Beyond the Basics: Why Your Microsoft 365 Training is Falling Short (And How to Fix It!)

Tired of feeling lost and frustrated in Microsoft 365? 

This episode of the Simply SharePoint Podcast is for you! This week I'm tackling a critical issue in the modern workplace: why so much Microsoft 365 training falls short, leaving millions of users struggling to harness the platform's incredible power.

We'll dive deep into the daily frustrations of not knowing how to effectively use tools like Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint, leading to wasted time and lost productivity. But don't worry, I'm not just pointing out problems – I'm offering solutions!

Get ready to discover the often-overlooked, yet incredibly powerful, world of SharePoint Views. I'll reveal why they're truly my secret weapon for transforming chaotic document libraries into organised, intuitive information hubs, allowing you to find what you need faster and work smarter.

Beyond views, I'll clarify the essential differences between Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint, guiding you on where to save your files for optimal collaboration and personal efficiency. Plus, you'll learn practical strategies for setting up logical and user-friendly folder structures that eliminate the "where did that go?" dilemma.

If you're an end-user yearning for clarity, an IT professional seeking to boost adoption, or a business leader looking to maximise your M365 investment, this episode is a must-listen! Tune in to unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365 and reclaim countless hours in your workday.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Welcome back to the Simply SharePoint podcast, your go-to source for often SharePoint and Microsoft 365. I'm your host, Liza Tinker, and today we're diving into a topic that's near and dear to my heart. And frankly, it's something I see overlooked far too often in the modern workplace. The critical importance of effective SharePoint and Microsoft 365 training. Now, I know what some of you might be thinking. Training? We've had training. We sat through that one-hour webinar when we migrated to Microsoft 365 three years ago. Or maybe, well, my IT department sent me a link to some Microsoft Learn articles. Isn't that enough? And to that I say respectfully, no, it's often not enough. And in fact, in many cases, it's precisely why so many of you are struggling, frustrated, and quite frankly, wasting valuable time and resources trying to navigate the incredible power of Microsoft 365 without a proper map. Now, consider this. Microsoft 365 boasts over 300 million paid seats globally. That's a staggering number of users. And while the platform offers an unparalleled suite of tools for, say, collaboration, productivity, and communication, the reality is that a significant portion of these users are not utilizing it to its full potential. They're scratching the surface, perhaps using Outlook for email and Word for documents, but missing out on the transformative capabilities that lie beneath. I constantly hear from end users who are genuinely frustrated. They tell me stories of not being able to find documents, accidentally duplicating files, struggling to collaborate efficiently, and generally feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options. This isn't because Microsoft 365 is inherently difficult. It's because the training, when it exists, is often generic. one-off and simply doesn't address the real world scenarios and specific pain points that employees are encountering daily. The impact of this inadequate training is far-reaching. We're talking about decreased productivity, increased errors, lower job satisfaction, and ultimately a significant return on investment that's just left on the table. Companies spend fortunes on these licenses, yet they often skimp on the very thing that would unlock their true value, empowering their people. So what does effective Microsoft 365 training look like? It's not a one-size-fits-all approach. It needs to be ongoing, relevant, and hands-on. It needs to address the why as much as the how. And crucially, it needs to tackle the areas that are most commonly overlooked and misunderstood by end users. So let's dive into some specific areas where training is often lacking and where a little focused knowledge can make a massive difference. First up, and this is a big one, especially for us SharePoint enthusiasts, is SharePoint views. I cannot stress this enough. SharePoint views are arguably the most underrated and under-trained feature of SharePoint. So think about this. How many times have you scrolled endlessly through a document library with hundreds, maybe thousands of files desperately searching for that one document? or wished you could quickly see all documents related to a specific project, regardless of where they're physically stored. So that's where views come in. A well-constructed view can transform a chaotic document library into a highly organized, easily navigable, and incredibly powerful information hub. Yet so many users don't even know they exist, let alone how to create or modify them. Okay, so imagine a scenario. You're in a project document library. Instead of seeing a flat list of every single file, you could have views that show you, say, my draft documents. That means only documents you've recently worked on that are still in draft. Or documents by department. So the documents are all grouped by the department that's responsible for them. Say, approved contracts. So you can filter for a specific content type and an approval status. or even documents due next week where you're leveraging metadata for deadlines. And these aren't just aesthetic changes. They are fundamental shifts in how you interact with the information. They empower users to find what they need faster and to work more efficiently. When training on views, you should cover what are views and why they're useful. The why is crucial. How to create different types of views, such as standard, calendar, gallery, data sheet. How to apply filters and sorting. This is the basics of narrowing down on your results. How to group items. That is, organizing your information logically. How to add and reorder columns. So that's about customizing what information you see. How to set a default view so that the end user can make the most relevant view the first thing that they see. And understanding the power of metadata, how proper tagging makes views even more powerful. And this isn't just about SharePoint document libraries. Views are also incredibly powerful in SharePoint lists for managing tasks, issues, contacts. A few hours dedicated to mastering views could save your team countless hours every single week. Moving beyond SharePoint itself, let's talk about the big picture, the entire Microsoft 365 ecosystem. One of the biggest points of confusion and a frequent source of file storage mishaps revolves around understanding the distinct roles of Microsoft Teams, OneDrive and SharePoint. It's like having three different filing cabinets, but no one told you what kind of documents go in each or how they're interconnected. So people just start throwing files into whichever one seems easiest at the time, leading to version control nightmares, duplicated efforts, and a complete breakdown in collaborative efficiency. Let's break this down simply. Think of OneDrive as your personal cloud storage, It's your digital desk drawer. This is where you save documents that are primarily for your eyes only or drafts that you're working on individually before they're ready for team collaboration. It's excellent for personal files, quick notes, and documents that don't need to be shared widely or collaboratively edited by a group. You can share files from OneDrive, but it's generally for ad hoc, individual sharing, not ongoing team projects. Now SharePoint, this is your organizational library. SharePoint is the backbone for team collaboration and document management. When you create a SharePoint site, you're creating a central repository for files, lists, pages, and news for a specific team or department or project. Documents here are meant for shared access, co-authoring, and long-term retention. It provides robust versioning, permissions, and all those powerful views we just talked about. Every Microsoft team has an underlying SharePoint site for all its file storage. This is a crucial point that is often missed. And now Microsoft Teams. Teams is your collaboration hub. It's where the real-time communication and project work happen. Think of it as your virtual office. When you share a file in a Teams channel, Where does it go? You guessed it, it's stored in the SharePoint site associated with the team. Teams provide the interface for chat, meetings, and integrating various apps. But for file storage, it leverages SharePoint's robust capabilities. The key takeaway here is that Teams uses SharePoint for file storage. Understanding this relationship is fundamental. It means that when you're in a Teams channel and you click on the files tab, you're essentially looking at a document library within the associated SharePoint site. So effective training must clearly articulate where to save your files. Personal files in OneDrive, team and project files in SharePoint, which are accessed via Teams or directly. The benefits of each platform. Why choose OneDrive for personal work? and why SharePoint or Teams for collaboration, and the seamless integration, how files shared in Teams are actually living in SharePoint. This now leads us directly into another crucial, often neglected area, how to set up effective folder structures. I've seen some truly horrifying folder structures in my time. Layers upon layers of nested folders, Generic names like New Folder 2 or everything dumped into one massive directory. This creates a digital wilderness where information gets lost and productivity plummets. Good folder structures aren't just about neatness. They're about making information accessible and intuitive. So here are some best practices that training should cover. Firstly, keep it flat but logical. Avoid excessive nesting. Aim for no more than three to four levels deep. If you find yourself going deeper, consider if your top level categories are too broad or if you can use metadata instead of folders. Secondly, use consistent naming conventions. Decide on a standard for naming folders and stick to it. For example, project underscore name underscore year or department underscore function. consistently makes it easier to navigate for everyone. Thirdly, think from the user's perspective. How would someone new to the project or department logically look for information? Structure your folders based on how people work, not just how files are created. Also leverage metadata over deep folder structures. This is where SharePoint truly shines. This makes searching and creating those powerful views infinitely easier. Training needs to demonstrate this shift in thinking. Next, separate active versus archived work. Consider having separate areas or libraries for active projects and completed or archived projects. Also train your staff not to replicate old network drive structures exactly. because Microsoft 365 offers new ways of working. Just lifting and shifting old, new, inefficient network drive structures directly into SharePoint or Teams misses a huge opportunity for improvement. This is a common mistake and a key area for training intervention. And also consider a work in progress area. For documents that are truly in flux, such as a work in progress folder, can be useful. but ensure there's a clear process for moving them to their final organized location once they're stable. So providing users with clear guidelines and practical examples for setting up folder structures combined with a strong understanding of metadata will drastically improve information management across your organization. It reduces the where do I save this dilemma and ensures everyone is on the same page. Beyond these core areas, there are so many other tips and tricks within Microsoft 365 that end users often stumble upon by accident or they never discover at all. These are the aha moments that genuinely save time and reduce frustration. One of those is co-authoring. Are your users still emailing documents back and forth? Training on real-time co-authoring in Word, Excel and PowerPoint is absolutely fundamental. Show them how multiple people can work on the same document simultaneously, seeing each other's changes in real time. Along with co-authoring, understanding version history in SharePoint and OneDrive is a lifesaver. No more panic attacks when someone accidentally deletes a paragraph or makes a huge change. Show them how to revert back to previous versions with ease. The search within SharePoint and Microsoft 365 is also incredibly powerful, but often underutilized. Teach users how to refine their searches, use keywords, and leverage metadata for more accurate results. Show how Outlook integrates with Teams, how OneNote can be used for meeting notes within a team, or how Power Automate can automate simple tasks. These connections are where the real power of Microsoft 365 lies. What about app mentions? In Teams and Outlook, showing users how to use the app mention feature to directly notify someone is a small but powerful way to cut through the communication clutter. Also, many users are still going through convoluted processes to convert documents to PDFs or vice versa. Simple training on the built-in save as PDF or open with Word for PDFs can save significant time. And the list goes on. The point is, these aren't niche features. They are everyday tools that when understood and utilized, make work significantly easier and more efficient. So why is this training often overlooked or unsatisfactory? The first is a set it and forget it mentality. Many organizations treat a Microsoft 365 rollout as a one-time IT project rather than an ongoing organizational change management initiative. There's also a lack of resources. Budget constraints often mean training is an afterthought or relegated to generic out-of-the-box content that doesn't resonate with specific organizational workflows. There's also assumptions about digital literacy. There's an assumption that because people use technology in their personal lives, they'll instinctively know how to use complex enterprise software. This is a dangerous assumption. There's also a focus on technical and not user needs. Training often focuses on the technical aspects of the platform rather than the practical day-to-day challenges users face. The solution isn't just more training, it's better training. It's training that is role-based, tailored to what different roles actually need to do with the platform. Say a marketing team will have different needs than an HR team. It's got to be contextual, using real-world examples from your organization. It needs to be interactive and hands-on, where you're allowing users to practice and apply what they learn immediately. It should be bite-sized and on-demand. So provide short focus modules that users can access when they need them, addressing those specific problems. It needs to be supported by a learning culture. So fostering an environment where asking questions, experimenting and continuous learning are encouraged. And it needs to be reinforced and refreshed. Microsoft 365 is constantly evolving. Training needs to evolve with it. Regular refreshes and updates on new features are essential. Investing in comprehensive ongoing Microsoft 365 and SharePoint training is not an expense. It's an investment in your workforce, in their productivity, and in the overall success of your organization. It's about empowering your employees to move beyond simply using the tools to truly mastering them, turning frustration into efficiency, and unlocking the full power of your digital workplace. If you're an IT leader, a business manager, or even an end user frustrated by the current state of affairs, I urge you to advocate for better training. Explore options like Microsoft 365 Learning Pathways. Consider specialized training providers like, well, simply SharePoint. Look for internal champions who can spread knowledge and best practices. That's all for this episode of the Simply SharePoint podcast. I hope this has given you some food for thought and inspired you to rethink your approach to Microsoft 365 training. You can find more tips, tricks and resources on our website, simplysharepoint.com. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss our next episode. Until then, keep simplifying your SharePoint and keep empowering your users.