It’s been quite a while since I wrote about my favorite application, Microsoft Excel. When I’m not using different combinations of formulas and applying beautiful styles to my spreadsheets, I find that there are many fantastic tools within Excel that many people have never used. These tools aren’t actually hidden, but if you don’t know what you’re looking for, you can easily miss them. Here are my seven favorite Excel tools that you can start using today.
When the Church Online Communications Comprehensive started thirteen weeks ago, the discussion of online communications started with a focus on strategy. Since then, the topics have become more specific with information about individual channels and tactics.
Now that all of that has been discussed, it’s time to take a step back and see how to pull everything together. Figuring out how to get started is difficult, but not nearly as difficult as determining how to find the time to do it. Here are some ways to make communications take less time and some of my favorite tools for maximizing efficiency.
I love finding tricks and "secret" ways to do things easier. When I was growing up, my brothers and I played lots of video games together. I remember always trying to look online and find out if there were any secret codes I could type into the game and get extra coins or abilities. Sure, it may have taken away from the actual game-play a little, but it made me feel pretty cool.
Some people love to go shopping, but it is not one of my favorite activities, so I try to make it as quick as possible. I go in to the store, I get what I need, and I leave.
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However, I am not that way when it comes to purchasing new softtware. In fact, I tend to go about it in a completely different manner. I research all available options, I search for reviews, I test it extensively, and I sleep on the decision before finally making the call to purchase.
Microsoft Outlook is arguably one of the most popular email clients available, especially for Windows users. It sure helps that it is part of the Microsoft Office suite that is standard for most businesses.
Church offices are no exception, and while Gmail and other online email clients are becoming more commonplace, Outlook is still the standard.
“Ok, Google . . . How do I effectively engage volunteers in social media ministry?”
1.3 million results.
“Hmm. Ok, Google . . . Can I please talk to a real person that has already been down this road?”
If you’re diving into a new role in church communications, you’re already well-versed in the power of Google. But you may have also noticed that Google doesn’t always get context right. It also doesn’t provide validated concepts—you don’t know what information is coming from gurus or real-world practitioners.
I have, as some people call it, an unhealthy obsession with Microsoft Excel. I get excited about anything that allows me to be more efficient. With Excel, I keep finding new and better ways to do just that.
While much of Excel revolves around numbers (all right, most of Excel revolves around numbers), there are some pretty fantastic formulas and functions that allow you to quickly manipulate text. So even if you are more focused on Bible studies and mail merges than income statements, Excel can help you.
Strategic planning is important for every organization, whether it’s business, a group, or a church. As a church leader, you are responsible for looking at the larger picture to decide what will be of most benefit to your congregation—unless your church has unlimited resources, of course!
The first step? Implementing a program review process at your church. Here’s how to get started:
In college, I always tried to prioritize. I’d start by writing that excruciatingly long paper, then tackle the short, multiple choice quiz. Though I knew the paper would take a long time and the quiz wouldn’t happen until 3:00 a.m. when my brain power hit an all-time low, at least it was easier than writing! My plan got me through.
In the church office, work such as creating bulletins and newsletters will always take a while to complete. But you can still have a plan! We’ve compiled a list of six ideas to help you minimize those time-consuming tasks.
The phrase “optimize your time” sounds impossible. I can’t imagine being able to do more work in the same amount of time without wanting to pull my hair out. I feel like I already accomplish quite a bit, but my to-do list keeps getting longer. Sometimes it feels like I’ll never catch up on all the work that needs to be done!
To help lessen this feeling, I’ve put together a list of the 12 best ways to optimize your time—which, as it turns out, is not an impossible task.
