16 Oct Microsoft Teams Tutorials – Scheduling Meetings

In Microsoft 365 there are often many ways to achieve the same goal. One example of this is when scheduling team meetings. This feature allows users to organise meetings through the Teams app or through Outlook. Below we shall explore both methods.

Scheduling meetings using ‘Outlook’

With email remaining an integral communication method in the majority of workplaces, for most, Outlook is the go-to application. Because of this, it is therefore more likely to be the most popular way in which to schedule Teams meetings.

1. Go to your calendar at the bottom left of the Outlook window to begin.

2. To arrange group meetings, bring up the relevant group calendar. Double-click the calendar to select the date and time for your meeting. This in turn will make a meeting window appear with the time you have selected already filled for you, for example:

3. Then select ‘Teams Meeting’ from the ribbon.

The meeting window then changes, letting you insert the particular details for your meeting. Insert a title and then add required and optional attendees as appropriate. Finally select when the meeting will start and finish. An option is also available to make the meeting a recurring one.

Alternatively, you can go straight to this meeting window from your calendar by clicking ‘New Teams Meeting’ without selecting a time, as shown below.

Upon clicking send, everyone you have invited to take part in the meeting will receive an email with the meeting information. To avoid people forgetting to attend, you can trigger reminder emails also.

Scheduling meetings with ‘Teams’

The most common way to schedule or launch a meeting within teams is through the ‘Calendar’ tab to the left of the window. There are two options you are then offered to launch a meeting ‘New meeting’ and ‘Meet now’.

‘Meet now’ is a quick method to launch a meeting immediately. It opens a window where you can add the people you want to attend.

‘New Meeting’ allows you to organise and check who can attend the meeting in advance by using a scheduling feature. Once having clicked ‘New meeting’ a form will appear into which the meeting information can be inserted.

This is the clever bit! Once all meeting details have been populated, (attendees, time/date etc.) Teams highlight people in red that have scheduling clashes with the meeting. The scheduling tool will then give alternative meeting times that don’t result in such clashes.

The ‘scheduling assistant’ gives you a more detailed overview of attendee’s calendar. This allows you to look at everyone’s schedule to ensure that no one will be double-booked, this way you can be sure everyone’s free and the meeting can go ahead with every intended participant present.

Once you are ready click ‘send’. Notifications will be sent to all requested attendees. The meeting will also be in the calendar of everyone requested to attend both in Outlook and in Teams. Notifications will ask attendees to RSVP to the meeting, allowing you to see who has confirmed their attendance.

Making changes to a Scheduled meeting

You can make changes to a meeting once you have scheduled it. Maybe you want to add a new attendee or maybe change the start and finish time, all of which can be altered along with other information. Attaching files to meetings is also an option which can be useful if the purpose of said meeting is to discuss a document. Attaching the file will allow it to be reviewed by others in the meeting before the meeting has even begun.

In order to make changes, find the meeting in your Teams calendar and click on it. You can then update the meeting details which will be presented to you. Once you’re happy with the changes you’ve made, click ‘send update’ in the top right to save the changes.

There are also additional tabs at the top of the screen. Click on ‘chat’ to send relevant files using ‘files’ tab, from your OneDrive account, SharePoint or your computer.

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