Message Board Archives

A lot of the persons I come in contact with have a very 'back in the day' method of working. For example, several users have to add to a document and instead of finding some way to put it in one place on the web and each person does their bit, they each save versions of it, make their changes, albeit using Track Changes, email it back to whoever is going to edit it then that person had to decipher what to cut and paste. Time wasting.

Or they go to a meeting and take notes in a hard cover note book, rather than some electronic device which is searchable or from which you can email said notes and manipulate it afterwards.

I am trying to move further forward in the use of technology to improve efficiency and work smarter. Two years ago, that was me. In fact, my former boss used to say "look in your notebook, you always have your notebook" when we were trying to find a record of something discussed. Of course, the problem with that is that you'd have to leaf through each page. Time wasting.

So now I take the iPad into meetings.

What are your best tools which helps you work smarter and be more efficient?

In reply to Yamfoot

#1 NAS Server: Synology Server with document sharing/versioning.

Share & Sync Files Anytime Anywhere in you own personal cloud.
solves: Storage, email server, web server, cloud storage server, Media Server... store all your music and access it anywhere - anytime with wifi.

It does so much I rather you check it out for yourself.

You can share a document with your team, make edits, and each "version" is backed up - up to 32 times automatically

Amazon reviews speak for themself - very high

#2 Multiple Monitors for work.
3 on my office desk each 23".
When mobile: my laptop has 2 screens (the one with the laptop duh) + 1 USB Monitor I don't know how to work WITHOUT multiple monitors!

#3 VOIP/Web Based Conference tools.
You name it Vonage/Skype/Google Groups/Go To Meeting... use them all... still find good ole Skype good enough for most Video Conferences.

In reply to pelon

WHy do you need multiple monitors? Isn't that why windoze was created?

In reply to Yamfoot

If you have to ask, you really are behind.


Case study #1
You are in a Video Conference with a client. (Screen 1)
Client Sends you a PDF to read regarding the next best thing they want Yamfoot to do... (Screen 2)
Email, Browser and for kicks your Accounting app (Excel maybe) are open on the 3rd screen so when the client ask any question... you have room.

Case study #2
It's World Cup (gawd not cricket)
You watch Germany play on Screen 1, have CC.com on Screen 2 and you work away on screen 3

OR
Ever transfer data from say an email or document to say a secondary app... like SAP, SAS, Excel... whatever... two screens makes that SO much easier.

It's simple: multiple screens increase productivity. Allows you to multitask better ok my yammie.

Multiple windows with one screen is a MESS.

In reply to pelon

They say that multi tasking isnt good for productivity. You cannot really do two things at once, they say.

Anyway I realize I do that. When I have to Skype someone to discuss work things, I use the iPad for the Skype and then have my laptop open.

So I not that far behind. Do like Miss Lou and "clap me"

In reply to Yamfoot

Microsoft SharePoint!

In reply to Halliwell

are you serious,when you can use Google fuh free

In reply to ponderiver

I just used Google Docs for collaborating with others. Some positives. However did not like the lack of formatting ability in Google Docs. For example when I uploaded the Word Doc, the numbering format did not remain. Now it has to be downloaded and reformatted after thhe changes were made. Epic fail.

In reply to pelon

So, an expensive Google Docs/Drive?

_ryan

In reply to pelon

Multiple screens are for 9-to-5ers who live in an office. Won't work for Spuds and I and others who earn a living in airports, taxis and hotel rooms.

_ryan

In reply to Admin

Stupse. Yuh like yuh drinking de left over milk.

Until you read about the many things a Synology NAS does that google doc/drive can't do/never intended to do.... you may not understand.

Like comparing the award winning Kaspersky Pure 3.0 to Microsoft Antivirus.

Google Docs/Drive cant do 98% of what a dedicated server can do. You know dat.

That is what Synology NAS does for productivity: give you a plethora of tools - most free.




You know I like sport, so here goes.

Look, I have nothing against highly paid escorts, nor where you earn a living.... all I know is dat I luvs cc.com fuh de kicks.

To be productive, just turn off CC, or ask your network administrator to block it.

In reply to pelon

Fixed that for you.


_r

In reply to Admin

yuh good - and yuh tek yuh ribbing like ah man.
+1
How yuh eyes?

In reply to pelon

Eyesight back to normal but for some reason the redness is still visible. The doctor say to keep a close watch (idiot!) on any signs of infection. Lemme go throw out the leftover milk.

_r

In reply to Yamfoot

you need help, the stuff is free ,take a look at Google apps,it includes Google plus ,hangouts,Google drive (docs,spreadsheet,presentations,survey forms, photo storage, sites and the list goes on )

Some basic productivity/efficiency tools we globe-trotting escorts use:

Skype
GoogleHangouts
Google Drive/Docs
Google Calendar
Smartphone/tablets (with SilentCircle apps)

_ryan

Productivity is highly overrated and not much fun.

In reply to Larr Pullo



you damn right!!!

In reply to ponderiver, Admin

I use all of those, but I find editing in Google Docs is wanky. I don't like wanking stuff. I like any cloud based thing to look like how it is when I open it in Office.

In reply to Larr Pullo

Now that you are finished being a comedian, some tips please.

In reply to Yamfoot

YAMMIEE!!

blushing here

In reply to Yamfoot

Poween, how yuh did not leave that alone... dig deeper, Yamiee had another:

I would never!

She too sweet !

In reply to pelon

Let's not derail. Gotta ride this topic some more.

In reply to Yamfoot

See... more of the same!!!

Not sure about the nature of your job but for me, outside of meetings, I spend 80% of my time in excel, then access, word, powerpoint in that order. I prefer handwriting my notes, you just need to be very organized with dates and headings.

These mostly pertains to what I do, but you may find some things useful. In no particular order:

1. Develop your own style(things like how you name files, organize worksheets, write code, folder structures). This comes in very handy when your constantly multi-tasking. I'm usually work on 3-4 different things at a time, some of which are very technical, so this is crucial.
2. Be equally comfortable in access and excel. I know quite a few people who are great in one and not the other and I'm always amazed by some of the convoluted processes they come up with for things that could very easily be done in the other
3. Always ask about time frames so you can prioritize/delegate accordingly
4. use meaningful file names
5. Be adept at creating many different types of charts.
6. Avoid harcoding
7. Be comfortable with excel functions. Some of the most useful I find are(v/hlookup,match,sum/countifs, index,indirect,find, address,mid, len, rank, row, column but there's many more)
8. Dont create too many subfolders
9.Include email screenshots in certain folders to add clarity(like a source file you received from someone)
10. Set up meeting reminders
11. If multiple people need to update a file(hopefully not the same sections) you can make the files shared
12. BULLET POINTS! Noone likes to read paragraphs in emails. It helps you to be concise and to the point. word docs, powerpoints, even in excel. use them!
13. Use multiple screens/computers if you can. When I'm working on several different things that require having tons of files open I log in remotely to other machines at the same time
14. Create check lists
15. Include screen shots of graphs and tables in emails
16. Google is your friend
17. Don't combine your taskbar buttons. Maybe this is a preference but I see lots of people struggle with having things grouped. I find it very annoying
18. use excel's conditional formatting feature

There's lots more but I'm past my bedtime. Hope this helps.

In reply to ponderiver

Security is an issue where I wuk

And we serious about it

What self respecting company won't

In reply to Halliwell
I assume they have their own domain, seeing that your company is self respecting an all

Share within your domain dude

In reply to 1Desiabnu

Some useful points, however, the handwriting notes thing kinda made me not want to read further. But I did

I went to a meeting yesterday with 3 others. They all had a book and a pen. I had my iPad, my Samsung phone and a stylus.

In reply to Halliwell

So you're saying Google Apps are not secure?

In reply to Yamfoot

haha. now you frowning on people who dont have ur your fancy technology? there's always a trade off. I remember stuff more when I write them. I find, most of the times I don't even need the notes. You also tend to write less if you handwrite and are therefore more engaged in the discussion.

In reply to 1Desiabnu

Good list that. What's the fastest way to learn chart creation? (software etc).

Same for those excel functions - how to fastrack learning that?

In reply to Curtis

Google. Really, there are tons of helpful websites for pretty much anything you want. play around

Here's a good organized summary.

The key is to constantly build on your skillset and look for more efficient way of doing things. The more proficient you become, the easier it is recognize the best ways to approach something. Then you combine everything and it becomes fun. Even if you don't remember exactly how to use something, you know what it can be used for.

In reply to 1Desiabnu

I book marked that thanks

In reply to Yamfoot

Hackers are exploiting vulnerability in Microsoft Powerpoint


Want more security... Google have an answer and it not wanky at all

In reply to 1Desiabnu

Thank You...nice link and good stuff all around

It starts with a little bit of education and that's the reason why all my assignments, grading, collaboration and negotiating work with students, and everything else is done almost using tools such as googledocs, skype, Facebook Groups, etc etc etc. emails come a distant last nowadays.

if deh neva waz expose to the thing it's harder. my kids are allowed to take pics in class, record lectures, take presentations, share share share, etc etc

productivity starts with an awareness of what to be productive means.

In reply to doosra

what do you teach?