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I was recently asked to list my six favourite pieces of technology, stationery or office equipment that I love using in my work and personal life. Look through my list below. Are you using any of these?
When Office 365 first came out, I was wary, even sceptical about it. What about reliability? Or security issues, saving everything to the Cloud? I’ve been using it for around six years now, and it’s never let me down.
As Today’s PA run training courses all over the country and the world, I spend a lot of time away from the office. Being able to work on the go and know that everything is saved immediately to a central point has transformed the way we work. In the past, I would need to wait until I was back in the office before uploading the amended files to the server. Now, the latest version of the document is always available – anywhere, anytime. The other cool feature is that my Business Manager, Kristina, and I can work on the same document at the same time, and see each other’s changes straight away.
As a Microsoft Certified Expert, I love all the Microsoft products, but Outlook is definitely my favourite. Amazingly, I’ve been teaching it for about 14 years now.
We all use the email and Calendar functions, and tend to stick with the same familiar features we know and trust. But the functionality of the program is incredible, with tips and shortcuts to help save time and increase efficiency. Our delegates are always amazed when they see what else Outlook can do!
Take the Tasks function: it’s like your own personal organiser. You can create project folders, note the larger tasks, and then break these down into a daily to-do list. As you can sync it to all your devices, you can update it anywhere.
I especially like the Categories function. My Inbox is organised by categories so at a glance I can see who’s dealing with a particular email, any actions required, or whether it’s just for info. When a new message arrives that does already have a category, I will label it ‘KP’ (Kristina and Paul). When Kristina and I catch up, we go through these ‘KPs’, decide who is dealing with it, and assign categories accordingly. All future emails will automatically be allocated that category as soon as they arrive.
We also use a function called Quick Parts. This is a database containing your email templates or images. Rather than re-typing or cutting and pasting, it’s all there in Quick Parts. You can highlight frequently-used text and set up shortcuts, so when you type in the first few letters, Outlook will immediately recognise the templates you wish to insert.
Over the years, I’ve had various phones – iPhones, a Windows phone, a Blackberry. All great in their own way, but the Samsung S6 is easily the best. Excellent reliability, great battery life, syncs seamlessly to Outlook (vital for me!), and the screen is large enough to work on easily. I’ve had it for about three years, and it’s the only phone I’ve never thought of changing. Yes, the iPhone is excellent, but the Samsung S6 is just as slick, and much better as an everyday workhorse.
Without doubt, the best Microsoft laptop in the world! I used to have a Lenovo Think Pad, the industry standard for while, and still a great little machine. The Surface Book is the perfect business tool: powerful, and lightweight. The Performance Base version is slightly heavier (680g) than the standard version, but for the greater functionality you gain, it’s more than worth it.
I did a lot of research before deciding on the Surface Book. I wanted something for both business and personal use, and this has a detachable screen so it can be used on its own as a tablet (with its own built-in battery). I paid a premium for it (£3,000), but I intend to keep it for a long time to come.
I don’t go anywhere without my iMuto power bank. It’s one of the ultra-high capacity ones, (30000mAh), so my Samsung S6 can get up to eight full charges from it. It’s just slightly larger than my phone – you can easily put it in your pocket – although being so powerful, it’s much heavier. But I don’t go anywhere without it – it’s been a life-saver. Many a time it’s averted an emergency!
I spend my working life training PAs, all of whom are very fond of their “old technology” – such as spiral-bound notebooks and Post-it Notes. My role is to encourage them to ditch this, and embrace new technology instead.
Writing an important message on a piece of yellow paper, 2” sq, which is meant to stick to things but sometimes doesn’t, is a bit strange. Having said that, we all love Post-it Notes – including me!
What I love is the psychology behind them. I’m fascinated by the principle of reciprocity: if you make an effort for someone, they will do the same for you. Writing your message on a Post-it note takes more effort than writing it on a piece of paper or writing an email. The recipient will subconsciously understand this, and go to a similar effort for you. To illustrate this, imagine you’ve returned to the office, and there are several tasks awaiting your attention. You see a Post-it note asking you to do something. Without thinking, this will be the piece of work you do first. It’s completely unconscious, but it happens every time.
PAul Pennant
Managing Director & Principal Trainer
Today’s PA
