'Old School' Keyboard Tips

I was recently in my math class, working on a spreadsheet in Excel, when I was asked to help a couple of younger students trying to format their spreadsheet. I was rather stunned that the students, ages 20 and 28, did not know how to use keyboard shortcuts in any Windows applications.

It’s funny to me how the younger generation is considered to be so much more tech-savvy than my generation, and yet when you show a younger person (or any person really) how to do a few quick, time-saving keystrokes, they think you’re a genius. J 

People have become so addicted to the mouse that they often do not realize how much it disrupts their work as they keep reaching for it.

What people need to realize is that even though the world may quickly be changing to iPad and other tablet-type technology (with onscreen keyboards), the business world, at least for the foreseeable future, will mostly remain in the desktop and laptop world. For this reason, it is good to stay up on ‘old’ technology and how to best utilize your time when performing tasks at work.

As a former software trainer, my partner and I used to stress to our clients to keep their hands on the keyboard. Few realized the efficiency one can have when utilizing certain keyboard functions and keystrokes until we showed them.

In the ‘old days’, it used to be that you just needed to hold down the Alt key and press whatever letter was underlined in the menu (Alt+F+S = File, Save). Some of those old keystrokes still exist, however, so few software programs are menu driven in the way they used to be, that you can no longer know what to choose and need to memorize the keystrokes.

Here are a few keyboard tricks, old and new, that can help you save time and make you more productive at your job.

Windows Applications
Keystroke(s)	Result
Windows Key + E	Opens Windows Explorer.
Windows Key + M	Minimizes all open windows (the desktops displays.)
Windows Key + Shift + M	Restores open application from Windows Key + M function.
Windows Key + D	Displays desktop. To restore, repeat the same keystroke (Windows Key + D).
Alt + Tab	Enables you to easily toggle through all open applications.
Alt + F4	Closes an open window in most any program or closes an open application.
Ctrl + Arrow Keys	In Word: left and right arrow keys allow you to move the cursor to the beginning of the previous word or the next word; up and down arrows will do the same with paragraphs.
Shift + Arrow Keys	Highlights text in the direction of the arrow keys. (Selects cells in Excel.)
Hold Shift while inserting a CD	This will bypass Autorun when inserting a CD so that you can open it when you want.
Windows Key + Pause	Opens the Systems Properties (System) menu.
Ctrl + Z	Undo an action.
Ctrl + Y	Redo the undo (from above).
Select text, Ctrl + U	Underlines selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + B	Bolds selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + I	Italicizes selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + C	Copies selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + X	Cuts selected text.
Select text, Ctrl + V	Pastes copied or cut text.
Alt + 1, Alt + 2, Alt + 3, etc.	Launches whatever command is in that numerical position on your Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).
Windows + L	Locks the system. When you log back in, all programs will still be running and windows will appear just the way you left them.
SHIFT + Tab	Takes you back a field. Handy when filling out forms.)

If you have applications or folders you use frequently, you can create a keyboard shortcut to access them quickly.

NOTE: This will only work for shortcuts located on your desktop!

1. Right-click the shortcut and select Properties. (The application or file Properties dialog box displays.)
2. In the Shortcut Key field type any letter. (The Ctrl + Alt function is automatically added to the letter typed, making your shortcut key: Ctrl + Alt + <letter typed>.)

Here are some quick keyboard tips specifically for the Internet. 

Basic Internet Shortcuts
Keystroke(s)	Result
Ctrl + E	Search/Address bar
Ctrl + F	Find
Ctrl + R	Refresh
Ctrl + D	Adds current page to the Favorites list with no further prompts.
Alt + D	Selects the URL in the Address bar.
Ctrl + Left Arrow or Ctrl + Right Arrow	In the Address bar, moves the cursor to the nearest dot, forward slash, or paired forward slash.
Ctrl + Enter	In the Address bar, adds www. to the front and .com to the end of text you've typed and loads the URL.
Escape	Stops downloading a page.
Alt + Home	Jumps to your Home Page.
Ctrl + F5	Refreshes the current page unconditionally (even if the time stamp for your locally stored version and the Web version are the same).
Ctrl + W	Closes the current Internet Explorer window (useful when a site opens a new window).
Ctrl + A	Selects all content on the current page or frame.
Backspace or Alt + Left Arrow	Jumps to the previous page you viewed.
Alt + Right Arrow	Jumps to the next page (after having viewed a previous page).
Ctrl + Home	Jumps to the top of the current page.
Ctrl + End	Jumps to the bottom of the current page.
Ctrl + F4	Closes a tab.
Ctrl + SHIFT + T	Re-open a tab that you accidentally closed.
F7	Caret browsing allows you to select and copy text from web pages using the keyboard.
F11	Changes display to full screen mode.

Check out these sites for application specific shortcuts:

Firefox
Internet Explorer

A word to the wise is sufficient.

You CAN be the difference

I was recently put into a group situation for a class project. It wasn’t long before I became painfully aware – again – of how difficult it can be to work within a group.

Wanting to do well and wanting to get a good grade should be everyone’s objective. However, it can sometimes seem quite the contrary. If you've ever worked on a group project, you probably already know what I'm talking about. It can be difficult to maintain a positive attitude when you're ideas or opinions are met with opposition in a group or on a team.

I have always enjoyed a good one-on-one debate or heated discussion with someone who has a different opinion than me. It can be very educational and enlightening. However, differing opinions, experiences and age discrepancies within a group situation can lead to a group’s demise if you don’t go into the setting with the right attitude.

What is the right attitude? A winning attitude…and I don’t mean Charlie Sheen’s “winning” attitude. I mean, don’t go into a group situation as a "debbie-downer." Pessimism is not the key to success, optimism is.

Hank Stringer, a member of the Glassdoor.com, posted “Four Steps to a Better ‘Winning’ Attitude at Work,” which I summarize here:

• Willingness to engage - Showing your willingness to take on assignments at work, even if they are the work no one else wants will display a winning attitude to others.
• Good listener - Make sure you’ve quietly listened to someone’s point before commenting. In a group setting, take in all the ideas before presenting yours.
• Healthy self-awareness - You are as you are perceived. Speaking of perception this can be tough. A winner has the confidence for objective personal observation because they understand that this is a learning and growth process.
• Celebrate growth not just wins - Pat yourself on the back when you learn and grow not just when you win. Sure failure can be a killer at work but there is a lesson to be learned so take advantage and learn from all mistakes.

If you’re not sure how you can change your attitude about a team you’re on or group you have to work with, try some of these phrases from a paper my father gave me a long time ago (author unknown). I used to have it hanging in my cubicle to remind me, and those I worked with, how to maintain a positive attitude in the workplace.
Geoffrey James, contributor for Sales Machine at CBS.com wrote “Attitude is not the result of what happens in the world, but how one decides to interpret what happens in the world.”

It’s up to you to choose to interpret situations in a positive and optimistic manner. You can be the difference in your group by approaching the goal and the group with a winning attitude.

Check out these links and video for more information:

Achieve a Winning Attitude in 6 EasySteps

Work Effectively in a Team Environment

Take a Quiz: Do You Have a BadAttitude?

Winning Attitude

Video: Bring your glow or gloom

"Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is the probable reason why so few engage in it." -Henry Ford

A word to the wise is sufficient.

Formatting and Consistency

This week, after evaluating several websites and reading some course materials, I decided to address the importance of formatting and consistency. I found myself using both of those words quite often this week in my critiques and thought it would be good to show some examples of what I mean. Mostly I will address this topic for use on the Internet, but it also applies to documents created in word processors.

WHAT IS FORMATTING AND CONSISTENCY?

Formatting, by definition (Dictionary.com), is the general physical appearance of a book, magazine, or newspaper; such as the typeface, binding, quality of paper, margins, etc. It is the organization, plan, style, or type of something.

Consistency, by definition (Dictionary.com), is the arrangement of data, such as the number and size of fields in a record or the spacing and punctuation of information in a report. It is the steadfast adherence to the same principles, course or form. It is an agreement, harmony, or compatibility, especially correspondence or uniformity among the parts of a complex thing.

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO YOU?

Inconsistency in formatting, more than anything, will throw your eye off when looking at a page. It doesn’t take a trained eye to notice, but to a trained eye, it is probably easier to notice.  Some examples would be:

• Menu items/titles not all the same font, font size, and color.
• Some text being indented and other text being ‘blocked’.
• Text being misaligned – some text is left aligned, some is right, some is centered.
• Content starting at different places on each page.
• Inconsistent font color on links.
• Using multiple image sizes and resolutions, watch for distortion.
• Make sure bullets and numbers have the same indentation.

Source: http://reportformatting.com/Formatting_Examples.html

WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR?

What most folks need to be careful of is using a word processor to write their blog or other web-intended text and then copying the text into whichever HTML vehicle they’re using. Doing this has a tendency to “indent” the first word of a paragraph or bullet without the author’s knowledge and may also change other formatting like line-spacing or font selection. You should always go back and check your work to make sure it looks proper before publishing.

NOTE: I am by no means suggesting that you don’t use a word processor, in fact just the opposite. A word processor will actually help you to format your text and check for inconsistencies. You just need to make sure you check your work after you’ve copied it over.

Using sites like Weebly or Website Tonight can get a little tricky to use when it comes to formatting. They seem to get a little wonky. (BTW – ‘wonky’ is a very highly technical word! J) Using bullets or numbers to format in a word processor and copying into whichever HTML vehicle you’re using will usually add extra lines between the bullets and sometimes misalign your text. It can definitely try one’s nerves to ‘tweak’ formatting in a website building application.

As for using Microsoft Word, I highly recommend using “Styles” when creating a document or report. Doing so will help you remain consistent in your formatting…and well, it’s just much easier. I have listed a really great site below, with step-by-step instructions for using styles.

Here are some additional sites about formatting and consistency to checkout:

Verify Your HTML Code

Format Consistency Checker in Microsoft Word

How to Make the Formatting in Your Document Consistent

A word to the wise is sufficient.