Microsoft Office Tips

Productivity tips and tricks for Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.

1. Don't Leave the Subject Line Blank
   Your subject line is the first thing a recipient will read when receiving your e-mail. It should convey a brief description of what is to follow in the body of the e-mail. Leaving the subject line blank tells the recipient that the e-mail is not important and can be ignored.
2. Understand the Difference Between "To", "CC" and "BCC"
   The people you include in the "To" field should be the people you expect to read and respond to the message. The "CC" field should be used sparingly. You should only CC people who have a need to stay in the know. The "BCC" field should be used even more sparingly. People you include in the "BCC" field will not be visible to others.
3. Don't Write in ALL CAPS
   This is the digital equivalent of shouting. Besides ALL CAPS are harder to read.
4. Use Spellcheck
   Misspelled words reflect negatively on you and your school and are easy to correct with spellcheck. Make sure yours is turned on.
5. Re-Read Your Emails Before Sending
   It's a good idea to re-read your messages before you send them. Make sure that you are communicating clearly, observing good e-mail etiquette and that you haven't left out anything important.
6. Keep Messages Brief and To the Point
   Make your most important point first, then provide detail if necessary. Make it clear at the beginning of the message why you are writing. If you send long messages, it is much less likely that the person will act on what you have sent or respond to it.
7. Don't Discuss Multiple Subjects in a Single Message
   If you need to discuss more than one subject, send multiple e-mails. This makes it easy to scan subject lines later to find the message you need.
8. Use a Signature
   Attach a signature to every email, using Outlook's built-in signature tool (ask us if you don't know how). Include your contact information.
9. Be Mindful of Your Tone
   Those who read your e-mail messages don't have the benefit of your pitch, tone, inflection, or other non-verbal cues. As a result, you need to be careful about your tone. The more matter-of-fact you can be, the better.
10. Don't Use Email to Criticize
    These kinds of conversations are better handled face-to-face or over the phone. Especially, don't use e-mail to criticize a third party - messages are easily forwarded and can create a firestorm of conflict.
11. Don't Reply in Anger
    Angry emails almost never serve their purpose and can easily burn up relationships. If it makes you feel better, write the message and then delete it. Wait a day or two before sending your actual response and ask a friend to look it over first.
12. Reply in a Timely Manner
    If you take too long to respond, you will incrementally damage your reputation and decrease your effectiveness.
13. Don't Forward Chain Letters
    They just clutter up an already busy Inbox, and nine times out of ten the information is bogus anyway. If you feel you absolutely must pass it on, please make sure that it is valid information.
14. Remember that School Email Is Not Private
    You have no legal protection. Anyone with sufficient authority or access can monitor your conversations on district-owned servers. If you need to communicate privately, do it from home using a personal email account.
15. Don't Overuse the "High Priority" Flag
    If you use it for every message, you will simply be ignored.
16. Know When to Use "Reply to All"
    Last week I received an e-mail from someone who needed to know my shirt-size for a golf tournament. He sent the e-mail to ten or twelve people. However, some of the recipients hit the "reply all" key and sent their shirt size to everyone on the list. This just adds more clutter to everyone's inbox. Before you reply to everyone, make sure that everyone needs to know.