TRANSCRIPTIE 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:00.417 --> 00:00:08.678
Hi, everyone.
00:00:08.717 --> 00:00:12.707
Welcome to the latest episode of the Simply SharePoint podcast.
00:00:13.429 --> 00:00:17.138
SharePoint Confessions, the good, the bad, and the messy.
00:00:28.545 --> 00:00:29.667
Yeah, I'll admit it.
00:00:29.707 --> 00:00:31.028
I love SharePoint.
00:00:31.349 --> 00:00:31.768
I live it.
00:00:31.789 --> 00:00:32.469
I breathe it.
00:00:33.151 --> 00:00:35.133
I probably dream in document libraries.
00:00:35.793 --> 00:00:37.475
SharePoint is definitely my thing.
00:00:38.576 --> 00:00:39.338
But here's the truth.
00:00:39.737 --> 00:00:41.359
It hasn't always been that way.
00:00:42.060 --> 00:00:45.965
In fact, there were times when I thought SharePoint was the bane of my existence.
00:00:46.604 --> 00:00:50.529
And today, I want to share a few confessions from those early days.
00:00:51.329 --> 00:00:53.912
The good, the bad, and the messy.
00:00:55.137 --> 00:01:29.355
Music Music Music Music Music Confession number one, the metadata committee.
00:01:30.638 --> 00:01:35.822
Let me take you back to when I was working in a large organization and we were upgrading to SharePoint 2010.
00:01:36.462 --> 00:01:37.763
This was a massive project.
00:01:38.203 --> 00:01:42.027
I was flying around the world, holding meetings with stakeholders in St.
00:01:42.147 --> 00:01:44.750
Louis, Sydney, Singapore.
00:01:44.909 --> 00:01:45.790
It was huge.
00:01:46.391 --> 00:01:48.513
And of course, everyone had an opinion.
00:01:49.433 --> 00:01:51.295
Enter the metadata committee.
00:01:51.936 --> 00:01:53.656
Yes, an actual committee.
00:01:54.558 --> 00:02:00.003
More than 10 people, weekly talks, And what were we arguing about?
00:02:00.823 --> 00:02:01.623
Metadata fields.
00:02:02.364 --> 00:02:04.626
At one point, we had 13 of them.
00:02:05.207 --> 00:02:05.707
13.
00:02:06.489 --> 00:02:07.969
And 7 were mandatory.
00:02:08.811 --> 00:02:15.496
Can you imagine trying to upload a file and having to fill out 7 mandatory fields before you could even hit save?
00:02:16.377 --> 00:02:17.959
Back then, I didn't get it.
00:02:18.378 --> 00:02:19.800
I kind of hated metadata.
00:02:20.441 --> 00:02:23.843
It felt like this overcomplicated thing that slowed everything down.
00:02:23.883 --> 00:02:26.105
And honestly, it was a dog's breakfast.
00:02:26.562 --> 00:02:33.527
Meetings went in circles, everyone thought their department's needs were the most important, and we just layered field upon field.
00:02:34.729 --> 00:02:38.151
Now, with the benefit of hindsight, I can see it so clearly.
00:02:38.752 --> 00:02:40.633
Metadata is brilliant when it's done well.
00:02:41.215 --> 00:02:42.716
It's what makes SharePoint powerful.
00:02:43.456 --> 00:02:44.677
But 13 fields?
00:02:44.698 --> 00:02:46.258
7 mandatory?
00:02:46.759 --> 00:02:48.080
No wonder people were frustrated.
00:02:48.121 --> 00:02:54.605
At the time, though, I'd walk out of those meetings absolutely drained, thinking, how did I end up in this?
00:02:55.167 --> 00:02:58.651
It was both funny and I've got to admit, painfully boring.
00:02:59.514 --> 00:03:02.800
And yet, those experiences shape the way I use metadata today.
00:03:03.762 --> 00:03:08.290
Keep it simple, keep it useful, and don't over-engineer it.
00:03:09.889 --> 00:03:14.593
So the solution, fast forward to now, and the best practice is simple.
00:03:15.375 --> 00:03:16.936
Don't drown people in metadata.
00:03:17.556 --> 00:03:22.281
Three to five fields is plenty, and usually only one should be mandatory.
00:03:23.481 --> 00:03:32.229
Start with fields that genuinely help people find or filter later, like document type, department, or project.
00:03:33.250 --> 00:03:39.855
Every single SharePoint library that I create now in an organization has at least department and document type.
00:03:39.855 --> 00:03:43.682
Everything else can be optional or added gradually.
00:03:44.343 --> 00:03:49.914
Keep it lean, keep it useful, and metadata will actually work for you instead of against you.
00:03:58.722 --> 00:04:02.384
Confession number two, the sub-site explosion.
00:04:02.405 --> 00:04:09.330
Now, while I was drowning in metadata debates, IT had their own special brand of chaos going on.
00:04:10.151 --> 00:04:12.234
They had spun up over 800 sub-sites.
00:04:12.913 --> 00:04:13.794
Yes, you heard that?
00:04:14.635 --> 00:04:15.235
More than 800.
00:04:15.336 --> 00:04:17.398
And here's the kicker.
00:04:17.838 --> 00:04:22.562
Some of those sub-sites only had one single document sitting in a lonely document library.
00:04:23.302 --> 00:04:23.803
Just one.
00:04:23.824 --> 00:04:27.687
No guidance, no governance, no plan.
00:04:28.307 --> 00:04:30.050
It was like the wild west of SharePoint.
00:04:30.913 --> 00:04:35.601
Every department doing their own thing, spinning up sites like Oprah giving out cars.
00:04:36.384 --> 00:04:38.267
You get a sub-site, you get a sub-site.
00:04:38.869 --> 00:04:40.211
Everyone gets a sub-site.
00:04:41.314 --> 00:04:41.874
The result?
00:04:42.574 --> 00:04:44.677
A giant digital junkyard.
00:04:45.637 --> 00:04:47.879
Clicking through it was like wandering a ghost town.
00:04:48.540 --> 00:04:52.824
Empty libraries, half-finished pages, and tumbleweeds rolling by.
00:04:52.863 --> 00:04:56.607
I laugh now, but it was a really good lesson.
00:04:57.288 --> 00:04:59.149
More sites don't equal more success.
00:04:59.970 --> 00:05:05.675
Without governance, structure, or a strategy, you end up with noise instead of value.
00:05:06.536 --> 00:05:10.298
And believe me, 800 sites worth of noise is deafening.
00:05:10.598 --> 00:05:11.721
What's the solution today?
00:05:11.761 --> 00:05:19.153
Well, in modern SharePoint, sub-sites are a thing of the past, although I've worked with a few people who still think that they should create them.
00:05:20.055 --> 00:05:23.259
The best practice is to use a hub-and-spoke model.
00:05:24.262 --> 00:05:32.555
One hub
Load full transcript
site at the centre, with connected sites branching off for actual needs, like projects, departments, or functions.
00:05:33.665 --> 00:05:38.656
Each site has a purpose and governance ensures nothing spins up without thought.
00:05:39.778 --> 00:05:49.557
Instead of 800 empty sub-sites, you get a clean, connected site architecture where everything has a home and a reason to exist.
00:05:52.281 --> 00:05:52.382
Music
00:05:57.762 --> 00:06:00.463
Confession three, the workflow meltdown.
00:06:00.504 --> 00:06:03.526
Then there was the infamous workflow saga.
00:06:04.307 --> 00:06:13.014
We decided to roll out the out-of-the-box workflows in SharePoint 2010, you know, check-in, check-out, approvals, the basics, in one of our departments.
00:06:13.956 --> 00:06:19.040
We put together training sessions, we sent out the invitations, we booked the room, and guess what?
00:06:19.420 --> 00:06:20.562
Hardly anyone showed up.
00:06:21.523 --> 00:06:27.086
So instead, I'd be sitting at my desk and I could literally hear the chaos breaking out across the cubicles.
00:06:27.728 --> 00:06:31.331
People yelling out things like, I can't edit this file.
00:06:32.093 --> 00:06:33.494
You've left it checked out.
00:06:34.435 --> 00:06:35.355
Why is it locked?
00:06:36.076 --> 00:06:40.382
It was like a comedy sketch, except no one thought it was funny at the time.
00:06:41.463 --> 00:06:44.946
I'd just sink into my chair thinking, yep, this is my life now.
00:06:45.887 --> 00:06:49.971
It was one of those times where SharePoint's power clashed with human behavior.
00:06:50.673 --> 00:06:56.579
The tool was doing what it was designed to do, but because people skipped the training, it became a nightmare.
00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:02.254
And on Honestly, that's why I always say technology is only half the story.
00:07:02.877 --> 00:07:05.646
People and process matter just as much.
00:07:06.817 --> 00:07:08.660
So what would be the solution today?
00:07:08.699 --> 00:07:12.463
These days, modern SharePoint has made this so much easier.
00:07:13.142 --> 00:07:21.790
Instead of clunky check-in, check-out and limited workflows, we use Power Automate for approvals and collaboration features like co-authoring.
00:07:22.451 --> 00:07:27.815
That means multiple people can edit the same file at the same time without locking each other out.
00:07:28.857 --> 00:07:32.880
Training is still key, but the tools are far more intuitive now.
00:07:34.041 --> 00:07:39.891
The solution is, ditch the old check-in checkout model unless you absolutely need it.
00:07:40.531 --> 00:07:48.208
Embrace co-authoring and automate approvals with Power Automate so your team isn't stuck yelling across cubicles.
00:07:56.161 --> 00:07:57.843
So what did all of this teach me?
00:07:58.384 --> 00:08:05.353
Well, besides how to survive a metadata meeting without crying, it taught me that SharePoint doesn't have to be messy.
00:08:05.915 --> 00:08:10.882
The chaos comes when there's no strategy, no governance, and no training.
00:08:11.882 --> 00:08:14.547
It also busted a few myths for me along the way.
00:08:15.567 --> 00:08:19.612
Myth one, SharePoint is just a dumping ground for files.
00:08:20.473 --> 00:08:24.079
No, it's so much more when you design it properly.
00:08:26.274 --> 00:08:27.995
Only IT can set it up.
00:08:28.036 --> 00:08:29.617
Also false.
00:08:30.238 --> 00:08:33.484
End users can build amazing practical solutions.
00:08:34.465 --> 00:08:37.087
Myth three, nobody likes SharePoint.
00:08:37.889 --> 00:08:38.450
Untrue.
00:08:38.490 --> 00:08:41.735
People love it when it makes their life easier.
00:08:41.774 --> 00:08:44.719
They just hate when it's overcomplicated.
00:08:44.759 --> 00:08:48.903
And here are a couple of quick wins you can try today.
00:08:48.943 --> 00:08:51.388
Things I wish I'd known back then.
00:08:52.369 --> 00:08:56.033
Firstly, you can pin your most important documents to the top of a library.
00:08:56.706 --> 00:09:00.095
Think of it like putting your favorite coffee mug at the front of the cupboard.
00:09:01.499 --> 00:09:06.029
You can create custom views so you don't scroll endlessly through files.
00:09:06.611 --> 00:09:08.176
It's like Netflix categories.
00:09:08.576 --> 00:09:10.903
You get to see exactly what you want.
00:09:12.385 --> 00:09:15.889
You can use metadata like labels on a wine rack.
00:09:16.450 --> 00:09:18.171
You don't need 13 labels.
00:09:18.711 --> 00:09:22.815
Just a couple will help you find the right bottle at the right time.
00:09:24.035 --> 00:09:28.059
So those are my SharePoint confessions, the good, the bad, and the messy.
00:09:28.580 --> 00:09:30.120
And I know you've got some too.
00:09:30.160 --> 00:09:36.826
If you're listening right now and thinking, yep, I've lived through my own SharePoint nightmare, I'd love to hear it.
00:09:37.368 --> 00:09:38.729
Share your confessions with me.
00:09:38.769 --> 00:09:42.251
I've actually written a blog post about one of these stories.
00:09:42.351 --> 00:09:46.017
It's called Liza's SharePoint Chronicles, the Metadata Steering Committee.
00:09:46.037 --> 00:09:51.865
You can head over there, read the full story, and even leave your own SharePoint confession in the comments.
00:09:52.486 --> 00:09:55.551
I really love to see what messy situations you've all survived.
00:09:55.912 --> 00:09:58.995
And who knows, your story might make it into a future episode.
00:10:08.066 --> 00:10:11.109
And before I close out, I've got something exciting to share.
00:10:11.928 --> 00:10:17.354
I've just launched a brand new service, a dedicated SharePoint and Microsoft 365 help desk.
00:10:17.813 --> 00:10:24.419
Think of it as your direct line to real answers from someone who's lived through the chaos and knows how to fix it.
00:10:25.240 --> 00:10:27.042
The details are live on my site right now.
00:10:27.482 --> 00:10:38.552
So if you ever find yourself stuck, whether it's metadata confusion, workflow woes, or just figuring out which tool to use when, you can get help quickly without the stress.
00:10:39.553 --> 00:10:45.241
Because here's the thing, SharePoint doesn't have to be boring and it doesn't have to be painful.
00:10:45.863 --> 00:10:50.227
With the right support, it can actually be simple and maybe even fun.
00:10:50.589 --> 00:10:54.374
Bye for now and I'll see you in the next episode of Simply SharePoint.