Habit 3: Leverage Microsoft Office’s Productivity-Boosting Features

After a week off, I’m back to the 7 Habits of Highly Productive Microsoft Office Guru’s series.  Today I cover Habit 3: Leverage Microsoft Office’s Productivity-Boosting Features.

When I first started as a Computer Instructor for a large training franchise, I was always saddened by the fact that many people often didn’t take classes past beginning or intermediate levels.  I used to start my beginning course introductions by stressing the importance of taking classes through the advanced level.  You see, many of the time-saving, productivity-boosting features of Microsoft Office are taught in upper level courses; if at all (a little secret that traditional training providers don’t tell you is that not all of a program’s features are even taught in their classes). 

For example, in a beginning Word class, you learn the basics of creating and editing a document.  But, it’s in the intermediate, advanced or tips and tricks classes that you learn time saving features and techniques such as tracking changes, electronic reviewing, or customizing toolbars.  I’m still surprised how many Excel “power” users don’t know how to use Autofill, how to create a custom list or use data validation; all features that allow you to speed up data entry and reduce errors.  And, even though it’s a feature that’s been in almost all Microsoft Office applications since the early days, it breaks my heart how many people I meet who have not heard of Format Painter.

One of the keys to my advanced productivity with Microsoft Office is that I use what I call, Productivity Toolkits.

What is a Productivity Toolkit?  It is a set of five features in each Microsoft Office application that I use every day to save time and systematize my work.

Every Microsoft Office application has features that are designed to save you time with tasks such as:

• Combining two or more common functions into a single click
• Automating typing and data entry
• Reducing errors
• Streamlining formatting 
• Making editing more efficient
• Managing information
• Improving information searches
• Collaborating with others online  

To build your Productivity Toolkit, you should first analyze how you use each Microsoft Office application, by making list of the types of features you use every day and how.  I recommend keeping a log for a few days for each application.  Then look for a pattern and ask yourself, “Where can I save time by learning to do things faster or more efficiently?”  If you’re not sure, get some advice on how you can save time and boost your skills.  After all, programmers get paid goo-gobs of money and software isn’t cheap.   

If you’re not maximizing the productivity-boosting features of Microsoft Office to save time and get more done, you’re not getting the most for your money (and if you’re a Virtual Assistant neither are your clients).

Is Your Webinar Delivering Delight or Disappointment? - 5 Mistakes Webinar Presenters Make

Is your webinar delivering delight or disappointment?  It’s hard to find an online business that is not trying to leverage its reach by offering webinars, teleclasses or other online “classes.”  But presenters often miss the mark when developing their virtual training programs, focusing too much on content and too little on training best practices. Is this you? 

Oh, and don’t think that if you only offer free webinars, this does not apply to you.  You should be putting just as much preparation and planning into your “freebies” as your paid content, because “freebies” are indicators of what your paid content will be like.  Whether you’re offering webinars, teleclasses or recorded videos, make sure you’re not committing any of the below virtual presenting “no no’s.”

Mistake 1: Not Considering Yourself a Trainer

If you’re just sharing static information with an audience, then you are a presenter.  However, if you’re teaching your audience tips, techniques or steps that they are expected to learn and then utilize successfully, then you are a trainer.   

Train (v) b : to teach so as to make fit, qualified, or proficient.

It’s not enough to be a master of your subject area; to effectively train others, you need to invest time into learning and understanding training methodologies, best practices and adult learning.  Otherwise, you could be making mistakes that will cost you returning customers.

Mistake 2: Not Building in Interactivity

Interactivity is a must in an online environment (including teleclasses), as the trainer does not have the advantage of seeing and reading the audience.  Interactivity serves two very important purposes:

  

1. It helps keep the audience engaged
2. It helps the audience retain the information that is being delivered  

If you deliver teleclasses, keep in mind that most adults are NOT auditory learners.  Interactivity should be woven throughout your entire training (not just at the beginning or the end) and, no, Q&A does not count as interactivity. 

Mistake 3: Not Doing a Technical Sound Check…

…and having a backup plan.  If you’re using technology, you can rest assured that something will go wrong at some point. One of the best things you can do is to become an expert with the tool you are using.  Familiarize yourself with the common technical issues that occur, as well as what type of support the provider offers.  The key is planning in advance for mishaps and creating a backup plan and, communicating to your audience what to do when something goes wrong. “Technical Housekeeping” should be one of the first things you cover in any online presentation.

Mistake 4: Not Fine-Tuning Your Public Speaking Skills

Practice!  Practice!  Practice!  Webinars are still a form of public speaking which requires attention be paid to how your voice and virtual body language comes across.  In an online environment, the former is especially true because you don’t have the advantage of seeing your audience. If your audience has to watch you fumble for too long, get distracted because something isn’t working, or listen as “Um,” or “Uh,” is every other word coming out of your mouth; don’t be surprised if attendance drops.

Mistake 5: Not Gauging Knowledge Transfer & Satisfaction

How do you know your webinar delivered on its promise?  How do you know your audience actually learned from you?  How do you know your audience feels they got what they expected or paid for and are satisfied?  If you can’t answer those three questions, then you’re not regularly gauging knowledge transfer or customer satisfaction properly. 

I’m amazed at how many “killer” courses don’t conduct pre, during or post assessments, quizzes or tests. Some provide links to recordings perhaps figuring you’ll watch it until you get it.  Some simply send follow-up email messages asking someone to “give feedback” which is not a substitute for an actual survey with data that you can analyze.  Professional trainers conduct surveys immediately following their courses.  If I attend a webinar, teleclass or online course that does not deliver what it promises, the trainer does a poor job delivering the information or, if I come away feeling disappointed, I’ll never take another course from that trainer; no matter how cute, clever or captivating the hype about their newest program is. 

So back to the three questions:  How do you know your webinar delivered on its promise?  How do you know your audience actually learned from you?  How do you know your audience feels they got what they expected or paid for and are satisfied?   If you don’t have the data to answer these questions, how can you make claims of effectiveness and success?

Now, I have to ask again:  Is your webinar, teleclass or online course delivering delight or disappointment?

Want to learn more?  Register today for my online course:  Virtual Training Blueprint:  Strategies for Successful Webinars, Teleclasses and more!  

Dori Young is a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Certified Master Microsoft Office Specialist (MMOS). She have been recognized by Microsoft as having advanced skills and working knowledge of the features and functions of their Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook & PowerPoint). She is the owner of Your Office Guru which offers live, online, instructor-led Microsoft Office Training solutions.

Habit 2: Follow the Productivity Formula

Now that you’ve got the Guru Mindset in place with Habit 1: Cultivate a Guru Mindset in my 7 Habits of Highly Productive Microsoft Office Gurus seven part series, I’d like to talk about what I call, the Productivity Formula.  I developed this formula after I was asked what my secret was to my work process.  After some intense thought, I realized that there are three elements that are key to my productivity and efficiency using Microsoft Office.    

Element 1:  Best Practices

You will hear me say this to my dying day:  It’s not enough to just know how to use a feature.  In order to be productive, you need to know the best application of a program’s feature.  You need to know what features are best used for the task or project at hand, as well as the best utilization of features.  For example, you should know what Office program (Word or Excel) is best suited to create a list; and why.

Element 2:  Skill Building

Element 1 is not possible without Element 2.  You can’t know how to use a program’s features if you don’t know what the program’s features are.  One constant in this world is change and that is particularly true with technology.  So, keeping your skills up to date is imperative.

Element 3:  Process Standardization

Process Standardization involves finding the “rhythm” to your work process and using a program’s time-saving features to amplify that rhythm.  This strategy is what has allowed me to perform tasks in half the time it takes the average Microsoft Office User.  I have a process or approach to many different types of projects.  The details and audience might change, but my process stays the same.  Start by logging your work for a week and then evaluating it.  Look for patterns.  Then analyze those frequent tasks and start asking yourself, “How can I get this done faster or more efficiently?” 

Here’s to your productivity!

7 Habits of Highly Productive Microsoft Office Gurus

Today’s writing is part one of my seven part series called, “7 Habits of Highly Productive Microsoft Office Gurus.”  The next seven posts will give you a sneak peek inside the mind and work ethic of a Microsoft Office Guru.  If you're wondering why the heck you should even read about being a Microsoft Office Guru, consider this:

• Fact: Microsoft Office Gurus are more productive (read on to learn why)
• Fact: Microsoft Office skills (at a proficient level) are expected in many of today's entry-level administrative, customer service and professional jobs (check Craig's List if you don't believe me)
• Fact: Employers value employees that are productive

 Now that we've got that out of the way, let's talk a bit about what a Microsoft Office Guru is NOT: 

• A person is NOT a Microsoft Office Guru just because they can name every function of each Microsoft Office program
• A person is NOT a Microsoft Office Guru just because they can write a macro and create a template from their smart phone while sitting on the 3rd base line at a Giants game
• A person is NOT a Microsoft Office Guru just because they can create an entire PowerPoint presentation using just the keyboard
• A person is NOT a Microsoft Office Guru just because they seem to understand what a Pivot Table is
• A person is NOT a Microsoft Office Guru just because they think they know more about Office than everyone else because they've taken "advanced" classes

OK, let’s get started with Habit 1!

Habit 1: Cultivate a Guru Mindset

#1 thing that separates a Guru from the average Microsoft Office user is not their skills; it’s their attitude.

I may be dating myself here, but I compare the importance of a Guru mindset to an episode of the Cosby Show.  It was the episode where Vanessa had a science project due and she had weeks to get it done.  But instead, she waited until the last minute and did just enough to “get it done.”  Well, she didn’t do her best, got a low grade and everyone one from her teachers to her parents were disappointed in her; and she was also disappointed in herself.  She also realized that she should have and could have done so much more. 

This may sound simple, but your attitude is the number one thing that can be the difference between a Guru and, well, everyone else.  Your attitude drives your actions.  So if you’re attitude towards your work is, “Let me just get this done so I can go home,” that’s exactly the kind of work you’ll produce – “just get it done quality.”

It always surprises me how many people knock themselves out of the running for getting or keeping jobs merely because their attitude is one of complacency and their work product is that of “just get it done” quality.  Gurus don’t just want to get it done, we have a Guru Mindset.  We want to get it done the most efficient and best way possible for the project at hand; and it’s evident in our work product.  So what is a Guru Mindset?

A Guru Mindset:  1) A desire to get the job done the most efficient way possible in order to produce a product that fulfills its intended purpose for the intended audience.

The latter part of that definition is critical in that if your intended audience can’t use or make sense of your final output, you’ve missed the mark. Gurus also know that best practices are keys to being productive and efficient.  It’s not enough to know how to create a document, compose an email, create a spreadsheet or design a presentation.  A Guru leverages the functionality of Microsoft Office by combining their rock solid skill set with their understanding of the best way to apply the application’s features to result in a higher level of output than the average user. 

So how do you cultivate a Guru mindset?  Start by taking the Guru Oath:

Guru Oath: I promise to regularly combine best practices with application functionality to boost my productivity and create projects that fulfill their intended purpose.

Copy and paste this oath near your computer to remind yourself to maintain a Guru Mindset.

Next post I will talk about a Microsoft Office Guru’s secret weapon:  The Productivity Formula.

7 Deadly Sins of ePublishing

If you publish online, you need to read this!  Online publications or ePublications (e-books, e-forms, e-zines, e-reports, etc.) are now a standard method of delivery in today’s market, as this medium is cost effective for the author and provides instant gratification for the reader.  Business owners are using ePublishing as a means of getting information about their products or services in front of prospective customers; often in the form of opt-in rewards.  However, there are special considerations when ePublishing that often get overlooked and can result in a disappointing experience for your reader.  Below are the 7 Deadly Sins of ePublishing.  Make sure you are not committing any of them!

Sin #1: Assuming Your e-Publication will be Read Online

Just because a consumer prefers an electronic delivery method, doesn’t mean they prefer to read your publication online.  There are still many people who prefer good old hard copy when reading publications.  I, for one, have a hard time reading long documents online and I prefer to print out ebooks and articles.  One main reason is that I often get inspired as I read and take notes.  Also, my retention is better when I read hard copy. Nothing is more frustrating than downloading an epublication where the author has clearly given little thought to the hard copy reader.  

Sin #2: Not Using Page Numbers

This may sound basic, but more often than not, I download a very usefully epublication and scroll down only NOT to find page numbers. Think of page numbers as the address numbers on houses.  You may know what street you’re on, but without the house numbers, how are you supposed to figure out which house you’re looking for?  In addition, the page definitions in pdf readers can differ from the actual document (the screen may show you’re on page 8 but the in the document, it is really page 9) and can mean serious frustration for a reader looking only to print a specific page of your epublication and can result in your readers wasting ink and paper.  Remember, page numbers are a must.  

Sin #3: Over Use of Images & Color

Visual appeal of epublications is extremely important, and nothing adds that “pop” like great images and color.  However, it is a bit arrogant to create an epublication so graphically intensive that the “hard copy” consumer has to go out and buy new ink cartridges just to print out your publication; now you’ve cost them money before they know the value of your product or service.  In addition, epublications full of graphics and images take longer to download and take up more storage space.  At the very least, create a “print-friendly” version for your readers (see sin #4).

Sin #4: Not Creating a “Print-Friendly” Version

Some time ago it used to be the norm to have a “print-friendly” version of an online publication.  I don’t know when or why this changed, but it should be a standard for any ePublisher as it let’s your reader know you’re considerate of their resources.  Simply converting your blog, webpage or document to a pdf does not alone make it “print-friendly.”  A “print-friendly” epublication has 3 critical elements:  1) fewer, smaller or, no graphics/images, 2) is in grayscale 3) single line spacing (see Sin #5).  Keep in mind print-friendly versions take less time to download, print and take up less storage space.

Sin #5: Using Wrong Line Spacing for “Print-Friendly” Versions

Most word processors are now using 1.15 line spacing as a standard.  This is fine for short online publications or 1-2 page hard copy publications.  But for any “print-friendly” epublication longer than two pages, single spacing should be used.  The reason is that while the extra line spacing looks great, it also causes your epublication to print on more pages.  Help your “hard copy reader” save paper and use single space line spacing for print-friendly versions.

Sin #6: Not Using Enough Formatting

I understand that we are all busy and great content for epublications often comes from existing sources like a website or blog.  However, while the content may be re-purposed, you still need to take your epublication’s formatting seriously.  Formatting serves a very important purpose:  to increase your epublication’s readability and retention.  Using to little formatting (just like using too much) actually gets in the way of your reader’s ability to read and retain the information.  Everything from the types and sizes of fonts, the use of bulleted/numbered lists, the control of text flow to the use of white space and color needs to be carefully considered.

Sin #7: Not Following Web Formatting Guidelines

Just like not using enough formatting can get in the way, so can using the wrong formatting for the delivery method.  Some print formatting techniques don’t translate well to epublications.  Here are a couple of guidelines:  1) Underlining should not be used in an epublication unless it is a hyperlink, as readers will think they can click on it and it confuses them if it is not a link.  2) Italics and script type fonts should be avoided as they are hard to read in an online publication.  3) Use san serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica for online publications, but for “print-friendly” version, use serif fonts (like Times New Roman which is the norm for print publications).

Make sure your e-publishing skills are up to snuff!  Register today for my Guru’s Guide to Effective E-Publications at: http://www.yourofficeguru.com/goguruclasses.html

Register today and save 10%!  Discount code:  IPGoGuru2011