Posted on Apr 3, 2015
Are you using Microsoft Office on that work computer to its fullest potential?
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Leaders,
How many are using Microsoft Office software to it's fullest potential? I'm have recently left the service and am knuckle deep in a business degree. One of my classes is Business Computer Applications. I've used Word, Excel, and PowerPoint enough to get projects/OPORDs/Leader's Books/MFR's done.
Are we selling ourselves short by not using big four of Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to their fullest potential? I'm learning things in this course that would have been a life saver during my time as a squad leader/Aid Station/Clinic NCOIC. Not to mention the huge benefit Access would have been for a functional, fluid leader's book as well as helping to manage property and equipment status at the platoon level.
Those of you that are Microsoft SME's, where can current/future leaders go to get this knowledge?
How can we pass this knowledge on to the younger generation? Especially since more and more careers require an ever increasing functionality with current and emergent technology.
How many are using Microsoft Office software to it's fullest potential? I'm have recently left the service and am knuckle deep in a business degree. One of my classes is Business Computer Applications. I've used Word, Excel, and PowerPoint enough to get projects/OPORDs/Leader's Books/MFR's done.
Are we selling ourselves short by not using big four of Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to their fullest potential? I'm learning things in this course that would have been a life saver during my time as a squad leader/Aid Station/Clinic NCOIC. Not to mention the huge benefit Access would have been for a functional, fluid leader's book as well as helping to manage property and equipment status at the platoon level.
Those of you that are Microsoft SME's, where can current/future leaders go to get this knowledge?
How can we pass this knowledge on to the younger generation? Especially since more and more careers require an ever increasing functionality with current and emergent technology.
Posted in these groups: 
Mentorship
Leadership
Mentorship Leadership
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 9
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I've turned a lot of eyes toward the program "one note" for the capability it has to replace continuity books when saved to a shared drive or share point. If you take just five minutes to read through the intro it will blow your mind at the untapped potential. My G1 and G8 officers now use it exclusively to artifact relevant emails, documents, and "how I did that thing that one time" examples for those who follow us in our assignments.
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SSG Genaro Negrete
This is awesome! I get the feeling that the Army, since it doesn't have some of the same pressures of a business that can go under, will always sit well behind the cutting edge of the managerial tools available.
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I have used MS Office quite a bit and find it to be a very valuable tool, to learn all you can about using this tool, I would suggest a little bit of mentorship time and a lot of personal time with MS Office for Dummies book. Play with the system and you will learn.
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SSG Genaro Negrete
I can completely agree with that. Trial and error is how I picked up a lot of my base line knowledge in using that software. A seasoned coach, helping me learn what I am missing, is always a great boost.
But it seems SME's in this functional area are few and far between. The technology is only getting bigger and "better".
With Microsoft tools like word processing and spreadsheet software becoming so integral into our daily duties (both combat and garrison), I'm inclined to push for this to become a core competence among all NCOs. Include this subject matter in ALC. Perhaps as distance learning, but make it a requirement.
We don't know what we don't know. A formal training session, whether required or not, will open a lot of eyes. It's pointless for one NCO to become a MS guru, set up a ton of awesome systems for managing personnel and equipment, and have it all revert to old habits when he/she leaves the unit. Even if that knowledge is passed on, it's not a base line.
It'll help grow the individual as well when we leave the service. I can't tell you how many times an HR rep/interviewer's eyes lit up when I told them I could manage Access databases and Excel Pivot tables.
Long story short; this knowledge gap needs to be addressed aggressively.
But it seems SME's in this functional area are few and far between. The technology is only getting bigger and "better".
With Microsoft tools like word processing and spreadsheet software becoming so integral into our daily duties (both combat and garrison), I'm inclined to push for this to become a core competence among all NCOs. Include this subject matter in ALC. Perhaps as distance learning, but make it a requirement.
We don't know what we don't know. A formal training session, whether required or not, will open a lot of eyes. It's pointless for one NCO to become a MS guru, set up a ton of awesome systems for managing personnel and equipment, and have it all revert to old habits when he/she leaves the unit. Even if that knowledge is passed on, it's not a base line.
It'll help grow the individual as well when we leave the service. I can't tell you how many times an HR rep/interviewer's eyes lit up when I told them I could manage Access databases and Excel Pivot tables.
Long story short; this knowledge gap needs to be addressed aggressively.
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It's always good to learn more and be able to function in a better environment.
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I use all of those pretty much every day. That being said, I'm usually learning how to do something new in each of them every day too. Very good resources to have.
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It's hard to use office to it's fullest potential, especially if your using access. I've been word and excel certified, taken courses, been using office since it was on a floppy and I sure don't know everything about it.
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SSG Genaro Negrete
Very true. Repetition is key. I tried to push some of these skills onto the E-5's that worked below me, but a lack of available laptops made it frustrating to get everyone on the same page.
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On a personal note, I always tried to help my friends on training for excel, word and PowerPoint, however is not an easy task if the person just uses bare minimum options. I have always created databases with all of them, and know the functionality of each, and many of the functions, although have not used all of them. Excel is impossible, but you can create databases to give you PT scores, HT/WT by gender age, etc and create the reports and forms necessary. You can also mail merge names and address to print certificates for class diplomas that creates them by clicking a button, and saves the process of doing manually.
What I have found most difficulty is that not everyone is has the same skills, or has the desire to know more, some with just the task at hand needs mentality is sufficient. The other problem I get, is that our listings, be it for a big class, a roll for students, inventory reports can all be exported to text format, even personnel files, and those processes only less than 1% know how to do it, and always hit a wall when I requested them, and get an expression like I am talking in vulcan or something like that. It would make the job easier specially if you got long inventories that have expendables and non expendables, serial numbers, expiration dates, etc that you can create a database with and do as many reports you would like with a click of a button.
What I have found most difficulty is that not everyone is has the same skills, or has the desire to know more, some with just the task at hand needs mentality is sufficient. The other problem I get, is that our listings, be it for a big class, a roll for students, inventory reports can all be exported to text format, even personnel files, and those processes only less than 1% know how to do it, and always hit a wall when I requested them, and get an expression like I am talking in vulcan or something like that. It would make the job easier specially if you got long inventories that have expendables and non expendables, serial numbers, expiration dates, etc that you can create a database with and do as many reports you would like with a click of a button.
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SSG Genaro Negrete
Very true. I'm kicking myself for not seeing the benefit of Access for managing those inventories and personnel files.
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SSG Genaro Negrete
we have tabs for everything. did you see the jungle tab from the jungle warfare training center in hawaii?
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