What is Excel?

It’s a good question. Excel is another multipurpose tool that has made its way into both our personal and professional lives due to its wide variety of applications and powerful functions. With over 750 million users, it is one of the most popular software applications globally.

Excel is a spreadsheet program created by Microsoft and is available as part of the Microsoft Office Package. The spreadsheet is compiled of boxes called cells, which hold data organised into columns (cells going down the way) and rows (cells going across the way), creating a sheet (hence spreadsheet). It allows us to not only store data but also display and organise this data in a clear and understandable format.

Is Excel worth learning?

As a prominent workplace tool and with many employers expecting Excel as a base skill, you will likely come face to face with Excel in your career, whether this is data entry and storage for the future, or perhaps creating a dashboard from scratch. Learning the basics will allow you to confidently approach this eventuality and avoid feeling like a deer caught in the headlights.

Additionally, it is a transferable skill applicable to many industries and even your personal life! (Anyone sheepishly reading this and thinking of the 100’s of excel sheets you have dedicated to comparing products?… You’re not alone.)

What can Excel actually do?

So now that we’ve established that excel is worth learning, what can it actually do?

1. Make tables and databases

This might be the most apparent function and, therefore, the best place to start. Data is inserted and stored in cells where it can be visually grouped and analysed. Tables allow us to distinguish and organise data into meaningful categories. Otherwise, we have a chaotic jumble of information with no discernable relationship.

Once the data is inserted into a table, we can format the table’s design, create filters to hide or search for specific information, and rows and columns can be easily added or removed.

2. Convert data into graphs and charts

Now that the data is arranged into tables, excel has graphical features that allow us to represent this data in graphs and charts. Graphs and charts enable us to better understand the data quickly due to their more simplistic display of the information. They are especially useful for extensive data where relationships and patterns are harder to see.

3. Functional features

Not only can we represent data in graphs and charts, but we can also perform complex calculations with the data. This is especially useful for totalling 100+ columns and manipulating large sums of data. The alternative is the painstaking process of doing everything by hand…Excel will do this for you quickly and correctly.

And that’s why Excel is your friend!

Microsoft Excel is an incredible tool that specialises in improving efficiency and saving time. It may seem like a steep learning curve but with 750 million-plus users, we can safely assume that the benefits outweigh the trepidation of getting started. It is a lot simpler to use, and with an easy goal in mind, you’ll quickly get to know the layout and the promise of a more organised existence.

Feel like you need a bit more support getting started? Check out our comprehensive Excel Introduction Course, led by a Live Trainer who will support you at every step of the way!

May is Global Employee Health and Fitness Month, which emphasises looking after yourself, both physically and mentally. Something that will be of benefit both at work and in all other parts of our lives.

History

We all know that maintaining our health and fitness will improve the overall quality of our lives, but as we grow older, we can get stuck in our routines and habits, whether they are good or bad, and it’s easy to neglect our mental and physical well-being. This is one of the reasons that the Global Employee and Fitness Month was launched in 1989, to provide an opportunity for workers to reflect on their lives and inspire employers to come up with new, innovative ideas to motivate employees around the world to improve their health and fitness.

As the Global Employee Health & Fitness Month (GEHFM) says on it’s website:

“Global Employee Health & Fitness Month is an international observance of health and fitness in the workplace. The goal of GEHFM is to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle to employers and their employees through worksite health promotion activities and environments.”

The role of employers is emphasised, as they are the ones who create the initiatives, to not only spread awareness of how essential good health is, but to also urge their employees to participate in projects and activities that have real physical and mental health benefits. It is not just employers who get involved in the month, however. Universities, local governments, hospitals, and health departments also play a great role in the successful celebration of this month.

How to Observe

Arrange a yoga session at your workplace: There are many forms of exercise that can help both physically and mentally. Yoga is one of the oldest and most proven. Perhaps arrange a yoga session in your work place, or,  if you work from home,  set aside half an hour for some yoga yourself. It can definitely help your body, but might also bring some peace to your hectic day.

Host an event with a variety of physical activities: If yoga isn’t your thing, persuade your employer to host an event with trials of many activities, such as swimming, running or weight lifting. The broader the options the better and the more people who are likely to get involved.

Bike to Work Scheme: Many companies have a bike to work scheme, which can benefit both employees and employers when the latter choose to cycle rather than drive to work. Whilst the health benefits to employees may be self-evident, Employers who have started such a scheme have reported less sick days amongst those who cycle, a lower carbon footprint; with the added financial incentive that  employers can save up to 13.1% in NI contributions.

Find out more about the bike to work scheme.

The Benefits of the Month

A Healthy mind is a productive mind: Living a healthier lifestyle, through a balanced diet and exercise will almost certainly mean an improvement in mental wellbeing, which can itself lead to a more productive lifestyle. Regular exercise can release dopamine, a chemical than makes us feel happier and satisfied, an important factor in regards to how hard we work.

Improving your health can make you less stressed: Sustained exercise will increase blood flow and pumps up endorphin production, the body’s natural painkillers, directly linked to reducing your stress. Being stressed can lead to de-motivation and burn-out, so adding a short exercise to your daily routine could really make a difference in both your work and home life.

Becoming energetic and motivated: Since exercise and healthy food provide energy, you are much more likely to be motivated to take on new projects and follow them through. If you need help with time management to help fit in extra time for your fitness and well-being, check out our Time Management courses.

Improving your communication skills is advantageous to you and everyone around you. Good communicators are seen as confident and trustworthy and these skills can help in both your professional and personal life.

Here are 6 ways that you can improve your communication skills:

Listening Effectively:

This is one of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of communication. It is natural to try to think of a response to the other person while they are still talking, but taking time to let them finish and trying to fully understand what they are saying can pay dividends. If you are unsure about something that has been said, ask for clarification, or for the person to repeat their point again.

And when listening, stick to one communication at a time. It’s always tempting when speaking to someone on the phone, to, perhaps, respond to an email at the same time. But it is very likely that you will miss something the other person is saying. Trying to do both things at once may mean that you end up doing neither of them particularly well.

Body language:

This is something that we all are aware of, but which, surprisingly, most of us still don’t think about when we are communicating. A few simple things in this area can make a great deal of difference in our communication with others. Don’t cross your arms, keep eye contact, sit up straight so you look professional and be as open as possible. We don’t have to be body language experts to use it effectively in communication.

Be Concise

In written and verbal communication, try to be as brief and concise as possible, whilst still conveying all the information required. Try not to ramble or go into areas of information that are just not needed.

Maintain a positive attitude and smile:

This one is simple. Smile and be positive. Smile even when speaking on the phone, because the other person will know it. Smile often and exude a positive attitude and people will respond positively to you.

Empathy:

Being able to understand the feelings of those around you is an integral part of being an effective communicator. Empathising means both understanding and relating to someone else’s feelings. Having high emotional intelligence and demonstrating an ability to empathise builds rapport between you and others and increases your ability to communicate.

Practice public speaking:

Public speaking may sound daunting, but there’s no better way to develop good communication skills. Good communicators are able to clearly articulate their feelings, whether speaking to a large group or talking face-to-face with one other person. Speaking in front of a group will highlight your strengths, as well as letting you know those areas that you need to improve on.

Our course in Advanced Communication Skills will show you how to apply advanced verbal and written communication techniques in your workplace.

OneDrive is the cloud storage service from Microsoft which will both store your files securely and allow you to access them from almost any device. It is one of many online storage services, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud, but only Microsoft OneDrive is built directly into Windows 10.

Like all Cloud storage services, OneDrive acts as if it is an external drive, but because it is available through the internet folders and files can be backed up and synced in the cloud. OneDrive works across different devices and platforms. It is entirely possible to create a file on one device and continue working on it on another (PC, laptop, tablet, or phone).

Files on OneDrive can be easily shared with other people, and if you have Microsoft 365 you can collaborate with someone else, on a file, in real-time.

You don’t even need to use Windows to be able to use OneDrive, but if you have a Windows 10 device, there are even more features available, including a ‘Personal Vault’ where important and sensitive files are protected with an extra level of security.

Whatever device you are using, whether it is a Windows 10 Laptop, an Android phone, or anything else, to sign up for and use OneDrive, you will need a Microsoft Account. This is easy to set up and you can sign up for one here. The good news is that if you already have a @outlook.com, @live.com, or @hotmail.com email address, or Xbox network account, you already have a Microsoft account and can use any of these.

Storage

A basic free plan for OneDrive provides 5GB of OneDrive space. You can get 100GB of storage by paying a small monthly fee, but if you already have a subscription to Microsoft 365, then you may already have a whole 1TB of OneDrive space available.

Creating a OneDrive Account

Firstly, go to the OneDrive website here. You will need to click the ‘Sign In’ button.

You will get an option to either enter the email of an existing OneDrive account or to Create a New Account.

Click the ‘Create one!’ option.

If you do already have a @outlook.com, @live.com, or @hotmail.com email address, or Xbox network account, you can enter this to create your account, otherwise, click ‘Get a new email address’.

You can choose whether to have an @outlook or @hotmail address and then just follow the on-screen instructions to complete the signing-up process.

Once the OneDrive account is created, on Windows 10, OneDrive is usually automatically configured. In most cases, in Windows, the one Drive Client software will already be on your device, but if not download the OneDrive client offline installer from Microsoft and double-click the file to install it.

If you are installing on another device, like an Apple or Android phone, you will need to get the OneDrive App from the appropriate App store.

Once you have the software or app on your device, you just need to sign in. In Windows,  click the cloud icon from the notification area.

Then select the Sign in button.

Follow the directions to confirm your Microsoft account address and password. Click the Sign in button again.

You should be good to go.

View and Manage Folders and Files

In OneDrive, you can change settings for managing, syncing and sharing files. OneDrive will appear in File Explorer, like any other drive on your computer, and you can view and manage files there.

If you want to view your files online, just right-click any of the folders or files in OneDrive and choose ‘View online’ from the menu.

You can change a wide variety of options in OneDrive. Click on the cloud Icon in the Notification Area. Click on ‘Help & Settings’ and you will be presented with a dialog box where you can change whether OneDrive starts automatically with Windows, control Notifications, add other accounts and many other options.

Share Files 

Sharing files with others, whether they have OneDrive or not, is easy. You can share whole folders or individul files and this can be done from both File Explorer or from your OneDrive site. Just right-click the file or folder you wish to share and click ‘Share’ from the menu.

Before the link is sent, you can control how whether the person being sent the link will have editing rights, when the link will expire and if a password is  required.

There is much, much more to OneDrive. If you want to learn more, contact us here at Infero.