14 Jul 2026 Why Organisations Should Be Embracing Microsoft Teams Channels

Why Organisations Should Be Embracing Microsoft Teams Channels

Every time I run a Microsoft Teams training session, I’m reminded of something both surprising and consistent: even though Microsoft Teams has been around for years, many people still aren’t aware of its most powerful functionality—Microsoft Teams Channels.

In a recent workshop, participants were asked what they would take away and put into practice back at work. Their responses were telling:

• Learning how to separate teams and channels to make Teams easier to use.
• Setting up channels as a one‑stop shop for data access.
• Creating channels seems critical to allow our tools to facilitate how we work rather than dictate it.
• Creating a Team (with the help of IT) if one doesn’t already exist for our group.
• It was great to see that we have a tool that can be used as a one‑stop shop.
• We’ve already uploaded information into Teams for simple/quick location
• Using channels and what they are best used for
• These comments highlight a reality I’ve seen for years: many organisations are still using Teams as “Chat with extra steps” instead of the structured, collaborative workspace it was designed to be.

And that’s a big missed opportunity in my opinion.

The Problem: Teams Chat and Email Are Holding You Back

Most internal communication still happens in two places:

• Email, which is slow, siloed, and hard to track once the thread grows.
• Teams Chat, which is fast but chaotic, unstructured, and disconnected from files, tasks, and long‑term work.

Both tools have their place—but neither is well designed for teamwork. They’re designed for messages. Channels, on the other hand, are designed for workflows, collaboration, transparency, and continuity.

This is why, in every Microsoft Teams training session, I emphasise four simple truths:

1. Channels are faster and more efficient than email
2. Channels are tighter and more structured than Chat
3. Channels make important conversations around topics easier to track for everybody
4. Well designed Channels prove easy access to important information the team needs

When people finally see this in action, the lightbulb goes on.

Why Microsoft Teams Channels Matter: The Organisational Benefits

Based on many years of undertaking Microsoft Teams training, here are seven core reasons I believe organisations should be embracing Microsoft Teams Channels rather than relying on Teams Chat and Emails.

1 – Teams Channels create clarity and reduce noise

Instead of dozens of chats and scattered emails, Channels organise communication around topics, projects, or functions. Everyone knows where to go. Everyone sees the same information. Nothing gets buried or lost!

2 – Teams Channels become a One‑Stop Shop

This comes up repeatedly in my Microsoft Teams training workshops: People love discovering that Teams Channels can centralise:

• Relevant Documents/Files (Stored in SharePoint, so easily accessible and shared with the team)
• Channel Posts to enable open Conversations around various topics
• Task assignments for the team
• Meeting notes from team meetings
• And more too, think; Shared Apps that the team use, Links to important information

When everything lives in one place, the productivity of the team skyrockets.

3 – Teams Channels support sustainable collaboration

MS Teams Chat is great for quick questions and Email is fine for communicating with external parties. But neither supports long‑term work. Microsot Teams Channels do. Channels create a persistent, searchable, structured history of your team’s work—something organisations desperately need.

4 – Teams Channels reduce dependency on Individuals

And here is something that is a little hidden, but once you see it….When work happens in private chats or personal inboxes or even file sharing via OneDrive, knowledge disappears the moment someone leaves the organisation. Channels keep everything visible, accessible, and retained.

5 – Teams Channels encourage better work habits

When teams adopt Channels properly, they naturally begin to:

• Share information more openly
• Collaborate more consistently
• Reduce duplication
• Store files correctly
• Communicate in context

Tools shouldn’t dictate how we work—Channels help us shape the tool around our workflow.

6 – Teams Channels Improve onboarding and continuity

New staff can join a Team and instantly see:

• What’s been discussed
• What decisions were made
• Where files live
• What the current priorities are

No digging through inboxes. No “Can you forward me that email?” No lost history.

7 – Teams Channels reduce internal Email

I’ve been advocating this for years, and it’s still true: Internal email should be replaced by Teams conversations. And that’s a good thing in my personal experience. Channels make this possible because they provide:

• Faster communication
• Better context
• Shared visibility
• Integrated file access

I’ve written about this several times in the past: You can check those articles out here:

• Move internal email to conversations in Microsoft Teams
• Teams Conversations, Chat or Email?

Both of these still hold up as far as I can see, if anything, they’re even more relevant now.

The Real Issue: Most organisations never set up Microsoft Teams Channels properly

Many Microsoft Teams environments are created with:

• A single Team
• No additional Channels other than the General Channel
• Everything happening in Chat
• Files scattered everywhere

This leads to frustration, confusion, and the belief that “Teams is messy.” But Microsoft Teams isn’t really messy—the way people set it up and use  is messy.

When organisations create:

• The right Teams
• The right Channels
• The right naming conventions
• The right expectations

Microsoft Teams becomes a very powerful productivity tool.

It’s time to embrace Microsoft Teams Channels

The feedback from my recent workshop shows that people want to use Channels—they just need guidance, confidence, and a clear understanding of why it matters. If your organisation is still relying on Chat and email, it’s time to rethink your approach.

Channels aren’t just a feature. They’re a workplace strategy. They reduce noise. They increase clarity. They centralise information. They improve collaboration. They make Teams work the way it was intended.

And most importantly—they help people work better.

Final Thought

Microsoft Teams Channels aren’t new. But for many organisations, they’re still undiscovered. If you want to improve productivity, reduce email, and create a more connected workplace, embracing Channels is one of the simplest and most impactful changes you can make.

See my Microsoft Teams training for more information on what I cover or reach out to me to discuss further.

Geoff Prior, Digital Productivity Trainer at Lingford Consulting, July 2026