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:

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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:

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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.