DfI Skills Academy - Day 20 - Effective Online Communication

• Construction
• Higher Education (non-degree)

Effective Online Communication & General Office Operations

DfI Skill Academy

Day 20

Aims

• Utilise MS Outlook for various email-related tasks.
  
• Utilise MS Teams for communication and collaboration.

AppsNI Template

MS Teams

MS Teams

Microsoft Teams is a collaborative platform designed for teamwork and communication. It offers a wide range of functions, including:

• Team Communication: Facilitating chat-based communication among team members.
  
• Video Conferencing: Hosting virtual meetings and video calls.
  
• File Sharing: Sharing documents and collaborating on them in real-time.
  
• Integration with Other Apps: Integrating with other Microsoft and third-party applications to enhance productivity.

MS Teams - Demonstration of functions.

- Understanding team roles and channels.

- Joining and scheduling meetings.

- Using the meeting toolbar and settings.

- Sharing screens and using the chat function.

- Best practices for online meetings.

AppsNI Template

MS Outlook/Email

The Importance of Email Management

• Efficiency and Productivity: Managing emails effectively helps you stay organised, reduces the time spent searching for information, and allows you to respond promptly to important messages. Well-organised emails can prevent missed deadlines, overlooked tasks, or unnecessary delays.
• Prioritising Important Communication: With a structured inbox, you can prioritise critical messages from clients, managers, or team members. Using folders, categories, and flags helps to differentiate urgent emails from less important ones, ensuring that you address key matters first.

• Reducing Stress and Overwhelm: A cluttered inbox can be overwhelming, especially if you receive a high volume of emails daily. Email management practices, such as organising emails into folders or using tools like “Inbox Zero,” help reduce the mental burden of dealing with hundreds of unread messages.
• Improved Collaboration and Communication: Effective email management ensures smoother communication across teams. You can easily track conversations, follow-up on tasks, and ensure that important discussions are not lost in the clutter. Keeping emails organised also makes it easier to collaborate when working on shared projects.

• Better Record Keeping: Email is often used for documentation, sharing files, and tracking agreements or commitments. By managing your emails properly, you ensure that essential information is easily accessible when needed for reference, auditing, or legal purposes.
• Security and Privacy: Proper email management also includes safeguarding sensitive information. Organising and securely archiving confidential messages helps protect against unauthorised access and keeps your communication secure. This also helps in complying with data protection regulations.

Sending an Email

Email Basics

Key fields: To, Cc, Bcc, and Subject

Receiving Emails

Receiving Emails

Replying: “Reply” and “Reply All.”

Forwarding Emails

Attachments

Searching Emails

Importance of Email Encryption and Security

Email Scams and Phishing

Managing Emails with Folders and Categories

• Organising with Folders:
  
• How to create and name folders for different projects or contacts.
  
• Moving emails to folders manually or using rules.
  
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• Using Categories:
  
• Colour-code and categorise emails for easier reference.

Best Practices for Email Management

• Inbox Zero:
• Tips for regular email maintenance (checking, sorting, deleting).
• Unsubscribe from Unnecessary Emails
• Use Rules and Automation - Automatically sorting emails into folders or flagging important ones.

AppsNI Template

MS Teams Calls

Workbook Activity

2.3. Demonstrate the use of telephone system to communicate with others for business.

AppsNI Template

Policies and Practices 

Policies and Practices 

Data Security and Confidentiality

Both emails and Teams communications need to comply with data protection laws such as the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act. This includes encryption, secure access to systems, and monitoring for unauthorised use. 

Protecting sensitive data—whether personal or government-related—is critical, especially in public-sector environments. 

DfI employees would be required to follow strict protocols to prevent data breaches and ensure that confidential information isn't shared with unauthorised individuals

Email Management

Emails sent within DfI must be archived and available for auditing or legal hold as needed. 

This ensures accountability and transparency, especially when sensitive discussions or decisions are being documented. 

Features like spam filtering, malware protection, and phishing detection via Microsoft Exchange Online Protection are part of standard practices to secure email communications​

Microsoft Teams Policies

When using Teams, policies would likely cover secure access, including multi-factor authentication, and data encryption for all communications. 

Teams chats, calls, and file sharing are subject to the same scrutiny, with all content stored securely. 

DfI’s IT policies may also impose additional controls like restricting external participants or disabling certain features to limit data exposure​

Any questions?