LENOX INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS GROUP

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

Team Member Setup and Access for Shared Email Accounts

Microsoft 365 / Outlook Shared Mailbox Operating Procedure

1. Purpose

This SOP establishes the official LIHG procedure for creating, configuring, securing, accessing, and managing shared email accounts across the organization. The purpose is to ensure that departmental and brand-level email communication is handled through controlled shared mailboxes rather than individual passwords, uncontrolled forwarding, or personal inbox access.

The procedure supports centralized intake, proper role-based access, auditability, security, continuity during staff changes, and consistent email handling across LIHG and all operating brands.

2. Scope

This SOP applies to all shared email accounts used for business operations, including but not limited to info, sales, support, HR, finance, compliance, media, public relations, partnerships, podcast, events, grants, and executive administration inboxes.

This SOP covers setup by an authorized administrator and access by approved team members. It does not authorize team members to use, request, share, store, or transmit passwords for shared mailboxes.

3. Governing Standards

This SOP follows LIHG governance requirements for executive document structure, version control, secure workflows, professional formatting, and centralized operational oversight. LIHG governance requires SOPs to include purpose, scope, responsibilities, procedural steps, and quality-control sections. It also requires formal naming conventions, version control, and secure storage within approved LIHG directories.

·       Microsoft guidance confirms that shared mailboxes are intended for groups of people to monitor and send from a common email address, such as info@company.com.

·       Microsoft guidance further confirms that shared mailboxes are not intended for direct sign-in and that sign-in should remain blocked for the mailbox account.

·       Access must be assigned through user permissions; the user accesses the shared mailbox by signing into the user’s own licensed mailbox.

4. Key Definitions

5. Roles and Responsibilities

6. Shared Mailbox Naming Standard

All shared mailboxes must use a clear, department-based or brand-based naming format. The display name should make the mailbox easy to identify in Outlook, Power Automate, and administrative screens.

Recommended enterprise examples include: info@, sales@, support@, hr@, finance@, compliance@, legal@, media@, pr@, partnerships@, grants@, podcast@, events@, clientsuccess@, billing@, notices@, vendors@, and executiveadmin@. Sensitive inboxes should have the smallest practical access group.

7. Security Rules Before Setup

·       Do not create shared mailbox passwords for team use. Shared mailbox access must occur through each approved user’s own Microsoft 365 login.

·       Do not allow a VA, contractor, or staff member to access Max Fortune’s personal mailbox unless specifically approved and documented. Use delegated shared mailbox access instead.

·       Do not forward sensitive mail to personal Gmail, Yahoo, or non-LIHG accounts unless executive leadership has approved the workflow in writing.

·       Use least-privilege access. Grant only the permissions required for the person’s actual duties.

·       Separate access by department. A person who handles event inquiries should not automatically receive finance, HR, compliance, or legal mailbox access.

·       Review access at least quarterly and immediately upon termination, role change, vendor change, or suspected compromise.

8. Administrator Procedure: Create a Shared Mailbox in Microsoft 365

Use this procedure when creating a new Microsoft 365 shared mailbox from the Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

1.     Sign in to the Microsoft 365 Admin Center using an account with the Exchange Administrator or Global Administrator role.

2.     In the left navigation menu, select Show all if the full menu is not visible.

3.     Select Teams & groups.

4.     Select Shared mailboxes.

5.     Select Add a shared mailbox.

6.     Enter the display name using the approved naming standard. Example: LIHG - Sales.

7.     Enter or confirm the shared email address. Example: sales@reimagineitinc.org or sales@approvedbranddomain.com.

8.     Select Save changes.

9.     Allow several minutes for Microsoft 365 to provision the mailbox before adding members or testing access.

10.  Open the newly created mailbox record and confirm that sign-in is blocked. Do not enable direct sign-in for normal shared mailbox use.

9. Administrator Procedure: Add Members and Assign Permissions

Membership and permissions must be assigned deliberately. A user may need read/manage access only, send access only in limited cases, or both read/manage and Send As access depending on the role.

11.  Open Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

12.  Go to Teams & groups > Shared mailboxes.

13.  Select the shared mailbox to configure.

14.  Under Members, select Edit or Add members.

15.  Add only the approved users listed by the mailbox owner or executive administrator.

16.  Under Manage mailbox permissions, assign the correct permissions: Read and manage / Full Access, Send As, or Send on Behalf.

17.  For ordinary team inbox handling, assign Read and manage / Full Access. Add Send As only if the user is authorized to reply from the mailbox address.

18.  Save the changes and record the approved access in the mailbox access log.

19.  Allow up to 60 minutes for permissions to propagate before treating failed access as an error.

10. Administrator Procedure: Exchange Admin Center Delegation Review

Use Exchange Admin Center when a more detailed delegation review is needed or when Microsoft 365 Admin Center permission screens do not display the needed options.

20.  Open the Exchange Admin Center.

21.  Go to Recipients > Mailboxes.

22.  Select the shared mailbox.

23.  Select Edit or open the mailbox details panel.

24.  Under Mailbox permissions, select Manage mailbox delegation.

25.  Review Full Access, Send As, and Send on Behalf permissions.

26.  Add or remove users as approved.

27.  Save changes and update the access log.

11. Team Member Procedure: Access a Shared Mailbox in Outlook Desktop

After the administrator grants access, most Microsoft 365 tenants use automapping, meaning the shared mailbox may appear automatically in Outlook after the user closes and reopens Outlook.

28.  Close Outlook completely.

29.  Reopen Outlook and sign in with your personal company Microsoft 365 account.

30.  Look in the left folder pane for the shared mailbox display name. Example: LIHG - Sales.

31.  Expand the shared mailbox to view Inbox, Sent Items, Drafts, Deleted Items, Calendar, and any configured folders.

32.  If the mailbox does not appear after 60 minutes, notify IT and include the mailbox name, your user email address, date/time tested, and a screenshot of the Outlook folder pane.

12. Team Member Procedure: Add a Shared Mailbox in Outlook on the Web

33.  Go to Outlook on the Web and sign in using your own company Microsoft 365 account.

34.  In the left folder pane, right-click Folders or your mailbox name.

35.  Select Add shared folder or mailbox.

36.  Enter the shared mailbox address or display name.

37.  Select Add.

38.  Confirm that the shared mailbox appears in the folder list.

39.  Open the mailbox and process messages only according to the assigned folder, category, and response rules.

13. Team Member Procedure: Add a Shared Mailbox on Outlook Mobile

40.  Open the Outlook mobile app.

41.  Tap the profile or mailbox icon in the upper-left corner.

42.  Tap Add Mail Account or the plus sign, depending on the app version.

43.  Select Add Shared Mailbox.

44.  Choose your company Microsoft 365 account if prompted.

45.  Enter the shared mailbox address.

46.  Tap Add Shared Mailbox and confirm it appears in the mailbox list.

Mobile access should be limited for sensitive mailboxes such as finance, legal, HR, notices, and compliance unless business necessity has been approved.

14. Team Member Procedure: Send Email From a Shared Mailbox

47.  Confirm that you have Send As or Send on Behalf permission. Full Access alone does not permit sending.

48.  Open a new email or reply to an email from the shared mailbox.

49.  Show the From field if it is not visible.

50.  Select the shared mailbox address from the From dropdown or type the shared mailbox address.

51.  Confirm the correct From address before sending.

52.  Use the approved signature block, tone, disclaimer, and response template for the department or brand.

53.  Do not send legal, financial, contractual, refund, compliance, HR, or sponsor-related responses unless authorized for that category.

15. Folder and Category Operating Rules

Shared mailboxes must use a consistent folder and category system so messages can be routed, tracked, and reviewed by team members without confusion.

Team members must not create random folders without approval. Folder creation affects automation, search, retention, and training consistency.

16. Email Handling Rules for Team Members

·       Do not delete messages unless the mailbox owner has authorized deletion procedures. Move completed items to the approved folder instead.

·       Do not mark an item completed unless all required action has been finished or assigned in UHD / CRM / task management system.

·       Do not respond from a shared mailbox using personal language, emojis, casual tone, or statements outside approved authority.

·       Do not open suspicious attachments or links. Report phishing or malware concerns immediately.

·       Do not forward client documents, financial data, contracts, or personal information to unauthorized recipients.

·       Do not change rules, automations, signatures, folder structures, or forwarding settings unless specifically assigned to do so.

·       Document any major issue, unusual client complaint, legal threat, payment dispute, refund request, or media inquiry in the approved internal tracking system.

17. Access Request Workflow

All access requests must follow a documented approval path.

54.  Requesting manager identifies the mailbox, user, role, business reason, and required permission level.

55.  Mailbox owner approves or denies access.

56.  For HR, finance, legal, compliance, executive, and notices mailboxes, executive approval is required before access is granted.

57.  IT assigns the approved permissions and records the date, requester, approver, mailbox, permission level, and review date.

58.  The user receives access instructions and must acknowledge the confidentiality and usage rules before processing messages.

18. Offboarding and Access Removal

Access removal must be immediate when a team member, contractor, VA, or vendor no longer needs mailbox access.

59.  Manager notifies IT of the termination, role change, vendor change, or access removal request.

60.  IT removes the user from shared mailbox membership and all mailbox delegation permissions.

61.  IT confirms removal of Full Access, Send As, and Send on Behalf permissions.

62.  IT verifies whether the user also had Power Automate, Outlook rules, forwarding, Teams, Slack, or CRM access tied to the mailbox.

63.  Mailbox owner reviews recent sent messages and pending drafts for continuity.

64.  IT logs the access removal date and confirms completion to the approving manager.

19. Testing Checklist After Setup

20. Troubleshooting Guide

21. Quarterly Audit Procedure

65.  Export or document all shared mailboxes from Microsoft 365 Admin Center.

66.  For each mailbox, list all users with Full Access, Send As, and Send on Behalf permissions.

67.  Confirm each user still has a valid business need.

68.  Remove inactive, unnecessary, or unauthorized users.

69.  Review sensitive mailbox access separately for HR, finance, legal, compliance, notices, executive administration, and sponsor/investor communications.

70.  Confirm sign-in remains blocked for shared mailbox accounts.

71.  Confirm folder structure, rules, signatures, and forwarding settings have not been modified without approval.

72.  Save the audit record in the approved LIHG IT governance folder using the official file naming convention.

22. Recommended Access Log Fields

23. Compliance and Confidentiality Notice

Shared mailbox access is a business privilege and must be used only for authorized LIHG operations. Team members may encounter confidential business information, client information, financial details, personal data, contracts, legal notices, account credentials, vendor records, internal strategy, and sensitive communications. Unauthorized access, forwarding, copying, downloading, deletion, or disclosure is prohibited.

All team members must use approved company systems and must not move shared mailbox content into personal storage locations. Any suspected unauthorized access, phishing attempt, mistaken disclosure, or sensitive-message handling issue must be escalated immediately to the mailbox owner and IT administrator.

24. Final Quality-Control Checklist

·       Mailbox name and email address follow the approved naming standard.

·       Mailbox purpose, owner, and department are documented.

·       Direct sign-in is blocked.

·       Only approved users have access.

·       Permission type matches business need.

·       Sensitive mailboxes have restricted access and executive approval.

·       User can access mailbox through Outlook Desktop, Outlook on the Web, or Outlook Mobile as approved.

·       User understands sending rules, folder rules, and confidentiality obligations.

·       Access log is updated.

·       Quarterly audit date is scheduled.

25. References and Source Notes

Microsoft Learn, “Create a shared mailbox,” updated February 3, 2026. Key source points used: shared mailboxes allow a group to monitor and send from a common address; Microsoft 365 Admin Center path includes Teams & groups > Shared mailboxes; Full Access, Send As, and Send on Behalf have distinct functions; permissions may require propagation time.

Microsoft Learn, “About shared mailboxes in Microsoft 365,” updated March 13, 2026. Key source points used: licensing and storage limits, access and permissions, internal user access, blocked sign-in requirement, no direct shared mailbox password usage, mobile support, and maximum-user considerations.

Microsoft Learn, “Give mailbox permissions to another user,” updated December 18, 2025. Key source points used: deciding permission actions, Microsoft 365 Admin Center permission paths, and propagation timing.

LIHG Governance Source Files: LIHG Master System Prompt, AI Production Directive, AI Agent Behavioral Framework, Governance Charter, Brand & Communication Standards, Enterprise Workflow & Document Creation Protocol, Legal & Compliance Governance Manual, and Multi-Brand Content Governance Manual.