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How to Bring Return on Participation (ROP) to Your Virtual Meetings
As we continue to shift to remote or hybrid work environments, virtual meetings are quickly filling up our schedules. In fact, according to Microsoft’s 2022 Work Trend Index, weekly meeting time has more than doubled — a 252 percent increase — for Teams users since [...]
How to Use Power Platform to Create a Data Culture?
Making data-driven decisions can be the differentiator between success and failure. We're constantly generating data in our never-ending interactions with technology and access to meaningful data, and the appropriate analytical tools are crucial to success. As leaders, we must provide our team with the most [...]
Microsoft 365 Copilot | Your Favorite AI Assistant
We recently broke down the integration of ChatGPT into Microsoft ecosystem and how AI (Artificial Intelligence) will transform the workplace. Yet, it seems we're only in the adoption stage of this technology. With new innovations and announcements daily, our fascination and excitement know no bounds. In Microsoft's [...]
Channel vs. Non-Channel Microsoft Teams Meetings
If you’re confused by the different types of meetings in Microsoft Teams and how each one can be used, you’re not alone! Our team recently made fifty billion test meetings (slight exaggeration) to break down the pros and cons of channel meetings and non-channel meetings. [...]
Deciding Between Out-of-the-Box (OOTB), Custom, or Third-Party Solutions in Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 offers an impressive stack of tools, and here at Creospark, we have an out-of-the-box (OOTB) first approach. There are many reasons why we believe you should almost always attempt to use the OOTB tools available to you before taking the custom route. However, sometimes [...]
The Future of Microsoft and What 2023 Has in Store for You
The new year is upon us, and technology advances at such high speeds that it's hard to keep up! Well, that's where we come in to give you an exclusive summary of the most exciting thing coming from Microsoft in 2023 to ensure that you're [...]
How to Stay Productive During Winter | Beat Those Winter Blues
You wake up, grab your coffee and throw a blanket over your shoulders. You turn on your screen to tackle the day, but the cloudy weather makes it tough to focus. You feel drowsy, and ideas aren't flowing. What spell has taken hold of your [...]
Improve Your Wellbeing via Microsoft Teams
The last few years have had their fair share of ‘you’ve got to be kidding me’s, ‘this again?’ and ‘oh come on’s,’. So, if you’re like the rest of us, finding ways to bring levity, joy, and a little comfort to your day is key. Microsoft’s extensive [...]
Microsoft Teams Meeting Rooms | Optimized for Hybrid Work
How would you grade your company conference rooms? Hint: you need much more than four walls and a table to receive a high grade. These days, it’s important to think about the people who are NOT in the room just as much, if not more, than [...]
Microsoft Places | Reinventing the Workplace
It's hard to remember a time when everyone worked in-office, and we could just pop over to our work-bestie's desk for a quick chat. The reality is our environment is now a hybrid-first world, and this new work experience is one that many of us [...]
Connect Your Team | Microsoft Places
“We need to recognize that the role of the office has changed and people come in for each other to rebuild team bonds. To make the office worth the commute, employees need a “why” and it turns out that “why” is each other” - Jared [...]
An Eternal, Perfect Hair Day | Mesh Avatars Coming to Teams
Let's face it; sometimes, we don't want to show our faces. We all have those days where we're simply not in the mood to do our makeup, brush our hair, or even change out of our pajamas, but that doesn't mean that we don't want [...]
Merrier Meetings | Pop-out Shared Content in Teams
On the 10th day of Teams, Microsoft gave to thee. A pop-out window in a Teams meeting! Microsoft is constantly evolving the Teams platform, and one of the latest updates is truly a gift of productivity. The Pop-out feature now allows us to break free [...]
Corp Comm’s Little Helper | Viva Amplify
Disseminating crucial information to your Team is no easy feat. Virtual communication faces many challenges — messages can be lost in translation, misunderstood, or not read at all. Leadership relies on Corporate Communications teams and tools to help spread the word. However, Microsoft has a [...]
Jingle Jingle Jingle, Reduce Distracting Rings | Customize Channel Notifications
Every time a notification rings, a distraction, it does spring. Notifications can be as helpful as they are distracting. We can't afford to miss out on a critical message, but a constant bombardment of them can do more harm than good and lead to unproductivity. [...]
From Santa’s Workshop | Games for Work
You can keep your partridge and tree of pear all I want for Christmas is solitaire. This holiday, Teams gets a perk introducing...Games for Work. Microsoft wrapped up the gift of nostalgia and is serving it up in Teams! Solitaire and Minesweeper brought us hours [...]
A Present of Presence | Schedule Teams Messages & Protect Your Team’s Time
Bang! Something unexpected inspires you out of nowhere. You've got a brilliant idea that will save your company thousands of dollars. You're proud. Your adrenaline runs through your veins like an avalanche coming down a mountain. But then you look at the clock. It's 9:30 [...]
More Isn’t Always Merrier | Chat With Yourself
We've got some gifts we think you'll find quite grand, to help guide you to Teams wonderland. 12 tips & tricks delivered with glee, we'll help you use Teams most optimally. Our topic for today is the "chat with yourself" feature on Microsoft [...]
Spread Holiday Cheer | Teams’ Video Messaging Feature
In a remote-first world, a personal touch goes a long way in humanizing the digital employee experience. A considerable percentage of communication is non-verbal. So, spread some extra holiday cheer this year by leveraging Teams' video messaging feature to send your team a cheery video [...]
The Gift of Eloquence | Teams Speaker Coach
Congratulations! You’ve been on Santa’s list of nice organizational leaders this year, and we’re here to give you the gift you’ve been asking for! We all know how important it is for leaders to have exceptional communication skills. Great leaders can inspire their teams through [...]