How to use NEW Dark Mode in Microsoft Word

/0 Comments/in /by

For those of you who are familiar with the ‘dark mode’ feature within Microsoft Word, you will be aware that this has been available for some time. This can be really useful if you are sitting in front of a document for a while as it can begin to strain your eyes so this feature is great as an alternative preference.

However, the Dark Theme in Word is now even more extensive.

So, what has changed?

Previously, you could use Word with a dark ribbon and toolbars, but your document colour stayed bright white.  Now, Dark Mode in Word offers a dark canvas as well!

If you’re not familiar with the ‘dark mode’ theme take a look at how you can use it…

Microsoft Office includes black and dark gray themes which are available in apps including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint.

To change your theme, click the “File” menu at the top left corner of an Office application – Word, Excel, Outlook, or PowerPoint:

Click the “Account” option in the sidebar. On the right, open the “Office Theme” dropdown menu, and then select your desired theme.

The default theme in Office 2016 is “Colorful,” but you can also select “White” if you would rather see starker whites.

To enable dark mode, select “Black” for the darkest possible Office style.

You can also select “Dark Gray.” This theme uses a lighter dark gray which you might prefer if you find the Black theme too dark.

You can also select a different “Office Background” from here. For example, if you would rather not see a design behind Office’s ribbon bar, click the “Office Background” box and select “No Background.”

These theme and background settings affect all Microsoft Office applications on your system. They even affect Office applications on other Windows PCs, assuming you sign into them with the same Microsoft account.

There’s a second place where you can choose your theme, too. To find it, click File > Options. Ensure the “General” category is selected and look for the “Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office” section. Click the “Office Theme” box and choose your desired theme. Click “OK” to save your changes.

The most effective change to this theme is that the canvas (document) will also change to the dark theme.

Contact us for details of our courses which can be tailored to your needs:

Contact us

6 tips for Chairing a successful virtual meeting

/0 Comments/in /by

Before the emergence of COVID-19, there was a growing need to include remote participants in meetings. However, in 2020 this has accelerated significantly. In March 2020 alone Microsoft Teams recorded 2.7 billion meeting minutes, an increase of 200%, clearly demonstrating the new reliance on video technology and virtual meetings required during lockdown.

There are unique challenges in both hosting and attending virtual meetings and there have been emerging reports on virtual meeting burn out. People can’t use the same social cues as we do in 1:1 meeting, and this can make concentrating on the content more difficult.

There are some keyways in which you can manage meetings to help make them simpler to deliver, while helping your audience to focus on the content. Here are some of the key areas you need to consider ensuring you get the best from hosting a virtual meeting.

Be prepared

If you’re chairing a meeting, it’s important that your resources are ready and to hand. Any materials that you want accessed by attendees need to be shared beforehand, so that your colleagues are already familiar with them. Make sure that you log in at least five minutes before the meeting starts, so you can test run your equipment.

Be clear about what you want to deliver

No one wants to spend their time in meetings where there are no clear drivers or outcomes. The easiest way to show this is to build a clear meeting agenda outlining what the intent and content of the meeting will be. It is also useful to send out follow up communication showing actions and resolutions. This approach helps to emphasise the benefits of the meeting’s content, as well as its proposed outcomes.

Before you set an agenda, understand what type of meeting you want to have. Meetings should have a defined reason and function. This helps to ensure that attendees prepare beforehand and helps you assess how long you need the meeting to be.

Define roles

Another way to help engagement is to define your roles at the beginning. This is especially important if there are members who are not familiar with each other. Avoid saying things like, “Right, I’d like this to be more of a conversation than a presentation…” and instead, allocate responsibilities to each team member and/or team lead. When you assign responsibilities to all those involved, you’re more likely to create engagement and participation.

Keep it short

Consider making virtual meetings shorter where less time is required. A good example of how shorter meetings can work well is an initial idea exchange. Try setting the meeting for 20 minutes and have participants come prepared with ideas they can share. Keeping the meetings brief means participants are more engaged and less likely to multitask.

Use the 5-minute rule

Even if the previous steps are used, you can lose people’s attention if you don’t ask them to solve a problem every five minutes or offer some way for them to engage. Building this into your structure helps to avoid the pitfalls of overly long monologues and refocuses the meeting on interaction.

Make sure you have an agenda

It’s important to set the agenda, as it helps you clearly communicate the purpose of the meeting as well as providing the information your attendees need to come prepared. Here are five tips for creating an effective agenda for a virtual meeting regardless of the meeting type.

Set the objective of the meeting: List the one main goal you need to accomplish. Keep it clear and concise.

Set the meeting duration: Make sure it is the right length for the meeting’s needs.

Double-check the invite list: Keep meetings small when virtual, so that everyone participating can contribute. If virtual meetings get too big, you’ll have people sitting on the call just listening.

Know who will present and notify them in advance: Decide who is leading which part of the meeting and let them know in advance so they can prepare.

Give each presenter a set amount of time: Specify time frames in your agenda and stick to them. Respect the agenda and use this information for future meetings so that your estimates are accurate. Note any changes or if additional time should have been allocated and adapt for future meetings.

Preparation: At the bottom of the agenda, recommend what each person needs to prepare for the meetings. Taking the time upfront to build an agenda and understand the best format of your virtual meeting will go a long way to ensuring you get the most out of each interaction.

Contact us

Advantages of Using Keyboard Shortcuts within Microsoft Word

/0 Comments/in /by

5 Reasons Why You Should Be Using Keyboard Shortcuts within Microsoft Word

As many of you know, I am a real advocate of using keyboard shortcuts. I appreciate that much of the benefits I have listed below is context, task and preference sensitive. But, small changes combined together can create big results.

Here are some considerations to encourage you to replace or at least reduce mouse habits and start using shortcut keys extensively.

1.Efficiency

By using the keyboard instead of mouse, you can increase your productivity and accomplish more tasks. As an example, you can quickly select all text within a document using Ctrl+A. Using the mouse would take time to look for the mouse, then visually locate the mouse pointer/cursor on the screen, then scroll to the start point within your document and then drag across the whole document, all of which is lost time! I appreciate that you can also click 3 times within the margin to do this same task.

2. Multi-tasking

Being a multi-tasker is something we need to do every day in life!. It’s an ability that lets us tick boxes in our to-do list quickly, especially when juggling with dozens of tabs and tools at once. Knowing the right shortcuts allow you to easily navigate your way through these tasks in less time than usual. You might feel awkward using a combination of keys while using your mouse at the same time, but once you start powering through your work as a keyboard ninja, you’ll never look back.

3.Complimentary

You can combine the advantages of using the keyboard with those of using the mouse. There are tasks that are much easier done with the mouse, take the example of browsing the web pages and clicking links but at the same time you can use the keyboard to navigate within the page or between tabs. And the beauty of it is that you can do both at the same time.

4.Health issues/benefits

Cutting down on your mouse usage by using keyboard shortcuts can help reduce the risks of RSI (Repetitive Syndrome Injury). Many people develop RSI by doing a repetitive task– like resting the heel of your palm on the desk and raising your fingers to use the mouse. If you use keyboard shortcuts, you can save hundreds of mouse clicks and movements each day.

5.Precision

When you have a job that requires precision it is advisable that you use the keyboard, for example if you do a lot of text editing, it is more accurate to handle it through shortcut keys. See my shortcut list for more information.

As many of you know, I am a real advocate of using keyboard shortcuts. I appreciate that much of the benefits I have listed is context, task and preference sensitive. But, small changes combined together can create big results.

If you would like a copy of our Microsoft Word shortcut keylist please contact us:

Contact us

How to Change a PowerPoint Show (PPSX) to a Work File (PPTX)

/0 Comments/in /by

Do you want to make a few changes to a PowerPoint presentation but are unable to because its for viewing only?

Well, there are a couple of ways to make edits to a .ppsx file.

When you receive a PowerPoint file, whether over a company network or as an email attachment, the file extension indicates whether it’s a show file (meant for viewing only) or a working presentation file. The show file has the file extension .ppsx, while the presentation working file uses the file extension of .pptx on the end of the file name. Changing this extension changes the file type.

A PowerPoint show is the actual presentation that you view when you are a member of the audience. A PowerPoint presentation file is a working file in the creation stage. They differ only in their extension and the PowerPoint format they in which they open.

PPTX is the extension for a PowerPoint presentation.

PPSX is the extension for a PowerPoint show. This format saves presentations as a slideshow. It is the same as the PPTX file but when you double-click it, it opens in Slide Show view rather than Normal view.

Editing a PowerPoint Show File

Sometimes, you want to make a few changes to the finished product, but the only version of your presentation is the show file with the .ppsx extension. There are a couple of ways to make edits to a .ppsx file.

Change the File Extension

In some cases, you can just change the extension before opening the file in PowerPoint. 

  1. Select File > Open and locate the show file with the .ppsx extension on your computer.
  2. Right-click the show file with the .ppsx extension and choose Open file location.
  3. Right-click on the file name and choose Rename.
  1. Change the file extension from .ppsx to .pptx.
  2. Double-click on the newly named file to open it in PowerPoint as a working presentation file.

Depending on the version of PowerPoint you are using, the above method may not work.

Saving the File as a PPTX

PowerPoint can convert a PPSX file to a PPTX one. Here’s how.

  1. Open PowerPoint.
  2. Select File > Open and locate the show file with the .ppsx extension on your computer.
  1. Edit the presentation as usual in PowerPoint.
  2. Select File > Open and locate the show file with the .ppsx extension on your computer.
  1. Select Save As.
  2. In the Save As Type box, choose PowerPoint Presentation (.*pptx) to save the file as a regular working presentation file.

Go to File > Save As to save the file.

From the drop-down menu at the top right, choose “PowerPoint Presentation (*.pptx)” to save the file as an editable file you can share with colleagues.

So now when you open the file, you will be taken to the PowerPoint editor to make quick edits and revisions.

Are you getting frustrated with formula errors in Excel and don’t know how to fix them?

/0 Comments/in /by

As someone who delivers training to a wide range of individuals and businesses of all sizes and levels of knowledge, I am regularly asked about how to resolve common Excel formula errors.

So, if you work on Excel spreadsheets, you might be faced with an error code occasionally. This can be for a variety of reasons, be it a fault in your data, or a fault in your formula. There’s a couple of different errors to represent this, and here I can help explain this and how you can fix them.

There are a couple of different formula errors you might see in Excel. Below are just a few of the most common ones and how you can fix them.

  1. #Value! error: Try to remove spaces in your formula or data in the cell sheet and check your text for special characters. You also should try to use functions instead of operations.
  2. #Name error: Use the Function Wizard to avoid syntactical errors. Select the cell with the formula, and on the Formula tab, click the Insert Function.
  3. ##### error: Double click on the header at the top of the cell or side of the column to expand it out to automatically fit the data.
  4. #NUM error: Check your numeric values and data types to fix this. This error happens when you put in a numeric value using a data type or a number format that’s not supported with the argument section of the formula.

How to avoid errors

Before getting into the formula errors, you should try to look at how to avoid the error altogether. You should always begin formulas with an equal sign, and make sure that you’re using the “*” to multiply instead of the “x.” Additionally, keep a watch for how you use parentheses ( ) in your formulas. Finally, make sure that you use quotation marks around the text in formulas. With these basic tips, it is likely you will not face the issues that are listed below:

#Value! error

This common formula error happens in Excel when something is wrong with the way your formula is typed. It also can refer to a situation where something is wrong with the cells you are referencing. Microsoft notes that this is considered a general Excel error, so it’s hard to find the right cause for it. In most situations, it’s either a problem with subtraction or spaces and text.

As a fix, you should try to remove spaces in your formula or data in the cell sheet, and check your text for special characters. You also should try to use functions instead of operations or try to evaluate the source of your error by clicking Formulas and then Evaluate Formula and then Evaluate. If all else fails, you can check out Microsoft’s support page, here for additional tips.

#Name error

Another common error is #Name. this occurs when you have put the wrong name into an operation or formula. This means that something needs to be corrected in the syntax. To avoid this error, it’s suggested to use the Formula Wizard in Excel. As you start typing a formula name in a cell or the Formula Bar, a list of formulas matching to the words you have entered displays in a dropdown. Choose the formula from here to avoid issues.

As an alternative, Microsoft suggests using the Function Wizard to avoid syntactical errors. Select the cell with the formula, and on the Formula tab, press the Insert Function. Excel will then automatically load the Wizard for you.

##### error

Third on our list is one you’ve likely seen a lot. With the ##### error, things are easily fixable. This happens when something is wrong with the width of the spreadsheet, and Excel cannot display the data or characters in the width of the column or row as you have it. To fix this problem, just double click on the header at the top of the cell or side of the column to expand it out to automatically fit the data. Or, drag the bars for that column or row out until you see the data appear inside.

#NUM error

Next up is #NUM. In this case, Excel will show this error when a formula or function contains numeric values that are not valid. It happens when you put in a numeric value using a data type or a number format that’s not supported with the argument section of the formula. As an example, $1,000 cannot be used as a value in the currency format. That’s because, in a formula, dollar signs are used as absolute (fixed) reference indicators and commas as argument separators in formulas. Check your numeric values and data types to fix this.

Other errors

We’ve only touched on some of the most common errors, but there are some others which I want to mention quickly. One of these is #DIV/0. This occurs if the number present in the cell is divided by zero or in case there is any empty value in the cell. There’s also #N/A, which means that a formula can’t find what it’s been asked to look for. Another is #Null. This is shown when you use an incorrect range operator in a formula. Finally, there is #REF. This happens most often when cells that were referenced by formulas get deleted or pasted over.

Want to update your Excel skills. Contact us for more information:

Contact Us

Harness the power of your voice

/0 Comments/in /by

Now more than ever, we’re all very busy in different ways – juggling family, work, friends, and whatever else life throws our way. So now using the power of your voice you can save time and energy to create great content using transcription and voice commands in Microsoft Word for the web. And best of all is hands-free creation and its time stamped!

For me, this is an absolute revelation! I support learners working towards Leadership and Management & IT apprenticeships. As part of these programmes, I carry out recorded professional discussions with learners and also obtain supporting witness testimonials from employers. So, being able to use the Microsoft Word transcribe tools has helped me focus on the people I am talking to without the worry of taking notes and having to spend hours transcribing my conversation afterwards.

Whether you are a secretary recording a meeting, a university graduate recording an interview for your dissertation or a mentor recording informal discussions, these tools will save you hours!

Interested? If so, then Transcribe in Word is here to help.

How does Transcribe work?

  • Transcribe in Word is available in Word for the web for all Microsoft 365 subscribers. (Transcribe in Office mobile will be released by the end of the year!)
  • It is supported in the new Microsoft Edge or Chrome browsers.
  • It offers you unlimited recording and transcription within Word for the Web.
  • Transcribe currently has a 5 hour limit per month for uploaded recordings.
  • Each uploaded recording is limited to 200mb.
  • Transcribe enables you to upload audio or videos you recorded outside of Word. Whether you record on your phone or via one of the many calling and video conferencing apps, you can simply select the file to upload and transcribe.
  • Transcribe supports .mp3, .wav, .m4a, or .mp4 files.  
  • Transcribe detects different speakers so after you finish recording, you can easily follow the flow of the transcript.
  • After your conversation, you can revisit parts of the recording by playing back the time-stamped audio and you can even edit the transcript if you see something amiss.  

Transcribe in Word enables you to stay focused on your conversation in the moment, saves you valuable time and energy by transcribing it for you, and is integrated into Word so you can focus on the message of your document and not fuss around with different windows or applications. 

Contact Us for a demo or more information.

Maximising Online Engagement and making a positive impact to delegates and learners

/0 Comments/in /by

How do you ready your attendees or learners for an excellent online/virtual learning experience?

Here’s how we do it at Directive Training

You will shortly be joining your online session. To make sure you really get the most out of your learning, we would like you to consider a few things before we start:

  • Bring any pre-work reading, notes or research with you, and be really clear about what you will get from the online learning event.
  • Engage with your trainer and the learning material
  • Make sure that you are in a place where you are not likely to be distracted and you can interact with the group online

The session will be highly interactive and engaging. To enable you to do this we suggest the following few tips…

  1. Turn off any emails and pop your phone on silent
  2. Shut down any browsers unless your trainer has indicated you might need them for the session
  3. Have a drink and a notepad to hand
  4. Ensure you have earphones or headset plugged into your laptop or computer as you will get the best audio experience this way
  5. Sit in a comfortable position and have enough space around you to stretch and move around
  6. It’s worth joining the session 10 minutes before the start time to make sure you’re all set up and ready to go
  7. Click on the link which has been provided and when prompted join the session
  8. If you have the option of joining via your phone, tablet or a laptop or computer, we’d suggest the latter for the full functionality
  9. You might be using your video camera during the session so make sure you are aware of what people can see
  10. Double check there is nothing behind you in the room you are in which you wouldn’t want other to have sight of, or which could be distracting
  11. When your session starts, familiarise yourself with the functionality which the platform offers, which can include a toolbar, giving you access to the chat box, participants box and emoticons, and an annotation bar. Let’s have a quick look at these now…
  12. Say hello to others in the chat box and get ready for your session to begin. Your trainer may record the session for you and others to benefit from in the future

By following this advice, you are likely to get the most from your session and really enjoy your learning.

Feeling Stressed Out By Your Email? You Might Be Suffering From Email Apnea

/0 Comments/in /by

Have you ever wondered why, after spending hours on email, you feel tense and tight?

Why you feel more anxious than before? 

Or why, even when do you stop, your mind keeps spinning? 

So, what is Email apnea? Well, according to psychologist Linda Stone “email apnea” is characterised by “shallow breathing or breath holding while doing email, or while working or playing in front of a screen.” Sound familiar?

This condition resonated with me as I have felt an increased anxiety since WFH when lockdown was enforced on 23 March 2020! So, why did I feel like this?

Email apnea occurs for a variety of reasons:

First, our posture slumps the moment we pick up our phone or computer, which compromises our ability to inhale and exhale fully.

Second, after hours spent staring at our screens, our eyes get fatigued and strained, which further interrupts relaxed breathing

Finally, when we’re lost in email and other online tasks, we lose awareness. We become so fixated on texts, emails, and social media posts that we don’t even notice this shift in our breathing.

So how can we interrupt this daily source of stress and anxiety?

Here are 3 tips.

1. Keep breathing

This sounds obvious, and yet the root cause of email apnea is a compromised state of breathing. Our breath gets shorter, shallower, and moves up from the abdomen into the chest. If we can simply notice this shift in breathing, the remedy becomes relatively straightforward. 

All we have to do is begin breathing more deeply into the abdomen while sitting at our computer or using our phone.

2. Take breaks

Email apnea is a condition caused by uninterrupted screen fixation. Thus one of the most powerful cures is to build in short breaks every now and then. Get up. Stretch. Move around. 

All you have to do is give your mind and body a short amount of time to experience a more natural state of relaxation. To do this, it can be helpful to set a timer each time you sit down at your computer. You can even schedule these breaks on your calendar if you find yourself forgetting.

3. Relax your eyes

Research on office workers indicates that many of us experience computer vision syndrome. The hours we spend staring at screens leads to a variety of problems: eye strain, headaches, eye twitching, as well as neck, back, and shoulder strain. Excessive eye strain is also one of the primary forces that holds the breath pattern of email apnea in place. 

To begin relaxing your eyes, it can be helpful to look away from the screen every once in a while. Look out a window and let your eyes relax into a soft gaze. To further interrupt this pattern, you can even experiment with closing your eyes while texting or emailing. 

These tips might sound like a lot of work.  They might seem inefficient.  But consider how much creative and productive energy you lose each day to the breath-holding pattern of email apnea.  Consider what it would be like to finish a long day spent in front of the computer feeling rested and relaxed, rather than exhausted, anxious, and scattered. 

I hope these tips help. To download a free Breathing app click below:

NHS Stress & Anxiety Companion app

One space IS better than two – Microsoft has decided!

/0 Comments/in /by

Microsoft Word flags double spaces as errors, ending the great space debate. What’s your thoughts?

Starting out as a PA in the 1980’s and completing my Secretarial studies with a distinction at 60 words a minute on a manual typewriter, part of my training involved the “drilling” of always using two spaces. Typewriters used monospaced fonts to allocate the same amount of horizontal spacing to every character. Narrow characters like “i” got the same amount of space as “m,” so the extra space after the “.” was needed to make it more apparent that sentences had ended. Word and many other similar apps make fonts proportional, so two spaces is no longer necessary.

Microsoft has settled the great space debate and sided with everyone who believes one space after a period is correct, not two. The software giant has updated Microsoft Word to highlight two spaces after a full stop (technically called a period) as an error and offers a correction to one space. Microsoft have tested this change with the desktop version of Word, offering suggestions through the Editor capabilities of the app.

If you’re still on the two-spacer side, you will be able to ignore the suggestion. The Editor feature in Word allows users to ignore the suggestion once, make the change to one space, or turn off the writing-style suggestion.

THE SUGGESTION CAN STILL BE IGNORED BY TWO-SPACERS

That hasn’t stopped the battle over one space or two from raging on for decades, however. Even a study back in 2018 on the hotly contested issue did not convince Microsoft. But, you will now see the new changes in Word have been rolled out – so congratulations to the “One Spacers”!

MS Paint – after 32 years of venerable service is being retired.

/0 Comments/in /by

For the last 32 years, I reckon all Windows users have used the built in program Paint.

You may have converted one file type to another, made a quick sketch, removed a background or even changed colours.   It was always there for you, waiting in the wings,  ready for the moment when you thought ‘I know I can do that in Paint’, but never could…….

We, of a certain generation,  will mourn its loss yet rejoice in its retirement, just like ‘Clippy’ the Windows little Helper.

 

If you need some help, advice or training on an alternative – get in touch.