Three Best Practices Beyond Basic Teams Deployment

Deploying Microsoft Teams is straightforward. Your IT department or managed service provider purchases licenses, users download the desktop or mobile apps, and Teams is installed. But if that’s all your organization does, you’re missing out on the strategic power Teams can offer.

In this post, we’ll cover three actions that go beyond basic deployment. These aren’t setup steps—they’re strategic configurations that help your organization use Teams effectively and avoid common pitfalls. Two of these actions have to be handled by your global administrator, and one is a manual task for individual Teams site owners.

1. Separate Teams from Chat

In November 2024, Microsoft merged Teams and Chat into a single interface. While this change was intended to simplify things for organizations that don’t fully leverage Teams channels, it created confusion for those who do. If your organization uses Teams sites and channels strategically, this merge undermines clarity and usability.

Fortunately, it’s easy to reverse. Your global administrator can restore the separate Teams button on the app bar and ensure that Teams and Chat remain distinct across the organization. This change helps users navigate more efficiently and reinforces the structured use of Teams channels.

Microsoft’s interface may change over time, so instead of relying on outdated tutorials, ask Copilot how to make this adjustment. It will provide up-to-date instructions and even link to a video walkthrough.

2. Restrict Channel Permissions Globally

By default, Microsoft gives team members the ability to add, delete, and modify channels. This assumes that all employees will become Teams and SharePoint power users—a nice idea, but not realistic for most organizations.

If your organization follows best practices and builds thoughtful channel structures, you don’t want those structures undone by well-meaning but inexperienced users. That’s why your global admin should remove channel editing permissions for team members across the organization.

This change protects your Teams infrastructure and ensures that channels remain consistent and purposeful. Again, Copilot can guide your admin through the process.

3. Restrict Posting in the Default Channel

Unlike the first two actions, this one can’t be done globally. It must be configured manually in each Teams site. The goal is to restrict posting in the default channel—often named “General”—so that only the site owner can post.

Why is this important? Every team has a leader, whether it’s a manager or project lead. By creating a channel where only the leader can post, you establish a clear space for announcements, policy updates, and other top-down communications. Team members can still reply, allowing for transparent follow-up and clarification.

Some organizations rename this channel to “Management Communications” or “Cascading Messages.” Whatever you call it, the purpose is the same: a one-stop shop for important updates from leadership.

Copilot can walk you through how to restrict posting in each site.

These three actions—two global, one manual—are simple but powerful. They help your organization move beyond basic deployment and into strategic use of Teams. If you want help implementing these changes or exploring Copilot AI, visit https://countyquest.com for a free one-hour coaching session.

Ready to deploy Teams the smart way? Start with these three steps.