In my last blog post, I highlighted some tips and tricks to save time and promote collaboration in Microsoft Teams. In this post, I will discuss key considerations for Teams governance.
Don’t Overthink Governance
Remember, when a user creates a Microsoft Team, an Office 365 Group is also created. This Office 365 Group, by default, creates an Outlook distribution list, a SharePoint Site Collection, a shared Calendar, Planner, and OneNote notebook for the group members. With so many interconnected elements, things can quickly become a virtual “Wild West.”
Considerations Checklist
To effectively manage Teams and keep the chaos at bay, it is important to implement governance. But implementation does not have to be tricky. The key is to keep it simple.
Use this quick checklist of governance considerations. Start small. Answer the key questions and ensure you have coverage and a roadmap for the bigger items. Microsoft suggests asking these key questions:
- Who can create Teams?
- Teams naming conventions
- Guest access and connectors
- Approved apps
- Are meetings included? If not, what’s the plan?
- Data security
- Team and O365 group expiry
- How long will you POC vs. pilot vs. launch?
More Items to consider:
- Set content levels for the fun stuff
- Narrow down your connectors and apps to what you support
Deeper Concepts:
- Plan for:
- Lifecycle management in Teams
- Governance in Teams
- Security and compliance in Teams
- Enterprise mobility and device management
- Data protection with eDiscovery, retention, etc.
Consider a Core Governance Strategy
If it makes sense, consider starting with a core governance strategy. This simplified version of the more detailed and robust governance policies concentrate on settings and hard controls rather than processes and other deeper concerns. This is a starting point that will grow with your use of Teams and Office 365.
