide

To review the basics of Microsoft Teams, check out their Quick Start Guide.

This guide will help you learn the basic user interface functions of Microsoft Teams such as:

  • Signing In
  • Manage your profile settings
  • Create & choose/browse channels
  • Start a meeting or call
  • Start a new conversation thread
  • Reply within a message/conversation thread
  • @ Mention someone
  • Start a 1:1 or small group chat
  • Add/Share/Work with Files
  • and more!

6.2 Flow Map

6.2.1 Switch Orgs/Add VA Account

6.2.2 Create a VA Teams meeting from your Personal Email Account

6.2.3 Create a VA Teams meeting from the shared MTL Help or MTL Info Email Accounts

This is a work-around solution for creating meetings that ensures a meeting series comes from the MTL Help or MTL Info shared inboxes, but also includes

6.2.4 Participate in a Meeting

Note: VA Citrix Users do not have access for computer audio or webcam from the Teams WebApp, but can join by calling in from their cell phone or join the meeting from outside the VA with the meeting link.

6.3 Additional Tips/Functions

6.3.1 VA Teams WebApp Browser:

Click on the Teams WebApp shortcut on your CITRIX remote log-in desktop to access the browser version as CITRIX does not have the desktop version installed.

If you do not see the WebApp shortcut, open Google Chrome and type in teams.microsoft.com to access it manually.

6.3.2 Switch Organizations

To switch out of an organization on the VA Teams WebApp Brower:

  1. Click on the organization you are currently in, located next your profile picture & name.

  2. To switch out of the organization, click on the organization you want to switch into.

To switch out of an organization on the Non-VA Teams Desktop:

  1. You must sign out and re-login into the Desktop App by going to your Profile and signing out:

  2. You will be given the option of choosing an organization to sign into, click on the drop down to select an option.

  3. Click ‘continue’ and Teams will switch you into the chosen organization:

6.3.3 Meet in a Channel

To know where a meeting call is being held in a channel:

  1. Look to see the purple video icon next to a channel’s name.

6.3.4 Edit Message/Reply

To edit a message:

  1. Drag your cursor over to an existing comment and click on the 3 dots next to the 6 “react” emojis.

  2. Select the pencil icon Edit button.

  1. After finishing your edit, select the check mark button to publish or the “x button” to exit out of the draft.

6.3.5 Type in Markdown

Teams is Markdown friendly!

  1. Try using basic markdown such as bolding or italicizing text in a comment/reply.

6.3.6 Start a Call in a Thread

To start a meeting call within the same conversation thread to keep context:

  1. In the conversation thread, click on the reply button.

  1. Click on the video icon button to begin a call.

6.3.7 Record a Meeting

To record a meeting or call:

  1. Within the meeting/call, click on the 3 dots […] in the middle navigation bar and select “Start recording”.

  2. The following will occur to indicate that you are recording:

    • A disclaimer will pop-up at the top of the meeting for everyone.
    • A red circle will appear next to the meeting timer in the navigation bar.

  3. When you are done with the meeting/call, click on the 3 dots […] in the middle navigation bar and select “Stop recording”.

  4. The recording will need time to upload and render (e.g 50 min recording took about 2-3 min). Once finished, the video will automatically populate in the meeting’s Chat thread.

6.3.8 Share Dual Screens

To share multiple browser windows or screens:

  1. Click on the screen share button that appears when you hover over your meeting call screen:

  2. Select the square underneath Desktop to share your entire laptop’s Desktop screen.

Note: Be wary of any open tabs or browsers you may have open that may contain PHI or personal information that you do not want to share.

  1. You will notice a subtle red border outlining your entire desktop screen. The red border is only visible to you and not anyone else, hence not pictured here.

TIP: Queue up the window you want to share in advance. I had already quequed up my Google Chrome Browser in the background, which is now being shared as the default of entire desktop screen.

  1. Drag in other window/browsers within the red border to show dual screens.

Here I am showing Google Chrome and Teams:

  1. End screen sharing by going back to the meeting and clicking on the screen sharing button.

6.3.9 Disappeared Meeting

To find a meeting call’s screen once you’ve clicked out of the meeting to look elsewhere on Temas (i.e you needed to respond to a ping, when to look for a link in a discussion thread, etc.):

  1. Minimize the Teams browser completely by clicking on the middle (-) button at the top header of the browser:

  1. Go to a new browser or your desktop and the meeting call should appear in the bottom right hand corner:

Alternative (only applicable to Channel Meetings, not Private 1:1 meetings):

If you remember which Channel the meeting call was in, you can click back into the meeting by ‘Joining’ in again, this will not show you joining twice as you are just re-joining.

6.3.10 “React” to a Comment

To “React” to a comment or reply to acknowledge it:

  1. Drag your cursor over to an existing comment and select 1 of the 6 emojis to “react” to it.

6.3.12 Pop up Chat

  1. Hover over a meeting chat in the Chat tab and click on the 3 dots that appear.

  2. Click ’Pop out Chat" for the chat to display and external new window.