Microsoft 365 How-To

Manager & Admin Guide for CTRS Team Members
Outlook • Teams • Planner • To Do • OneDrive •
Manager & Admin
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View & Reply to Posts

Everyone
  1. Open Teams.
  2. Click Teams in the left sidebar (your teams and channels appear here alongside chats).
  3. Click your team (e.g., On Call Schedule) to expand its channels.
  4. Click a channel (e.g., General).
  5. Read the posts. Click Reply under any post to respond.
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Start a New Post

Everyone
  1. Open the channel you want to post in.
  2. Click the compose box at the bottom (it says Start a new post) or press Alt+Shift+C.
  3. Type your message. Use the formatting toolbar for bold, bullets, etc.
  4. Use @name to tag someone specific, or @channel to notify everyone in that channel.
  5. Click the Post button to send your message to the channel.
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Send a Direct Message (Chat)

Everyone
Not everything needs to go in a channel. Use Chat for private conversations with one person or a small group.
Everyone
  1. Open Teams.
  2. Click Chat in the left sidebar.
  3. Click the New chat icon (pencil icon) at the top.
  4. Type a person's name in the To: field. Click their name when it appears.
  5. Type your message and press Enter to send.
  6. To add more people (group chat), click the To: field and add more names.
Channel Post vs. Chat
Channel posts are visible to everyone in that channel -- use them for anything the team should see. Chats are private 1-on-1 or small group conversations -- use them for side conversations, personal questions, or things that don't need to be broadcast.
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Create a New Channel

Managers Only
  1. In Teams, click the three dots (⊕) next to the team name in the left sidebar.
  2. Click Add channel.
  3. Name it (e.g., "Coverage Swaps," "Incidents," "Truck Maintenance").
  4. Add a description so people know what it's for.
  5. Choose Standard (visible to all), Private (invite-only), or Shared (cross-organization).
  6. Click Add.
Suggested Channels
For a 24/7 towing operation, consider these channels:
  • General -- company-wide notices
  • Coverage / On-Call Swaps -- "can someone cover Friday night?"
  • Incidents / Accidents -- reports and follow-up
  • Truck Maintenance -- repair status, inspections
  • Training / Safety -- certs, refreshers
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Start a Quick Call or Video Meeting

Everyone
  1. Open the channel or chat where you want the call.
  2. Click the Meet button (camera icon) in the top-right corner of the channel.
  3. Choose whether to start with video on or off, then click Join now.
  4. Others in the channel/chat will see the call and can click to join.
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Sharing Files & Photos

Everyone
Need to share an accident photo, a truck inspection report, or a document? You can attach files directly in Teams.
Everyone
  1. Open a Teams channel or chat.
  2. Click the Attach (paperclip) icon below the message box.
  3. Choose Upload from my computer to share a file, or Browse Teams and Channels to share something already uploaded.
  4. You can also drag and drop files directly into the message area.
  5. Every channel has a Files tab at the top -- click it to see all files shared in that channel, organized in folders.
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Adding Planner to a Channel

Managers
Planner boards can be embedded right inside a Teams channel as a tab. This is the best way for the whole team to see and interact with tasks without switching apps.
  1. Go to the Teams channel where you want to add Planner.
  2. Click the + (Add a tab) button at the top of the channel.
  3. Search for and select Planner.
  4. Choose Create a new plan or Use an existing plan from your team.
  5. Give it a name (e.g., "CTRS Tasks") and click Save.
  6. The Planner board now appears as a tab in the channel. Everyone in the channel can see and interact with it.
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Pin Important Messages

Pin Important Messages
On desktop, you can hover over any message, click the three dots (⊕), and choose Pin to keep it visible at the top of the channel. Great for shift schedules, important announcements, or quick-reference info.
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