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The Great Canadian Training Blog:
Your Guide to Greater Success
At The Great Canadian Training & Consulting Company, we have one goal: guiding you to a better workday. Here in our blog, we will share ways to make even better use of your Microsoft tools and how you can use professional skills in an ever-changing professional landscape.
For our managers, human resources professionals and training organizers, we know that organizing your training can be a hassle. We have included articles that will help you book and coordinate your training, as well as set up your participants for a successful session. As well, we have included articles specifically designed to help you understand your training options so that you choose the course that is right for you.
Read on for actionable tips and valuable insights on how to make the most of your professional development!
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Working with Microsoft 365 Copilot: Boost Your Productivity with Microsoft Copilot
Despite being around for a while now, AI has quickly gone from something people experimented with to something many organizations are actively using every day. Although there are many programs, Microsoft 365 Copilot is becoming the go-to tool for many organizations.
Three Ways to Make the Most of Your Staff Training Budget
Training has never been more important. Technology is changing faster than ever before. Expectations are rising, and employees need the skills to keep up. Professional skills, such as communication, problem-solving, and adaptability, become even more valuable as teams navigate change or uncertainty.
What's the Difference Between Coaching and Training?
Did you know that you can either book coaching sessions or add coaching to your training session? Which raises a fair question: Is that necessary? Is that a "hat on a hat" situation, or do you actually need both? In this article, we'll outline the differences between coaching and training and how to use both to build a strong training plan for your team.
Classic Outlook vs. New Outlook: What the Switch Means for Your Team
You probably open Outlook every day without giving it much thought, until one morning something looks different and you are prompted to switch to the new Outlook for Windows. Suddenly, there are new buttons, a new layout, and a new way of working to adjust to.
The Art of Managing Different Personality Types Within Your Team
People approach us because they've noticed a disconnect on their team. Maybe team members are clashing or there's other disruptive behaviour. Perhaps you've gone through a significant change - such as returning to the office - and productivity has taken a dip.
Are You Using Microsoft Teams Effectively?
It’s wild to think Microsoft Teams has only been around since 2017. Its ringtone is permanently embedded in our collective memories, and it's the first thing we open when we log in to work. You (and roughly 320 million other people) use it every single day, and you can't imagine working now without it.
Realize the Full Potential of Your Microsoft 365 License and Subscription
We recently read that 44% of Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) licenses are "underutilized or oversized". This means that nearly half of businesses are paying for features they are not using or paying for more than they actually need.
Microsoft Excel Courses: Learn More Than the Basics and Take the Best Excel Course for You!
Excel is one of those programs where you can genuinely say, “The sky’s the limit.” Almost everyone has heard of it, even if they haven’t used it yet. Unfortunately, most people are just a little bit intimidated by it. Why is that?
Seven Effective Time Management Tips to Boost Productivity & Better Manage Your Time at Work
If you’re constantly thinking, “I’m drowning in emails,” “I can’t get ahead,” or “My to-do list is a monster,” you’re not alone. The issue usually isn’t motivation. It’s that we’re juggling too much at once, without the right tools to stay focused and in control.
Why You Need Training Courses for Your Administrative Assistants & Office Administration Staff
We asked administrative assistants how often their employer provides ongoing training. For many administrative assistants (38%), there is absolutely no ongoing training; 45% reported that they receive training from their employer, but only when a need arises or if they push hard enough for it; and only 17% reported that there was a consistent plan in place. The results clearly show that employers are falling short in this important area.
SharePoint Integration and Connecting Your SharePoint with Other Microsoft 365 Products
We can compare our Microsoft products to different instruments. On its own, a violin can create a beautiful sound. However, when you add some percussion, horns and other instruments, you have something more. You have a full symphony.
Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot: How to Use Copilot for Work
These days, people seem to be talking about AI everywhere you turn. The uses seem limitless, whether you are using AI-generated image creators like OpenAI to create an image or using ChatGPT or other generative AI to write that difficult email.
Five Questions to Ask About Your Microsoft Training Courses
In a previous article, we talked about the importance of choosing the right fit for your organization when selecting a training provider. It focuses on choosing the right team to help you organize training. However, that is not the full picture.
Recent Features You Should Be Using in Microsoft 365
If there’s one thing that we can say about Microsoft, it’s that they are constantly updating their suite of programs. Staying in the loop with these updates isn't just a "nice-to-have"; it's a game-changer. It’s incredibly easy to fall behind the curve and miss out on the latest advancements.
Six Common Mistakes to Avoid When Organizing Your Training
The success of your training depends on much more than just attendance in the classroom. The foundation you lay will go a long way in determining the outcome. Let’s talk about how you can avoid some of the common organizational pitfalls and make sure you contribute all you can to bringing about the best possible results.
How to Collaborate in Today’s Remote or Hybrid Workplace
Remote jobs are here to stay. A recent Robert Half survey concluded that85% of workers are interested in hybrid or fully remote positions. And they have options:22.9% of all new job postings in January 2023 were advertised as remote, up from 20.6% a year ago. [i] This is great news for both employees and employers. But there are some challenges to overcome if this trend is to succeed for both parties.
Important Dos and Don’ts for New Managers
Transitioning into any new role can be challenging. If that new role is a managerial one, the challenges can be even more daunting. You may now be tasked with overseeing your former peers, some of them working in-person while others work remotely. You may now also need to communicate more directly with
Creating a Learning Path That Leads to Greater Success
How invested are you in your employees and their happiness? It costs a huge amount of time and money to invest in hiring and onboarding new staff. So, if you could keep your staff engaged and happy, then you would potentially be saving a small fortune.
How to Be Truly Great at Your Role
Someone once said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” Some people credit the quote to Mark Twain, others to Agatha Christie, and still others to an American businesswoman named Sally Berger. Whoever said it first, the quote is packed full of meaning.
Current HR Trends and How Training Plays a Role
The past two or three years have been challenging to say the least. HR has been leading and helping throughout that difficult period. But things haven’t stopped changing yet. We believe there are lots of ways that the correct, focused training can address those challenges already met and those yet to come.
Improve Your Organization with Microsoft Teams: The Six Best Features to Start Using Now
We may be socially distanced from one another at the moment, but we can still work closely as a team and as an organization. Microsoft Teams is the ideal tool for keeping us working closely together despite not being physically together.
How To Prepare For Your Upcoming Training Session: Training Organizer Edition
When you think of software training, there’s a good chance you mainly consider the roles of the student and the trainer. But there are lots of moving parts when it comes to putting together a successful training session. This month let’s look at the more behind-the-scenes role played by the training organizer.
It’s Time to Get Back on Track – Private Software Training
It is probably fair to say that many of us will never forget the past few years since 2020. Our day-to-day lives were put on hold. We found new ways to work, stay fit, visit our friends and family, and more. As many organizations worked on organizing their teams into a new way of working, something that may have been missed is the opportunity to gain personal job development with software training.
Creating Accessible Documents: FREE Accessibility Ribbons
When something is accessible, it means that it can be operated by literally anyone. Some experiences work well for some people but other experiences create issues that range from simple annoyances to impossibilities. Accessibility then refers to the experience of users who might be outside the narrow range of the “typical” user, who might access or interact with things differently than you expect; specifically, users who are experiencing some type of impairment or disability.
Write Reports and Proposals That Will Win Your Audience Over
Writing concise, effective reports and persuasive proposals are essential skills for business people at every level. Poorly crafted reports often miss important details and don’t clearly describe the issue to be resolved or the suggested solutions. This can leave readers confused and misinformed, causing unnecessary and sometimes damaging delays in getting the focus of the report sorted out.
The Right Tool at the Right Time – Using OneDrive, Teams and SharePoint
“Constantly evolving and sometimes confusing” is the definition of the modern workplace. New tools and apps are coming all the time, and the way we’ve worked in the past can change on short notice, leaving us floundering for the correct solutions.
Everything You’ve Wanted to Know About the Top Four Adobe Creative Cloud Applications
It’s not an understatement to say that the Adobe Creative Cloud is the most powerful creative software package on the planet. No matter your preferred form of digital expression, Adobe has a tool designed specifically for that task, and sometimes a few!
Power Business Intelligence – What Is Power BI and How Can Training Benefit Different Users?
Business decisions are not made without careful thought and deliberation.Often, we look to our data to help us understand our business needs, future projections, and other key pieces of information.However, understanding and analyzing data can be difficult if your data is disorganized.It is much easier to communicate and share your data when it’s organized and visually appealing.How can you get your data organized and coherent? Enter Power BI.
Compuease: Always Great, Now The Great Canadian Training & Consulting Company
Since 1985, Compuease has offered best-in-class learning, helping you make learning easy. We grew to one of Ottawa’s premier training companies, leading the way in workplace computer and professional skills training. Training organizers and participants alike noted our excellence in customer service and our focus on providing practical and engaging training.
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