techwise group logo
vector of laptop screen with people having meeting with time and other icons

Enhance Productivity with Breakout Rooms in Microsoft Teams – Tech Tip For August 29, 2023

When you have a remote team, fostering effective collaboration and communication becomes challenging, but Microsoft Teams’ breakout rooms can be a game-changer.

Teams’ breakout rooms are virtual spaces designed to facilitate smaller group discussions while working remotely. This feature allows the host to split the main meeting into smaller groups, enabling more focused discussions, increasing team participation, and encouraging better communication overall.

Other benefits of using breakout rooms include:

Enhanced Efficiency: Breakout rooms streamline collaboration by allowing teams to simultaneously work on different aspects of a project.

Focused Discussions: Your team will have an environment tailored for detailed and concentrated discussions, eliminating unnecessary distractions.

Increased Participation and Communication: These rooms ensure everyone has the opportunity to contribute, enhancing team cohesion, communication, and individual thinking.

Meeting Deadlines: With efficient collaboration and focused discussions, meeting deadlines becomes more manageable.

Ready to get started with breakout rooms? Here’s how to set them up when you’re already in a meeting:

  • Start or join a Teams meeting.
  • Click on the breakout room icon on your control bar.
  • Decide the number of rooms needed and assign participants to each room. Teams can also assign people to rooms randomly.
  • As the organizer, you can hop between rooms to monitor discussions.
  • When done, close the rooms to bring everyone back to the main meeting.

Note: You can only set up breakout rooms if you are a meeting organizer or a presenter who has been granted access to create breakout rooms.

There are other ways to set up breakout rooms as well, including presetting them before a meeting. This article from Microsoft gives great step-by-step details on how to set up breakout rooms most efficiently for your organization.

Contact TechWise Group today to empower your remote teams with the right Microsoft tools to enhance productivity and collaboration.

Important Microsoft Announcements:

  • If you have not already moved to NCE licensing for your organization or if you have any questions about upcoming renewals, please contact us at gettechwise@techwisegroup.com to understand your options.
  • MFA is the best way to prevent cyberthreats. If you have not enabled MFA in your organization, let us help you put a plan in place.
  • Windows Server 2012 and 2012 R2 Extended Support ended on October 10, 2023. If your organization is still running these operating systems, please contact us to discuss your options.
  • Windows 10 will reach the end of support on October 14, 2025. The current version, 22H2, will be the final version of Windows 10, and all editions will remain in support with monthly security update releases through that date. Existing LTSC releases will continue to receive updates beyond that date based on their specific lifecycles. Please contact us to discuss your options.
  • Microsoft has expanded Copilot licensing for small-to-medium businesses (January 15, 2024). Reach out to TechWise Group to discuss your options.
  • Classic Teams client reaches end of availability. Microsoft extends time to July 01, 2024, for Admins to address any related issues.
  • April 1, 2024, Microsoft announced global changes to Teams licensing. Please reach out to TechWise Group with any questions.