Listen to this Tip
If you are involved with your company’s Web site in any way, listen closely. The strategy and thinking behind many corporate Web sites is typically based on what the company wants Web visitors to do or know. Many times I’ll hear people say, “we want users to learn about this”, or “we need to make the user do such and such”. Folks, this does not work and it will never work. Why? Because the Web site is not in control, the user is! Think about how you surf the Web. You go to a certain Web site because you have a job to do and if you can’t get that job done, you are outta there, right? So make your company’s Web site great by understanding what users might want to do and then make it easy and fast for them to get that job done. The better you do that, the more your site’s business will grow.
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Using Microsoft Word for Outlining
/in Heard on the RadioDid you know that Microsoft Word has an awesome tool to help you create and organize new ideas? Most people use Word for typical word processing, but do you use its powerful outlining features? Hit the F1 key, look up “outlining”, and you’ll find a powerful tool that I use for a whole bunch of different reasons. Outlines help me create great documents by helping me transform raw ideas into well-structured thoughts. Anytime I need to take notes in a conversation, instead of using paper, I fire up a copy of Word in outline mode. I find that I can easily capture lots of ideas yet have the flexibility later to organize them into action plans. The best part is that since I entered my notes in Word to begin with I don’t have to worry about filing or losing paper! I know that if you check out outlining in Word, you’ll find a great tool waiting to help you work better and faster.
Using voicemail to store notes while you’re on the road
/in Heard on the RadioWhen you’re on the road and you need to make a note of something, do you reach for a pad and pencil? You do? While you’re driving? Really? Hey, look, there’s a much better and safer way! Use your cellphone and leave a message on your own voicemail! Then when you get back into the office its easy to transfer those notes into an action plan. Getting in the habit of leaving voicemails to yourself is super handy because you can do it anytime and anywhere assuming you’ve got a cellphone. You’ll never need to be near pencil and paper again! And if you want to join the Peter Kay master of cool technology club, you’ll take the extra step to program your cellphone with a one touch speedial that lets you record messages with just one button. Now that’s cool (and lets not forget safe!).
Using the right-click mouse button
/in Heard on the RadioHey Windows users, have you noticed that your mouse has two buttons? Have you ever used the other one? Do you use it a lot? If you want to increase your productivity with most Windows applications, get in the habit of doing what’s called a “right-click”. By clicking on the right-hand side button on your mouse (lefties, use the left-hand button), you can access a special menu of common operations or shortcuts. Most of the time the menu option you want is easily available on the right-click menu and you can save lots of time instead of using the normal menu bar. You’ll also find that the right-click menu will change based on where your mouse is pointing on the screen, so be sure to try this operation in different areas of your current window. You’ll find that the operation you want to perform is usually right there and much easier and faster for you to use. Happy right-clicking!
Using shift-F3 with Word
/in Heard on the RadioIf you use Microsoft Word, I’ve got a quick tip for you. One of the most common, yet tedious operations is capitalizing words. It’s a hassle! You have to delete the character, only to re-type it again in caps. There’s a much better and faster method and here’s how it works. Move your cursor over a word you want to capitalize, then hold down the shift key while pressing F3. We call this a shift-F3. You’ll notice that your word has automagically become capitalized. If you do a shift-F3 again, the entire word turns to all caps. Hit shift-F3 one more time, and the whole word gets changed to all lowercase. Using shift-F3 is a great little tip and if you get in the habit if using it you’ll save lots of time. I’m sure you’ll want to give it a try.
Using the Alt-Tab Buttons
/in Heard on the RadioIf you run more than one program at time on your computer, I’ve got a great tip for you. These days people typically run Outlook, Excel, and Word while they are surfing the Web at the same time. But how do you switch between these programs? Some people click on a window. Others might click on the toolbar. The best way to switch is to do an Alt-Tab. Here’s how it works. Hold down the Alt key, then press and let go of the Tab key. A window will pop up showing you a list of all the programs you’re running. Now if you keep hitting the tab key, you’ll see a little box move from program to program. Once you let go of the Alt key, Windows will immediately switch you to the program you’ve selected. Practice this technique and you’ll be switching between programs like a pro.
User-oriented Web sites
/in Heard on the RadioIf you are involved with your company’s Web site in any way, listen closely. The strategy and thinking behind many corporate Web sites is typically based on what the company wants Web visitors to do or know. Many times I’ll hear people say, “we want users to learn about this”, or “we need to make the user do such and such”. Folks, this does not work and it will never work. Why? Because the Web site is not in control, the user is! Think about how you surf the Web. You go to a certain Web site because you have a job to do and if you can’t get that job done, you are outta there, right? So make your company’s Web site great by understanding what users might want to do and then make it easy and fast for them to get that job done. The better you do that, the more your site’s business will grow.
Thesaurus in Word
/in Heard on the RadioHave you ever been at a loss for the right word when you write a letter? Did you know that your computer can help? Most people don’t know this, but Microsoft Word has a built-in thesaurus that can help you find the right word with just a click of the mouse. Best of all, it’s really easy to use. Just click on a word you want to change, then simply hold down the shift key and hit the F7 button. We also call this a Shift-F7. After you’ve done that a window will pop up with a list of other words you might use instead of the current one. Now here’s a Peter Kay pop quiz: If you need more help, what should you do? Hit the F1 key, right? RIGHT. Word’s thesaurus has become a valuable tool for me when I write and I’m sure it will work well for you to. Try it!
Speed up Browsing with Multiple Windows
/in Heard on the RadioDo you spend lots of time surfing the Internet? How would you like to increase your productivity by 2-3 times for free? One of the best ways to do that is by opening more than one web browser window at a time. By having several windows open, you can be working in one while the other one loads new pages. It also makes going back to previous screens many, many times faster and is perfect for navigating large, complex Web sites. Here’s how you do it: the next time you want to click on a link, use the right mouse button instead (we call this a right-click) and a menu will pop up. Click on the choice that says “open link in new window” or something to that effect and you’ll notice that a second window will open and show the new page, while the existing page will stay in your original window. Practice this technique because once you get the hang of it, you’ll be a “pro surfer” when it comes to the Web.
Slow is Good
/in Heard on the RadioDoes learning new software stress you out? I’ve noticed that for some reason, most people feel like they have to operate the computer quickly. This pressure to move fast creates stress because you really need to move slowly in order to learn things properly. Now, the funny part is that there is absolutely no reason that you should feel rushed. One of the wonderful things about computers is that they are infinitely patient. A computer has absolutely no problem waiting for an entire day for you to press one button; it does not get upset because you are taking a lot of time to figure something out. In fact, I have a Peter Kay Zen rule for you to remember: To learn quickly, move slowly. Use that tip the next time and you’ll see great results.
Set Word to show your revisions
/in Heard on the RadioWhen someone emails you a word document and asks for your review, how do you make changes and communicate them back? Most people put their changes in bold or underline but that really kinda messes up the document right? I’ll be you didn’t know that there’s a super cool feature in Word that is specifically designed for making and approving changes to documents. Hit the F1 key, and search for “Track Changes”. This really awesome feature automatically highlights all the changes you make to a document without any extra effort. This way when you send the file back to the original author, they have the chance to either approve or reject any of your changes. Once you get the hang of using the “track changes” feature you’ll wonder how you ever got along without it. It’s the best way to work on a document together.