In this newsletter:
•   What Disneyland taught us about productivity
•Paul’s shortcuts: mouse tips for Word and Excel
•Learn basic/intermediate Excel in just one day
•Exclusive only for subscribers of this newsletter
•Valerie’s tip: Pick up, put down

Hi everyone,

Welcome to Productivity Plus, your weekly newsletter on how to get things done in less time.

I’m writing this while standing in the queue for the Indiana Jones Adventure ride at Disneyland in California. You might think it’s kind of a bizarre thing to do when you’re at Disneyland but if there’s one thing this day at Disneyland has taught me - it’s efficiency and making the most of your waiting time.

Sure, Disneyland also has great characters, parades and rides too. But from the moment you park the car right through to the way you buy your tickets, board your rides and get photos taken with Mickey or Pluto, the park organisers have thought of everything.

There are signs clearly indicating where everything is. You are equipped with a map and a daily timetable as soon as you arrive and there is what seems to be an endless number of happy staff members only too keen to help you move along quickly to the next attraction.

Encouraging efficiency
When it comes to creating an efficient workplace, it’s vital to equip your staff with the right tools and skills. The trouble is that we often assume we know the skill levels of our staff members - but that assumption could result in a great deal of lost productivity, frustration and expense.

This was brought home to me when I saw someone take an hour to format a word document when it could have taken him 10 minutes. He knew the basics of Word but didn’t know the many functions that would save him an incredible amount of time.

That’s where this course is ideal:
Course: Word 2007 Advanced
Date: Monday 24 November 2008
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Fee: $325

If you’d like to us to email you a comprehensive course outline, just click here.

When you want to select a word or a phrase, it can be tricky - and a little time-consuming to position your mouse at the exact point where you want to start and end the highlighted selection. So here are some mouse shortcuts.

Using the fill handle is an effective way to fill several cells in a column (or row) with the contents, a formula or series from the original cell. Speed up the process by double-clicking the fill handle and Excel will fill down as many rows - and it predicts what you want. For example: Double-clicking the Fill Handle on a cell that contains a formula total the “January” row will fill the formula down as far as the “December” row.

Would you - or one of your staff - like to become a confident user of Excel? Our Excel 2007 Basic to Intermediate course is ideal to give you a firm foundation on what Excel can do. In one day, you’ll receive thorough training in most of the common features used in the workplace.

Do you hate numbers? If so, you’ll love Excel! That’s because you’ll learn how to make Excel do all the work for you. Paul’s classes are dynamic, interesting and - most of all - fun. That’s what sets our courses apart.

Here’s what other people say about Paul’s courses:
"I have personally found that training with Paul has been extremely effective for me."
- Norma Read

"As a student of Paul, I am someone who has had no specific training or background in IT. So I have found Paul's contribution invaluable. He has so much patience and is a great teacher. I strongly recommend Paul."
- Margaret Madden

Course: Excel 2007 Basic to Intermediate with Paul Neale
Date: Friday 5 December 2008
Time: 9.30am - 4.30pm
Fee: $325

If you’d like to us to email you a comprehensive course outline, just click here.

Since you are a subscriber to Productivity Plus, you receive special offers that others don’t.

An EXCLUSIVE offer only to subscribers of this newsletter
Only available from now until November 2008
If you enrol in a course before 30 November 2008, you will receive 10 per cent off your enrolment fee if you:

There is no bigger hindrance to productivity than clutter. When you have a cluttered work area, you spend more time than you should on finding things. And even if you think you “know exactly where everything is”, a cluttered workspace also clutters your mind - whether you like it or not.

To be productive, you need a peaceful, clean environment - free of clutter! But it’s easy to get to a stage where all that clutter is too overwhelming. And it’s easier to ignore than to sort it out.

Pick up, put down
If that’s the case, here’s my tip. Pick up a piece of paper - or whatever item that’s near you on the desk. Regardless of what it is, decide whether it should be binned. If so, trash it. If not, do not put it down until you are actually putting it away in its designated place. If it doesn’t have a designated place, either create one or chuck it out.

Then do this with the next piece of paper or file or gadget on your desk. This whole process seems daunting at first because you are only working with one tiny item at a time. However, after doing this with a few things, you’ll get momentum going and, before long, you won’t recognise your workspace.

If all else fails, call in the professionals. When I wanted my office professionally streamlined and decluttered, I used The Organising Place in Sydney. They did a great job.

http://www.organisingplace.com.au/