Do your one on ones in teams

Got lots of one-on-one meetings? Maybe you manage people, or you sync regularly with colleagues. Whether you meet online in Teams or face-to-face, Teams can help keep things organized.

Your first impulse might be to create a team for each of your one-on-one meetings, but that can get unwieldy over time. Teams are really meant for groups of three or more people. 

So, how should you structure your one-on-ones by using Teams? The answer is chat.

• Chat holds all the files that you've shared with each other in Teams.

• You can add key files, websites, and apps to the top of your chat for easy review.

• If you meet virtually, either person can kick off a call right from your chat.

First, pin the chat

Pinned chats stay at the top of the chat area so you don't have to hunt them down. Pin the chat for each person you meet in a one-on-one. You can pin up to 15 chats.

To pin a chat, choose the chat on the left side of the screen, then select More options > Pin  .

Once you've pinned the chats, drag them into the order you want. Now all your chats are within reach.

Pin your most frequently used chats for easy access.

Next, put important stuff in tabs at the top of your chat

Let's say you've got a file that you regularly review together during your one-on-one time. To keep it front and center, turn it into a tab that's part of your chat.

To do this, after you've shared the file in the chat, click Add a tab (the + sign) at the top of the chat. Choose the type of file it is, then the file itself. 

You can use a OneNote tab for things like agenda and meeting notes. Tabs can also be links to other things—like a PowerBI dashboard, a project task board, a whiteboard, or a website.

Get at a frequently used file by making it a tab.

Tip: Remove tabs that are no longer relevant to keep your chat simple and manageable.

A little more about Files

Your chat with a person catalogs the files you and that person share with each other in Teams—all there on the Files tab. Whether it's a living document that you're developing together or a one-off review, if it's been shared in your chat, you can get it in the Files tab. 

Two ways to share files in chats:

• Select the Files tab, choose More options > Copy link > Copy, and then paste the link directly into a message.

• In the toolbar under your message, select Attach and then upload your document.

The Files tab in your chat shows all the files you've shared with each other.

When you're ready to meet

If you meet virtually, you can kick off the meeting right from your chat. In the chat, look in the upper-right corner below your profile pic for the Video call and Audio call buttons. 

Once you're in a call, either person in the chat can share their screen so you can look at things together—such as files or websites that you put in a tab at the top of your chat.