Release your inner tech guru
247 days ago
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The sudden onset of lockdown across the region plunged many of us into a new and unfamiliar temporary home-working situation. With offices closed and an unexpected distance thrust upon teams, we have had to find different ways of collaborating with colleagues, holding meetings and navigating the tricky etiquette of video calls, with or without webcams. ("Nice forehead." "Thanks.")
As many of us continue to work from home - either some, or all of the time - we can all recognise the one person in our co-working bubble who knows their Planner from their OneDrive - the Techsplorer. With one on every team, the Techsplorer has assessed the digital tools Sodexo uses every day to develop super-hero powers that defeat everyone's collaboration and connectivity concerns.
Not everyone at Sodexo uses a computer to do their work, but around a third of us have access to Micosoft Office 365's desktop apps, and everyone with a Sodexo email address has access to the online versions. If you don't have access to Office 365, this article may not be for you!
For those who dont know, Office 365 (O365) provides a suite of cloud-based tools designed to enable greater productivity and collaboration. Comprising a secure suite of Sodexo approved tools, O365 meets most of our everyday needs, and is accessible online from everywhere.
With home working set to stay in some form for the foreseeable future, we've unleashed our inner Techsplorer by sharing some top tips to help:
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Use the right digital tool for you. Most of us use O365 every day, but are you using the right tool for the job? The Discover O365 app can help you decide what software to use depending on the job you need to get done. Make your life easier by choosing the virtual wrench that fits your digital bolt just right.
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Don’t hate, dictate! Have you got a long text-based piece to write? Maybe a business case, or even just a really long email to your boss asking about whether you're going to have a Christmas party this year - why not try using the Microsoft Word's dictate function to help out? There’s no-one around to judge you talking to yourself, and it’s a quick way of jotting down your first thoughts ready for editing by the usual tools. Why not give it a try?
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A tidy Teams is a tidy mind. Now that our workspaces are more digital than physical, keeping them tidy will help free space in your mind for productivity and help you to focus. For some expert knowledge on how to keep your new workspace organised, try watching these two training sessions run recently by Microsoft: Beginners / Advanced. The sessions are packed full of handy information - for example, did you know that if you mark a chat message as urgent in Teams, the recipient will be notified every 2 minutes? Or that you can tag subject experts in conversations?
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Has your notebook been taken over by the weekly shopping list? Hi-tech note taking is the future in our opinion. OneNote is the O365 app that might seem strange at first, but it makes it super easy to share your notes with others, add your ideas to a Teams meeting, and store associated notes together – no more fishing about for bits of paper on your desk or computer!
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To-do list gone out the window? As we grapple with the challenges of Covid-19 and its affect on our working, sometimes we need a quick reminder of what we might have missed. You can use Microsoft Insights to recap on any emails that contain tasks helping you to organise your time and keep on top of things.
How many of the tips did you know already? Have you got any more keyboard shortcuts to share as a self-confessed Techsplorer? Sharing is caring after all, so why not let us know in the comments below and help us navigate home working together.
All of us are looking forward to life after lockdown, but with this comes another change to the way we work, especially with the imminent reopening of many offices across the region. From next week, our Make Yourself at Home campaign will be evolving to support you as we learn how to come back together in a safe manner. With this evolution comes a new look, and fresh advice to prepare you for the next normal – see you all soon!
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