Yesterday I put the final touches to a mini-masterclass on Microsoft Teams Rooms.

I had started this over a month ago when there was talk at work about how organisations now are preparing their people to return to the office. In particular, how to help organisations with their actual physical space requirements for hybrid work.

What are Microsoft Teams Rooms?

Initially, I had no idea about Microsoft Teams Rooms. In fact, the three words together put some confusion in my mind.

I thought it was to do with the software (MS Teams) and Rooms I mistakenly thought as the online breakout rooms. However, what is meant by the term is really a blend of physical spaces (meeting rooms and other rooms) being linked as resources within MS Teams.

In effect, you can then have people there in person as well as working remotely to have a similar experience – supported by Microsoft Teams.

I work as a Community Manager for the Adopt & Embrace Academy (which is now part of Rapid Circle) and as such my responsibility is to manage a community as well as create and upload resources on change, learning and adoption of M365 for this community.

I figured that people returning to work and how managers may be looking at spaces and devices for hybrid work may be something that would be of interest.

• How do you create spaces for hybrid work?
• How do you customise the spaces you already have for hybrid work?
• How do you help people use these spaces and devices for hybrid work?

So I decided off my own back to plan, prepare and create this mini-masterclass and see how I go. I’m hoping the community would find it of value!

How I Developed The Masterclass

My first action was to approach the people in our company who are the experts in this. I pitched my idea to them to create a three-pronged masterclass that covers:

• Getting ready for Microsoft Teams Rooms
• Spaces, Places and Devices for Microsoft Teams Rooms
• Change and Adoption of MTR in Your Organisation

I used OneNote to basically map out each of the modules and then after speaking with each of the presenters to get an idea of what they were going to talk about, I outlined the dot points as well as created the introductions to each module. I also curated a whole heap of Rapid Circle references as well as some Microsoft references against each module.

The masterclass is really a prompter to assist organisations to take a critical review of the way their people work and then to scrutinise the spaces and devices they already have and consider if it meets their needs.

Each of the modules includes approximately 30 min interview with the expert for each topic along with a set of curated resources.

For example, Nick Showler, one of our technical consultants has helped organisations with physical room set ups and his interview covered some fascinating aspects of room layout, audio design elements, invisible cabling and video. It certainly made me look at meeting rooms in a whole different way – especially when I hadn’t been in one for some years! (You know those nice carpet square tiles on walls – they may not be there for artistic reasons – they may be there for audio…who knew!)

(I don’t know about you but meeting rooms especially large conference rooms give me the heebeejeebees. Usually there’s a cupboard full of cabling, remote controls are missing and you’re always scrambling to find someone like an Executive Assistant or the IT guy to help you connect your laptop to the big screen. Those days are gone thankfully).

Each module has a set of curated resources from Microsoft that will help people to focus their attention to what they need and I’ve also created a workbook (of sorts) that can act as a prompter for clients working with us to be better prepared when they work with us.

I’ve had some minor technical glitches trying to get it into the WordPress site but I have no doubt that it will be sorted out soon however, the masterclass is now complete.

This and along with my other masterclass on How to Run Virtual Facilitation Sessions Using Microsoft Teams is also completed. I’m quite chuffed creating these for our community members because we’re helping our community with some tools and materials to get them proactively thinking about their workspaces and how to use M365 for collaborative and hybrid work.

If you want to know more about the Adopt & Embrace Community and how to be a member to access different change, adoption and learning resources for M365 then check out: https://adoptandembrace.academy/

I have this vision of our community members working together on a project to collaborate on a new cross-industry, cross-country solution and then to present this on the world stage at a global Microsoft conference like Inspire or Ignite as a case study in a way to demonstrate and show the power of co-created, co-operated cross-industry communities.

If I can achieve this in my last role before retirement, I’d be happy. I did it with Third Place many years ago where I set up a cross-industry co-working and co-learning meetups so I see this as my new goal!

But one step at a time….

Photo:

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-teams-blog/new-experiences-coming-to-microsoft-teams-rooms-to-allow/ba-p/2451553