Enterprise internal communications can often have a noise problem. Important updates are regularly buried under emoji reactions, strategy notes fade away in endless threads, and leadership messages vanish into inbox limbo. Microsoft’s new Storyline feature for Teams—currently in preview—could be an invaluable tool for providing the structured, asynchronous comms channel enterprises need.
Inspired by the familiar format of LinkedIn feeds, Storyline allows individuals to “share experiences, celebrate milestones, propose ideas, and discuss interests,” as Microsoft suggests. Crucially, there are no tags, channels, or chat clutter.
While not yet generally available, it’s open to try for users with access to Viva Engage and Teams Public Preview. Its potential is clear, and enterprises should pay attention to it. From transparent leadership comms to scalable onboarding content, here are the use cases that make it worth keeping an eye on.
Wait, Firstly, How Can I Try Out Teams Storyline?
Storyline in Teams is currently available as part of Microsoft’s public preview program. This means the feature may still undergo updates or changes before it becomes generally available. Users must switch to the Teams public preview experience to try it out.
Before using Storyline, it is important to ensure your organisation has a Viva Engage license. Additionally, the Storyline capability must be enabled within Viva Engage for it to appear in Teams. If all of this has been approved, go to the Engage app within the Teams platform and click “Create new.”
Storyline notifications appear in your Teams activity feed alongside mentions, reactions, and replies, keeping you informed without disrupting your workflow. In a one-on-one chat, you can view someone’s Storyline from the tab at the top. There, you can see their posts, react, and comment. To get notified of new posts, select Follow Storyline. Their updates will then appear in your activity feed automatically.
You can create a Storyline post from the Storyline tab in your self chat. Alternatively, select the dropdown next to New message and choose New storyline post. Posts created in Teams will also appear in Viva Engage, and posts made in Viva Engage will appear in Teams, ensuring a consistent experience across both platforms.
Okay, On to the Enterprise Use Cases — Beginning With Vibrant Leadership Communication
Execs and team leads can struggle to communicate consistently and transparently at scale. With Storyline, they gain a dedicated space to share updates, goals, reflections or even “town hall” follow-ups—without relying on inbox broadcasts or hoping people catch a meeting replay. Microsoft affirms that it’s visible, digestible, and persistent, which can be ideal for fostering trust and alignment across distributed teams.
Asynchronous Updates for Cross-Functional Teams
Cross-functional collaboration is naturally essential, but the more teams involved, the more comms chaos is sparked. Storyline aims to give project leads and stakeholders a central space to share progress updates, key decisions, or timelines without hijacking a group chat or bloating multiple Teams channels. Everyone can check in when it suits them; no meetings are required.
Amplifying Culture and Employee Voices
Storyline could become a compelling space for employee recognition, peer shoutouts, or culture-building stories. HR and internal comms teams can highlight important initiatives, well-being resources, or new employee spotlights in a manner that feels personal yet reaches the entire organisation.
Onboarding and Knowledge Sharing
Another eye-catching application for Storyline is streamlined onboarding. Traditionally, new hires might initially struggle to keep abreast of the organisation’s voice, values and vision. Storyline can embody a breathing narrative of company life, surfacing posts from execs, team leads, and coworkers that support new employees in getting up to speed faster. In a way, it might come to be viewed as an enterprise’s “cultural wiki,” but in feed form.
Reducing ‘Comms Fatigue’
Communications fatigue, like meeting fatigue, is real. Not every update belongs in a chat, and not every idea needs a meeting. Storyline gives people a third option, softening the pressure to always be “on” in real time. This could be a simple, easy, but ultimately significant win for productivity and employee well-being.
