Please enjoy this blog authored by Perla Ramirez, Senior Manager of Global IT, Change Management and IT Programs, Crowell.
Opening Statements: Preparing for Microsoft Teams' Biggest Shift Yet
The legal industry is no stranger to the challenges of communication and collaboration in a fast-paced, ever-evolving environment. Recently, Microsoft, announced a major upcoming change to Teams which will affect the chat and channel experiences. This upcoming change is the largest user experience update since Teams launched in 2017. This blog post will walk you through some of those changes, what to expect, and what this means for your firm. The new Teams experience will be available in public preview in November of 2024.
What’s Changing: The Core Update
At the heart of this update is the integration of chat and channels into a unified experience under the “Chat” sidebar icon. This means the familiar “Teams” icon on the left-rail of the Teams interface is being phased out. Instead, teams and channels will be incorporated within the same section as chat, creating a streamlined, cohesive interface that reduces the need for switching between different tabs.
Key features of this change include:
- Unified Sidebar: The chat and channels experience will now be under one “Chat” section, making navigation simpler and more intuitive.
- Custom Organization: Users will have the ability to create custom sections, grouping related chats and channels as they see fit. This includes up to 50 sections with 50 items each, along with a new favorites feature to prioritize important conversations.
- Advanced Filters and Views: New filters like “Unread,” “Chat,” “Channels,” “Meetings,” and “Muted” will help users manage their communications more efficiently. The new @mention view will also consolidate all mentions into a single interactive list, ensuring nothing important gets overlooked.
- Integrated New Message Functionality: Users can now initiate a new chat or channel post from the same place, promoting faster and more seamless communication.
Why This Matters for Legal Professionals
For legal teams, efficient communication is essential. The blending of chats and channels into one unified space offers the potential to streamline workflows and reduce context-switching, which can lead to greater productivity. However, any change of this magnitude can also disrupt existing processes and habits.
This update is especially pertinent for law firms with distinct workflows between client communications, internal collaborations, and document management. Understanding and adapting to these new changes early on will save substantial time and effort when the new experience is officially rolled out. This is especially important for law firms using tools such as Intapp Workspaces.
The Value of Public Preview
Enrolling in the public preview is not just recommended—it’s critical. Getting a head start in exploring this change can help law firms anticipate potential challenges, gather user feedback, and develop tailored training strategies. This proactive approach allows IT and operations teams to fine-tune internal resources and best practices before the broader rollout.
The public preview experience comes with a guided onboarding process that users can leverage to understand the new layout and customize it according to their preferences. While this process is user-driven, having a support structure in place, including guidance from IT and early adopters, can significantly ease the transition.
Building an Effective Early Adopter Program
Preparing for a change of this scale requires strategic planning. One highly recommended approach is to assemble an early adopter group to pilot the new interface. This group should include a mix of business services and legal professionals to ensure a holistic understanding of the change's impact.
Why a Diverse Group Matters:
- Business Services: Early adopters from support functions can provide insights on how the change affects project management, inter-departmental communication, and administrative work.
- Legal Professionals: Including attorneys and paralegals in the pilot ensures that workflows related to client interactions and casework are thoroughly tested, minimizing surprises when the change is officially deployed.
Roles of Early Adopters:
- Feedback Providers: They can offer real-time input on usability, any potential obstacles, and suggestions for smoother integration.
- Change Champions: These users can become advocates and resources for their peers when the full rollout begins, sharing best practices and helping others adapt quickly.
Recommendations for Legal IT Teams
- Sign Up for the Public Preview: The public preview is the perfect testing ground for understanding the full scope of the new chat and channels experience.
- Develop Training and Support Materials: Begin creating comprehensive training guides, FAQs, and demo videos that reflect how the new experience aligns with your firm’s existing practices.
- Communicate Early and Often: Regular updates about what’s coming, why it’s beneficial, and how employees can prepare will build anticipation and reduce resistance.
Closing statements
The upcoming changes to Microsoft Teams signal a major evolution in how legal and business service teams collaborate. By taking advantage of the public preview and involving a balanced group of early adopters, firms can minimize disruptions and maximize the benefits of this new experience. There is an upcoming forum Microsoft is hosting which will provide more details on the new Teams experience. I encourage you to attend.
Tuesday, November 12, 2024, 10:00 am – 11:00 am PST
Microsoft also has a newly launched Adoption site with several resources available now.
While change often brings challenges, with the right approach, it can also open the door to more efficient and effective communication in the legal sector.
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