Introduction to Collaboration Training
The golden age of SharePoint was left behind more than ten years ago. Collaboration has become a common word in the workplace and is familiar to nearly every information worker. This blog post is being written in 2026, the 25th anniversary of SharePoint. A lot has happened since SharePoint was first released. In those 25 years, an entirely new generation of information workers has entered the workforce.
The need for collaboration training is becoming increasingly apparent to many companies. This post will cover how collaboration reached this point, the current state of collaboration, and how to approach training to improve collaboration.
History of Collaboration
This is an abridged history of collaboration, considering how long it has been in use. Skipping over the telephone and jumping directly into electronic collaboration, email and messaging came onto the scene. In 1993, AOL started “carpet bombing” households across America with CD-ROMs, encouraging people to come online. The infamous “You’ve Got Mail” tagline and messaging client were used by AOL customers and non-customers alike. This surge of online users prompted companies to follow suit, ushering in a new age of collaboration through email and, later, messaging.
Discussion boards and message boards became popular ways to collaborate. Gaming communities, as well as special-interest groups, started their own discussion boards to share ideas, topics of interest, and more. Some even used early forms of gamification to encourage participation. Those who participated in discussions learned how to create categories, gaining a basic understanding of information architecture.
Collaboration grew exponentially once going online became more affordable. Gaming communities playing multiplayer-enabled games formed their own communities and cultures. Social platforms such as MySpace, CollegeClub.com, and Facebook grew quickly. Server applications initially designed to run on-premises gradually moved to cloud solutions. One of these solutions, which many still use today, is SharePoint.
Next Generation Employees
Many who remember the beginning of the online era recall paying per minute for internet usage. The early days of dial-up brought a great deal of excitement. Over time, companies emerged that charged monthly fees for unlimited internet access instead. In the late 1990s, DSL and cable broadband became more widely used than dial-up. Interestingly enough, AOL did not end its dial-up service until 2025. As a result, the early to mid-2000s marked a tipping point when most people connected to the internet via broadband.
The reason for highlighting the history of online usage is that new-generation employees do not remember having to “go online.” They likely do not remember a time when being online was optional. Online access is as natural as breathing to this generation. SharePoint has been around for 25 years, and many of your new employees have always lived in an online world. They bring an interesting and valuable perspective to online collaboration. This new generation has the potential to move your company into a new era of collaboration.
Collaboration Training and Guidance
The online generation entering the workforce will arrive with preconceived notions of what collaboration should look like. Some of these ideas could be revolutionary for your company, while others could be detrimental. It is the responsibility of the organization to guide employees in understanding the difference. Do not allow your company’s attitude to fall into the “We’ve always done it that way” trap. Glean from their good ideas and establish clear collaboration goals that all employees can work toward.
To achieve these collaboration goals, training is necessary. However, many companies in the post-2020 pandemic era do not have the resources or budget to provide formal training. If formal training is an option, pursue it with the understanding that it is an investment in the company’s future. For all other companies, innovative approaches to training are required. Several ideas are listed below, though this is far from an exhaustive list:
- Hold Office Hours
- Offer Lunch and Learn Opportunities (or brown bag)
- Hire a 3rd party expert
- Create your own learning content for Viva Learning
- Have team members take turns sharing what they found interesting about SharePoint
- Hold a SharePoint Hackathon
The reason to train new employees is to show them the boundaries of what is possible. Creating a SharePoint mashup to replace an oversized Excel spreadsheet could be encouraged. Preventing the recreation of a legacy system that jeopardizes core business functionality would also be considered a win. Companies view data differently from one another—competitors and allies alike. The same can be said for departments within a single company. Having clear boundaries in place, while allowing flexibility for creativity, can be one of your greatest strengths.
Conclusion
Training the new generation of employees entering the workforce is essential. Without understanding company expectations or the boundaries within which they are expected to operate, serious challenges can arise for both employer and employee. With the right amount of guidance, the new generation of employees can become a highly valuable resource in keeping your company relevant and competitive.
