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Microsoft 365 continues to be a powerful suite of tools that enhance productivity and streamline workflows. Whether you’re new to the platform or a seasoned user, there are always hidden features and time-saving tips to improve your efficiency. Here are some tech tips to help you get the most out of Microsoft 365. THese are all things I do to make help automate and ease my work every day.
1. Create a Custom Quick Access Toolbar in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
One of the most useful features in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). This toolbar sits at the top of the window, offering easy access to your most-used commands. You can customize it to add shortcuts for frequently used tools.
How to do it:
Click the small arrow at the top of the window, next to the Quick Access Toolbar.
Select More Commands from the drop-down menu.
In the Word Options or Excel Options dialog box, select commands from the list and click Add to include them in the toolbar.
By customizing your QAT, you can reduce the time spent searching through menus, helping you work more efficiently.
2. Use Microsoft Planner to Manage Tasks and Projects
If you’re juggling multiple projects or collaborating with a team, Microsoft Planner is an excellent tool to help you stay organized. You can create task boards, assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress all in one place.
Quick Tip: Use the “Charts” view in Planner to get a visual snapshot of project progress. This allows you to quickly see which tasks are completed, in progress, or overdue, helping you prioritize and stay on track.
Bonus Tip: You can integrate Planner with Teams for an even more seamless experience. With Planner in Teams, you can manage tasks directly within your communication channels and keep everyone on the same page.
3. Leverage OneNote for Efficient Note-Taking
Whether you’re in a meeting, brainstorming session, or simply organizing your thoughts, OneNote is a great tool for capturing ideas and information. You can create multiple notebooks, sections, and pages to organize everything neatly. Plus, it’s cross-device, so your notes are always available on your desktop, tablet, or phone.
Pro Tip: One of the standout features is the ability to use tags in OneNote. You can tag specific items with labels like “To-Do,” “Important,” or even “Question” to make it easier to find related notes later. You can also search for tags across your entire notebook to quickly find key items.
4. Use Power Automate to Simplify Repetitive Tasks
Many people are unaware of the power of Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow). This tool allows you to automate repetitive tasks and workflows across Microsoft 365 apps, such as moving data between Excel sheets, sending reminders in Outlook, or syncing files from OneDrive to SharePoint.
Example Automation: Automatically save email attachments from Outlook to a specific folder in OneDrive or SharePoint. This can help declutter your inbox while ensuring that important files are organized in one place.
Getting Started: Start with a template by navigating to Power Automate and selecting from various pre-built workflows. You can always customize them later to fit your specific needs.
5. Outlook Keyboard Shortcuts to Boost Your Email Productivity
Outlook is a key communication tool in Microsoft 365, and learning some handy keyboard shortcuts can significantly speed up your workflow. Here are some of the most useful ones:
Ctrl + R – Reply to an email.
Ctrl + Shift + R – Reply all to an email.
Ctrl + Shift + M – Open a new email.
Ctrl + 1 – Switch to Mail view.
Ctrl + E – Open the search bar.
By mastering just a few of these shortcuts, you can quickly manage your inbox, schedule meetings, and stay on top of tasks without taking your hands off the keyboard.
6. Collaborate in Real-Time with Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams has become a central hub for collaboration, especially with hybrid work environments. Did you know that you can co-author documents directly within Teams? Whether you’re working on a Word document, Excel sheet, or PowerPoint presentation, multiple users can edit the same file at the same time, seeing real-time updates.
Tip for Effective Collaboration: When collaborating on a document, use the @mention feature to tag teammates, ensuring they get notified about specific sections or comments. You can also use the Chat feature within Teams to discuss the document without leaving the app.
7. Streamline File Sharing with OneDrive
OneDrive makes it simple to store, access, and share files from anywhere, but it’s important to know how to make sharing even more efficient. Sharing permissions are critical when you want to control who can view, edit, or share your files.
Quick Tip: Instead of attaching a file directly to an email, use OneDrive to share a link to the file. This way, recipients will always have access to the most up-to-date version, and you avoid the headache of managing multiple versions of the same document.
Bonus Tip: You can also manage permissions by using View Only or Edit access when sharing. This ensures that collaborators can only interact with your files in the way you intend.
8. Organize Your Files with SharePoint
For larger teams or organizations, SharePoint is an invaluable tool for managing documents, projects, and communication. You can create shared document libraries, workflows, and even intranet sites to keep everyone in your organization connected and organized.
Pro Tip: Customize your SharePoint homepage with useful web parts like document libraries, lists, and news feeds to provide quick access to the most important resources. With the power of SharePoint, you can centralize all your company’s key documents in one location.
By leveraging these Microsoft 365 tips and tools, you can save time, reduce friction, and improve your overall productivity. Whether you’re looking to streamline your daily tasks, collaborate more effectively, or automate repetitive processes, there’s a Microsoft 365 tool or feature to help you do it all. Keep experimenting with these tips, and you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish each week!
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