Key insights

• Together Mode in Microsoft Teams uses AI to place participants into a shared virtual space, like an auditorium, enhancing connection and reducing fatigue.


• Benefits include improved engagement through better interpretation of non-verbal cues, reduced meeting fatigue by presenting a cohesive group setting, and enhanced focus by minimizing distractions.


• Use Together Mode for meetings with multiple active speakers or sessions requiring visual engagement, such as brainstorming or educational settings.


• Avoid using Together Mode when sharing physical content from your environment or if participants frequently move, as it focuses on participants only.


• To enable Together Mode: update Microsoft Teams to the latest version, during a meeting with at least five people, click ‘More actions’ (three dots), then select ‘Together Mode’ from the dropdown menu.


• Together Mode supports up to 49 participants, creating an engaging and collaborative virtual meeting experience.

Boosting Engagement in Microsoft Teams Meetings with Together Mode

In today's digital workplace, maintaining engagement during virtual meetings can be challenging. However, Microsoft Teams offers a solution with its innovative feature, Together Mode. This article delves into how Together Mode can transform your meetings, making them more interactive and immersive.

Understanding Together Mode

Together Mode in Microsoft Teams is a feature designed to enhance the virtual meeting experience. By using AI segmentation, it places participants into a shared virtual environment, such as an auditorium or conference room. This setup creates the impression that everyone is in the same space, which can significantly boost engagement and reduce the fatigue often associated with traditional video meetings.

In the accompanying YouTube video by Dougie Wood [MVP], viewers are provided with a comprehensive guide on how to utilize Together Mode effectively. The video covers various aspects, including enabling the feature, customizing the virtual scenes, and optimizing its use for different meeting types.

The Benefits of Together Mode

There are several advantages to using Together Mode in your Microsoft Teams meetings:

• Enhanced Engagement: By simulating a shared environment, participants can more easily interpret non-verbal cues and body language, fostering a sense of connection.
• Reduced Meeting Fatigue: Traditional video meetings can be tiring due to the cognitive load of processing multiple disjointed video feeds. Together Mode alleviates this by presenting a cohesive group setting.
• Improved Focus: With a unified background, distractions from individual participant backgrounds are minimized, allowing for better concentration on the discussion.
• Facilitated Interaction: The shared space encourages natural interactions, making it easier for presenters to “read the room” and gauge audience reactions.

These benefits make Together Mode a powerful tool for fostering a more engaging and collaborative virtual meeting environment.

When to Use Together Mode

While Together Mode offers numerous benefits, it's essential to understand when it is most effective:

• In meetings with multiple active speakers.
• During sessions where visual engagement is crucial, such as brainstorming or educational settings.
• When aiming to create a more relaxed and attentive meeting atmosphere.

These scenarios highlight the versatility of Together Mode in enhancing various types of meetings.

When Not to Use Together Mode

Despite its advantages, there are situations where Together Mode might not be suitable:

• If you need to share physical content from your environment, as Together Mode focuses solely on participants and excludes their surroundings.
• In scenarios where participants are frequently moving, as this can disrupt the cohesive virtual environment.

Understanding these limitations helps ensure that Together Mode is used effectively and appropriately.

How to Enable Together Mode

Enabling Together Mode is straightforward, but there are a few prerequisites:

• Ensure your Microsoft Teams application is updated to the latest version.
• During a meeting with at least five participants, click on the ‘More actions’ (three dots) in the meeting controls.
• Select ‘Together Mode’ from the dropdown menu.

It's important to note that Together Mode supports a maximum of 49 participants, making it ideal for medium-sized meetings.

Conclusion

By integrating Together Mode into your Microsoft Teams meetings, you can create a more engaging and collaborative virtual meeting experience. Whether you're hosting a brainstorming session, a training, or a regular team check-in, Together Mode can help your team feel more connected, reducing the sense of isolation that often accompanies remote work.

For a detailed walkthrough on using Together Mode, Dougie Wood [MVP]'s YouTube video provides valuable insights and tips. As virtual meetings continue to be a staple in the modern workplace, leveraging features like Together Mode can significantly enhance communication and collaboration among team members.

Keywords

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