People tend to get stuck in their habits without doing much exploring in tools like Microsoft 365 and Windows 10. So, they often miss out on productivity boosts that could save them a lot of time and effort simply because they didn’t know they were there.
Just changing up your workflow can save you a significant amount of time. For example, 68% of surveyed employees use up at least 30 minutes per day just switching between apps. That is about 10 hours per month in lost productivity due to workflow habits.
Incorporating one of our tips below will keep you from having to switch out of an app that you are working in to go over to your browser. It can also reduce app switching time.
Here are several simple (but incredibly helpful) tips and tricks for Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 to make your life easier!
Control + D to Duplicate an Object
When you are in MS Word or PowerPoint and you need to copy an object, do you use copy and then paste? That is what a lot of people do. You can cut that workflow in half by duplicating the object with a keyboard command instead.
Just highlight your object and press CTRL + D to duplicate it.
Use the Top Search to Find Functions in Office Programs
Have you ever spent 10-15 minutes just looking for the margin settings in Word or how to insert (not attach) an image in an Outlook message?
Over the past few years, Microsoft has injected AI into Office and you will find that the top search bar in Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Excel has become pretty handy for finding a function that you need.
For example, if you need to change the size of your margins in a Word document, just type “margin” into the top search and the setting will come right up for you. Even if you know where the margin setting is, this trick can get you to the setting faster!
Stop Retyping the Same Email Text
If you have certain email text that you find yourself typing over and over again or copying and pasting from an old email, you can save a lot of time with Quick Parts.
Quick Parts is an Outlook feature that saves a block of text from an email so that you can reuse it whenever you like. There is no need to search for the last email that you sent with the same text.
To save a text for use later:
- Open a new email and type the text you need.
- Highlight the text.
- Go to Insert > Quick Parts > Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.
- Name your text block.
To insert the text into a message:
- Put your cursor in the email message where you want to insert the saved text.
- Go to Insert > Quick Parts.
- Choose your text block and it will insert into the message.
Add a Hyperlink with Control + K
Another keyboard shortcut that is often underutilized and can save you a lot of time is the one to insert a hyperlink.
Instead of needing to right-click and then find the Link command to click, highlight the text you want to hyperlink and press CTRL + K. This will bring up your hyperlink window a little faster.
Use Word Instead of Google to Find a Spelling
Many users will misspell a word, not know the correct spelling and switch apps to go over to their browser to search Google for the word. Then they need to switch back and retype the word correctly.
Eliminate the unnecessary trip to your browser by using Word’s spelling correction instead.
Just right-click on the word that is misspelled and Word will then display the correct spelling. Click on it and the word will be instantly corrected!
Triple-Click to Highlight a Line
Surprisingly, a lot of people don’t know about the triple-click. This is a way to quickly highlight a line of text. If you have a paragraph of text to copy, the triple-click will highlight that.
This is incredibly useful when you are copying and pasting and need more than just one word. It keeps you from needing to drag your cursor to highlight the line or paragraph of text you need. Just click three times with your mouse in quick succession to use it.
Looking for Ways to Make Your Office More Productive?
Sound Computers can help your Connecticut business make the best use of your technology tools to increase productivity and streamline your workflows.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation. Call 860-577-8060 or reach us online.