Getting Started with Microsoft 365 Groups
Pretty much everyone in the world of IT knows what a Distribution List (DL) is. In the email realm, when you send an email to the list, each member of the list receives the email. Pretty simple, right? Nice and efficient. Microsoft Exchange Server does provide some limited configuration options in terms of who can join the list, if approval is required by a Manager (admin), etc. But, that’s pretty much the nuts and bolts of the process.
Fast forward a few decades and Microsoft created the next evolution (revolutionary?) of email distribution lists/groups – the Microsoft 365 Group (originally branded the Office 365 Group). One of the biggest reasons Microsoft wanted to expand on the relatively simplistic nature of DLs was to enhance collaboration. And enhance they did! Besides being able to email members of your group, you now have a plethora of communication options and mediums for this collaboration. Here are the main features:
- Shared Inbox – This is most like a traditional Shared Mailbox. All members of the M365 Group can collaborate via email here. Users have the option of having these emails appear in their own Inboxes.
- Group Calendar – A private calendar that allows your team to schedule meetings, private events, time off for staff, and other productivity-based appointments.
- Document Library – A file repository that lives on a newly created SharePoint Team Site. This allows your users to share files, and collaborate on them simultaneously in realtime.
- OneNote Notebook – This provides your members with a OneNote notebook that allows you to keep private notes about your team project. Like the other methods listed here, you can access them from many applications/locations. I’ll cover the access methods a little bit later.
Before I demonstrate how to create new Microsoft 365 Groups, let’s learn a little about how they are connected across various Microsoft 365 services. Microsoft 365 Groups get created when you:
- Create a Microsoft Team
- Create a Group in Outlook
- Create a SharePoint Team site (default)
- Create a Plan
Users, of course, don’t need to know about what goes on behind the scenes when say, a new Team is created. But as an M365 Admin, it would behoove you to have a solid understanding of the process. This will allow you to demonstrate to your users and to better educate them on the benefits of Microsoft 365 Groups. There is additional value – you will be more efficient during troubleshooting scenarios when responding to user requests for support.
When you create a new Team, a (hidden) Microsoft 365 Group gets created to, at a minimum, to manage the membership of the Team. Everyone that becomes a member of the Team becomes a member of the group. When you create a new SharePoint Team Site, a new Group is created. By default, this new group will be hidden from Outlook clients. If you want to allow these groups to be listed in the Global Address List in Exchange, use this PowerShell cmdlet:
Set-UnifiedGroup -Identity emailaddressofMicrosoft365Group@tenant.onmicrosoft.com -HiddenFromExchangeClientsEnabled:$false
When you create a Plan, the default option is to create a Microsoft 365 Group to link this Plan with. You do have the option of adding it to an existing group. You’ll see that when creating a new Plan from the Planner website:
Let’s start with creating a new M365 Group in Outlook for the Web:
- Scroll down to the bottom of your email folder tree.
- Right-click on Groups and click New group.