In the past few weeks I’ve been unusually busy writing client workshops and reports, so this column is based on some of the tasks we have had to tackle and shortcuts we have used to save time.

E-mail in general: to send an e-mail to a list of people, either create a distribution list or put the names in the Bcc field. This way everyone sees only his or her name rather than everyone else’s. A long list can be annoying, as the names often take up more space than the message. Also it contravenes the Data Protection Act (which forbids people from sharing e-mail addresses without prior permission).

Outlook: to save time, try these shortcut keys: To send and receive mail, Ctrl + M. To mark as read, Ctrl + Q. To mark as unread, Ctrl + U.

Word: while working in a Word file, a quick way to open another is Ctrl + O (to close a file is Ctrl + W).

PowerPoint: to create a slide show that runs continuously (useful at an exhibition): from the Slide Show menu, select Set Up Show. From the Set Up Show dialogue box, tick the box marked Loop continuously until Esc. From this screen you can also choose to show a selection of the slides rather than the full presentation. To have each slide move on automatically after a certain time, you then need to set the slide transition from the Slide Show menu.

Schedule a meeting: If not all attendees are on the same shared calendar (eg, if they are external to the organisation), try Doodle. This free piece of software is available at www.doodle.ch.

Need to do a survey? Try using the online tool Survey Monkey, at www.surveymonkey.com. There is a free version which is good but has some limitations, or you can take out a monthly subscription for the full version.

E-mail questions for Monica to creme@thetimes.co.uk

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