Inside the Mind of Paul Keijzers, a Microsoft 365 Expert

Welcome back to our interview series featuring the leading lights of the Microsoft 365 world! Today, I'm thrilled to chat with Paul Keijzers, a renowned Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams MVP (MVP profile), and a captivating YouTuber over at kbworks_eu (YouTube channel).

Paul is a true font of knowledge, sharing his expertise through insightful daily posts on LinkedIn (LinkedIn profile).

In this interview, we'll delve into three key areas:

• Unlocking the Power of Microsoft Teams: We'll explore how to maximize your Teams experience and leverage its full potential.
• The MVP Journey: Paul will shed light on the process of becoming a Microsoft MVP and the unique rewards it brings.
• The Future of AI in the Workplace: We'll delve into Paul's insights on how Artificial Intelligence will shape the future of our work environments.

So, buckle up and get ready for an insightful adventure! I encourage you to share your thoughts and comments in the section below. Let's delve into Paul's world of Microsoft 365 expertise!

What are your best practices for fostering effective collaboration and knowledge sharing within Teams channels and teams?

Well as you know me a bit, I love doing videos for sharing knowledge so I would create a team/channel depending on the org to have adoption material. I think it all starts with a good level of Governance and adoption before you can work together. And governance is not only the settings but are also the unwritten rules like when to disturb someone if their availability is set.

How do you use Teams to plan and manage events, including virtual conferences, webinars, and town halls?

I used to do a lot of Live Events in the past but now with the current way of webinars, etc., it is way more easy to setup for people. Only if you have a big production I still would go for Live Events. As I mainly do them for clients most of them schedule it and send out a mail with their favorite mailing app.

How do you leverage Teams to create and manage a knowledge base or intranet, and what best practices do you recommend?

Knowledge sharing is something I would definitely put on SharePoint Communication site and use the power of search to do dashboarding. I would then create an app that I pin to the left rail of teams this way it is easily accessible on mobile as well.

What are your experiences with using Teams for project management, and what tools or techniques do you find most effective?

I have been doing a lot with DevOps and see that most people tend to use the DevOps board. But for smaller projects, I would recommend using Planner in combination with Microsoft Loop I think this is a killer combination.

What motivated you to pursue the Microsoft MVP award, and what has the experience meant to your career?

I was at the SPC in 2009 in Las Vegas with Waldek who was an MVP at that time. I saw how it opened doors that normally are closed especially the knowledge that is shared. So, this put to seed to share more and do more for the community. And as I do I love the MVP Community and the people who engage with the content!

What advice would you give to individuals aspiring to become Microsoft MVPs in the SharePoint and Teams space?

Good question I get asked quite a lot. I think the main goal is sharing is caring. But don’t do it on one method. So choose what fits you this can be Blogging, speaking, organizing community events, podcasts, or tech community contributions.

How do you stay updated on the latest trends and innovations in Microsoft 365, and how do you adapt your skills to new technologies?

As an MVP I have the privilege to view things and test them out before they are launched this way I know exactly what is coming. But that is not all I also read a lot of blogs and watch the message center closely as not everything is firsthand shared with the MVP community.

What are the key trends driving digital transformation in the workplace, and how can organizations adapt to these changes?

I think the main change is AI this is something that is really big and needs to be adopted by the workforce. The main question you should ask do I need AI does it really help me speed up things or is it more nice to have? I think in the future it is going to be a must-have but for now, I think a lot of people can do without it.

How do you envision the future of hybrid work, and what are the key challenges and opportunities for organizations?

I see that there will always be a combination of people who want to be at the office and people who want to work from home. I myself work best when I am at my remote workstation (Home or Camper). At the moment I see some companies going back to fully at the office but in my opinion, I think there should be a way more flexible approach meaning that you let people decide where they want to work and have a meetup once a month or more to share knowledge. This way you get the maximum out of work and sharing knowledge.

How will AI and automation impact the future of work, and what skills will be essential for employees to remain relevant?

I think it will be an essential part of the new workforce and have a great impact on people. Especially the way people work now is mainly typing for everything but with AI we can reuse stuff this is also direct a danger as a mistake is easily made.

For people, it is going to be important to see AI as a companion who you can ask everything the only thing you need to do is be very clear in what you want (this should be normal already). So to be more exact the way of prompting is going to be most important with AI.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Paul Keijzers for taking the time to share his valuable insights and expertise with us. His passion for Microsoft 365 is evident, and his knowledge is a true asset to the community.

I encourage you to follow Paul on LinkedIn and YouTube to stay up-to-date with his latest insights and learn more about the exciting world of Microsoft 365.

Thank you, Paul!