If you’re an occasional Excel user, using your mouse and clicking through menus is perfectly fine – it gets the job done. But when you really need to work in a spreadsheet — analyse data, clean it, move fast — suddenly the mouse feels painfully slow.
Here are five underrated Excel shortcuts that will instantly make you faster and look like an absolute pro.
1. Ctrl + Arrow Keys — Jump to the Edge of Your Data
Growing up on spreadsheets without a mouse using Lotus 1-2-3, I know this and couldn’t live without it! Skip the endless scrolling.
Use Ctrl + → / ← / ↑ / ↓ to jump straight to the edge of your data block.
Add Shift to select everything along the way.
2. F2 — Edit Cell Without Double-clicking
This seems simple, but F2 is a game changer. And for the record, it also works in Windows File Manager when renaming a file.
Tap F2 to edit the active cell from your keyboard. NOTE: Some keyboards may make this a little more awkward now. On my laptop, I need to hold down the Fn key to access F2, otherwise it just makes my laptop volume softer! 😂
Once I’m editing the cell, I might then use the Home key to get the cursor back to the start of the cell, or the End key to get to the end, or Shift-Home to select everything from the cursor to the start, etc etc.
3. Ctrl + Shift + L — Toggle Filters Instantly
I used to think that once you’ve turned on Filters for a table of data, you’d leave it on – but recently I’ve found myself turning it on temporarily to quickly sort the data, or to check the values in a column in the filter area, and then turning it straight off again.
Just hit Ctrl + Shift + L and filters appear (or disappear).
Perfect for anyone who lives in data.
4. Alt Menu Magic — Use Excel Without Your Mouse
Sometimes the fastest path is straight through the Ribbon using the Alt key.
Here are two deceptively powerful Alt-sequence shortcuts that could save you hundreds of click a week:
Auto-fit Column Width
Alt → H → O → I
No dragging, no fiddling — just a perfectly sized column. There are similar keys for row heights too.
Remove Duplicates
Alt → A → M
A must know for clean, reliable data.
5. Ctrl + ; — Insert Today’s Date Instantly
If you work with logs, trackers, or timestamps, this one’s pure gold.
Tap Ctrl + ; and Excel drops in today’s date automatically.
No typing, no formatting, no errors.
Why These Shortcuts Matter
These shortcuts aren’t the typical “Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V” everyone already knows.
They’re the high-impact, low-effort shortcuts that:
speed up repetitive work
reduce mouse usage
make you look faster and more confident in Excel
And yes—once you start using them, there’s no going back.
If you and your team are wanting to learn more about Microsoft Excel to help you be more efficient and effective, we are here to help. Corporate Training Optionsspecializes in customized Microsoft Excel courses across Australia—designed to meet you where you are.
Penned by Rhonda Garvin | Corporate Training Options
If you are mapping out your leadership development plan for 2026, you are most likely facing a familiar challenge like everyone else – constrained budgets, stretched resources, and the most critical question—will a training course actually deliver results?
In the current economic climate where productivity matters more than ever, you cannot afford to get this wrong. Which brings us to another fundamental question – Does your leadership team need refinement or reinvention?
It’s not about which sounds more impressive but about making an honest assessment of the situation.
Let’s break this down
Refinement means your leaders have solid foundations but need to elevate their game. They understand leadership fundamentals however there is a difference between “good enough” and “driving real impact.” Refinement sharpens existing capabilities and helps competent leaders become exceptional ones.
Reinvention on theother hand means that something more fundamental needs to shift/change. It can be a simple case of technical experts who have been promoted are struggling with the people side of leadership. Reinvention builds new capabilities from the ground up.
Neither is inherently better. What matters is choosing the right path for your specific situation.
The Questions That Actually Matter
The answers are not found in aspirational vision statements or generic competency frameworks found on the internet. It’s in honest answers to uncomfortable questions:
Your current state
Do your leaders struggle with execution or with knowing what to do in the first place?
Are the issues about fine-tuning or bridging more fundamental gaps?
Do they have the right mindset but need better tools, or is the mindset itself the barrier?
Your business
Has your strategy shifted significantly? Do your leaders have the capabilities this new direction demands?
Are you asking them to do something that is fundamentally different to what they were doing two years ago?
Your resources
What’s your actual budget and time commitment this year?
What’s the cost of getting this wrong—both immediate and opportunity cost?
When it’s Refinement you want
You know refinement is your answer when leaders understand their role but aren’t consistently performing at the level you need. They know they should delegate but micromanage instead. They recognize the importance of difficult conversations but avoid them.
This isn’t a knowledge problem—it’s execution. These leaders don’t need to be taught what good leadership looks like; they need help translating knowledge into consistent practice.
Refinement delivers faster returns. You are building on existing foundations, improving performance incrementally and measurably. Results to be seen in this quarter, not in two years.
When Reinvention is necessary
But sometimes refinement isn’t enough and pretending it is, wastes time and money. You need reinvention when your business has fundamentally changed but your leadership approaches haven’t.
When feedback keeps pointing to the same fundamental issues—leaders who can’t adapt, who create rather than resolve conflict, who drive talent away. Reinvention requires a slightly bigger investment: more time, resources, and commitment. In today’s climate, that would be a harder sell. Which is why you need to weigh the pros and cons with brutal honesty.
However, pursuing refinement when you need reinvention means spending resources twice—once on training that doesn’t work and again when you address the real problem.
The productivity reality
Australia’s productivity challenge shows up in business every day. Leaders spending time on activities that don’t drive results—unnecessary meetings, firefighting, micromanaging, all of these directly impact your bottom line.
The wrong choice doesn’t just waste budget – it perpetuates inefficiency. The assessment you make now determines whether your leadership investment moves the productivity needle or just ticks a box.
Making the choice
Start with outcomes, not activities. Never ask “What training should we run?” but “What business outcomes need to improve, and what leadership capabilities would drive that?”
Be honest about readiness, timelines and resources. A well-executed refinement program beats a half-hearted reinvention attempt every single time.
What This Means for 2026
Organizations that get the leadership development right won’t have the biggest budgets or flashiest programs. They will be the ones who asked the right questions, matched needs to resources and who committed to following through. What matters more than anything is making a clear choice and backing it up with action.
When you are ready to build a leadership plan that addresses real needs rather than checking boxes, we are here to help. Corporate Training Optionsspecializes in customized leadership programs across Australia—designed to meet you where you are.
Penned by Tara Raj | Corporate Training Options
What are your thoughts on Leadership development planning? I’d love to hear about them in the comments below. Want to discuss them further, get in touch or explore our Leadership training programs.
If you are a project manager, you need to learn Microsoft Project. You will already have excellent leadership and communication skills, however, without the right software tools, managing your projects may be more frustrating, time consuming and cumbersome than it needs to be.
Microsoft Project has been specifically designed for project management, scheduling and the allocation of resources. Online versions allow all project team members to create, access, edit and update projects and tasks from anywhere. This means your team members can provide their own real time updates on their tasks as they complete them.
Project Online real-time visibility is especially important when teams are geographically dispersed. An online solution provides the ability for your entire team to store data in one central file, and when changes occur, team members can be aware of this and can come up to speed rapidly.
When you learn Microsoft Project, you can make use of tools such as:
Built-in, customisable Templates, so you don’t have to start projects from scratch
Project Planning features such as Gantt charts, and simplified project planning processes
Extensive Reports, to keep all your team members on the same page
Multiple Timelines, from tasks to upcoming milestones
Access to your project data across devices, including Windows, iOS and Android
When you are ready to learn Microsoft Project, the Introduction to Microsoft Project training course from CTO will be beneficial for both team members and project managers. The training can be customised to your business requirements and will give you the tools to come away from the training with your first project planned and underway.
The course assumes little or no knowledge of Microsoft Project, so is perfect for Project newbies, or for team members who have never had formal training in the software.
Topics covered include:
Key concepts associated with project management
Create a new project file
Enter tasks into a project file
Create relationships between tasks in a project
Add resources, including labour, materials and equipment to a project
Understand and use resource assignment calculations
Assign resources to tasks using a number of different methods
Print various aspects of a project
Obtain help for Project whenever you need it
The Technical Stuff – Microsoft Project versions explained
To help you decide which version of Microsoft Project best suits your requirements, here is a quick overview of the versions available for you.
Microsoft Project on the Desktop
Project Standard
Project Standard is targeted at project managers who are managing small team projects. It is a standalone product and does not have the capability to connect to Project Server.
Project Professional
Project Professional has the ability to connect to Project Server, which enables you to gain a portfolio-level view and give View, Update, or Edit access to project team members. It also provides the ability to manage resources and collaborate with your team via Skype for Business.
Project Server and Project CAL
Project Server allows you to bring various projects together, and give View, Access, or Edit rights to team members and executives across your organization.
Project Server deployment also requires you to license Windows Server, SQL Server and SharePoint Server. You will also require the corresponding CALs (Client Access Licenses), which provide your users the right to access a server.
Microsoft Project in the Cloud
Project Pro for Office 365
Project Pro for Office 365 is a cloud product, which means Microsoft will automatically update the installed client on your PC’s on a recurring basis. You are licensed to install the software on up to five PC’s.
You can connect Project Pro for Office 365 to Project Online. This enables you to gain insight into the portfolio-level view, and give View, Update, or Edit access to project team members. Subscription to Project Pro for Office 365 gives you the right to access Project Online and Project Server. You also have the ability to manage resources and collaborate with your team via Skype for Business.
Project Online
Project Online is the product corresponding to Project Server, but in the cloud. You can buy subscriptions of Project Online for as many users as you want.
What about CALs? Since Project Online is in the cloud, you do not require CALs.
If you already have a Project Server deployment and you want to test the cloud, Microsoft allows you to access your existing Project Server deployment via a Project Online subscription.
Project Lite
Project Lite is the product which provides access for your team members. In order to use Project Lite, you must have a subscription to Project Online. From a technical standpoint, Project Lite is exactly the same product as Project Online, but offered at a lower price point.
From a licensing standpoint, Project Lite enables you to use a subset of capabilities. These capabilities allow you to view and edit timesheets, manage tasks, add issues and risks, and collaborate on project documents. Similar to Project Online, the subscription to Project Lite gives you access rights to Project Server deployment.
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When you are ready to learn Microsoft Project, CTO can provide you with onsite training customised to suit your requirements. The courses are available for a range of skill levels, including Introduction, Intermediate and Advanced project training.
Click here to view the Microsoft Project courses available from Corporate Training Options.
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About Corporate Training Options
Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.
Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.
CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.
For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here
Many of the benefits of Office 365 are provided by productivity tools that may not be fully utilised by users of the software. Most of us simply do what we’ve always done, and don’t spend time investigating what’s available in new versions of our software.
So here’s a brief overview of what can be achieved with Office 365, to encourage you to invest the time and and resources to take advantage of this powerful software.
You can create, share and edit your files from all your devices with Office 365 online applications. This includes your Mac, PC, phone and tablet.
Office 365 takes care of your IT. As long as you have internet connectivity, your cloud services are always accessible and version updates happen automatically.
Office 365 syncs emails, calendars and contact information across your devices. So it’s up to date whenever you need it.
Shared calendars let you see when others in your team are available for meetings or calls, and scheduling is easy.
There is an admin centre with guides to assist you to set up users easily, to start quickly using the services in Office 365, and to manage all your services in the one place.
There is built in security for your data, and compliance and privacy controls help keep your files safe.
Microsoft provides a guarantee of 99.9% uptime, so your files are always accessible.
And if you lose one of your devices, such as your phone or laptop, Office 365 will allow you to wipe your data from it remotely, to prevent unauthorised access to your information.
Access your Office 365 files everywhere
One of the major benefits of Office 365 is that you can access all your Office applications, plus other productivity services, over the internet. For business users, these include services such as:
Skype – for Business web conferencing
Exchange – Online hosted email for business users
OneDrive – Secure online file storage
Microsoft Teams – for team chats, calls, meetings and more
Yammer – for collaboration across a company
SharePoint – to share and manage content, information and applications
Office 365 plans usually include the desktop version of Office applications, which can be installed across multiple computers and devices. This is handy for workers on the go, who have a desktop computer in their office, but would also like to access their documents on a laptop, tablet or phone.
Applications are available for both Mac and PC users, and version updates happen automatically via your online subscription. Desktop applications include:
Excel
Word
PowerPoint
Outlook
OneNote
Publisher (for PC only)
Access (for PC only)
There are also Office 365 plans that are online only, which can be a good choice for some business teams.
What is Microsoft Office 2016?
Office 2016 is available as either part of the Office 365 suite, or as a one-time purchase for users who simply want a copy of the software installed on their Mac or PC. The stand alone version of Office 2016 is available via the Office Home or Student 2016 versions.
With the one-time Office 2016 purchase, the applications are not automatically updated. If you want the latest version you will have to purchase the product again when the new version is released. Microsoft Office 2016 also does not come with any of the cloud-based services which are part of Office 365.
Can you use Office 365 when you are not connected to the Internet?
Most Office 365 plans include the desktop version of Office. This means you can work offline on an Excel spreadsheet or Word template, and know that next time you connect to the internet all your documents will automatically sync, and be kept up to date.
To find out more about the services included in each of the business plans, you can visit the Microsoft Australia website here.
Time to upgrade? Here are some more benefits of Office 365?
Office 365 takes care of your IT for you. This means as long as you have internet connectivity, your cloud services are always accessible and version updates happen automatically.
There is an admin centre with guides to assist you to set up users easily, to start quickly using the services in Office 365, and to manage all your services in the one place.
You’re able to take your office anywhere, working on any device. With Office 365 online applications you can create, share and edit your files from your PC, Mac, phone or tablet.
There is built in security for your data, and compliance and privacy controls help keep your files safe.
Microsoft provides a guarantee of 99.9% uptime, so your files are always accessible.
Office 365 syncs emails, calendars and contact information across your devices for you. So it’s all up to date whenever you need to access it. Shared calendars let you see when others in your team are available for meetings or calls, and scheduling is easy.
If you lose one of your devices, such as your phone or laptop, Office 365 will allow you to wipe your data from it remotely, to prevent unauthorised access to your information.
What is OneDrive?
OneDrive is one of the services provided by Office 365, giving you online storage for your Office files.
It allows each user to store up to 1 Terabyte of data.
OneDrive gives you access to your files from any device, wherever you are.
Automatically sync your files to your desktop, so you can work with your files offline if needed.
You can preview any files stored in OneDrive directly from your browser. You can even stream HD video on demand from your browser – without having to download it.
OneDrive lets you share files with others, and tracks the history of all activity on files so all users can see what has happened on the file.
And if your company is using SharePoint, OneDrive will allow you to collaborate on files with teams; and manage and share files and folders within team sites or intranet sites, or across the organisation.
So, are you are considering an upgrade to the Office 365 version? Or do you already have it but are not using all the features available?
CTO offers onsite, customised training courses around Australia in Microsoft Office 365. Training is also available for all your favourite Office applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
Click here to view the Office 365 courses available from Corporate Training Options.
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About Corporate Training Options
Corporate Training Options is an Australian Professional Development Training Company, incorporated in 1992.
Our customised Professional Development courses are available Australia-wide, for business executives and corporate teams, and provide a cost-effective way of ensuring you and your staff are presenting your best image to the world.
CTO Professional Development Training courses are customised to meet your requirements, and your training is provided on-site, on dates which suit you.
For more information on the range of Corporate Training Courses available, please visit the CTO website here
If you’re an occasional Excel user, using your mouse and clicking through menus is perfectly fine – it gets the job done. But when you really need to work in a spreadsheet — analyse data, clean it, move fast — suddenly the mouse feels painfully slow.
