Documentation is one of the most essential parts of a good team and yet can also be the most time consuming. You have many opinions, tons of formatting issues, and the endless editing and upkeep of the document. It is a pain when you have better things you could be working on. I am a decent writer, but I do consider myself one of the fastest editors. Why? Because I some tricks up my sleeve. And I'm willing to share them with you!

Intermediate User:

1. Copy, Past, Undo, Redo
• We'll start with the classics. Almost all users are familiar with Ctrl+Z for undo, Ctrl+C for copy selected text/area, and Ctrl+V for paste. The ones you may not be as familiar with are Ctrl+X which is cut (so copies and removes), and Ctrl+Y for redo.
2. Ctrl + Tab and Windows key + tab
• Switching between PowerPoint, Excel, and Word a lot? These two are key for jumping between windows. Ctrl + Tab is a simple way that displays the program icon. Widows key + tab does the same thing but in a 3-D way showing a preview of each window. Both effective, one is just a bit fancier and the keys are right next to each other.
3. Windows key + L
• This is the shortcut to lock your computer. I don't know about your office, but if you walk away and leave your computer unattended, it may get hacked. And by hacked I mean playful IM messages or emails sent by "you" by a inconspicuous user. Always safe than sorry unless you like to be the butt of a joke... or worse.

Advanced User:

1. Ctrl + arrow
• While in a word document, don't you reread and find spelling errors, grammar fixes, and other changes that are in the middle of a paragraph? This one lets you jump around the document without using the mouse. Ctrl + arrow left or right jumps to the next word. I love this keyboard shortcut. It allows you to insert a word into a sentence quickly!
2. Ctrl + Shift + arrow
• My personal favorite, this extension to the above has completely changed the way I type. I hardly ever use the mouse with these shortcuts - so much so that even with my touch screen it's less efficient. It allows you to jump between words while selecting the words. Fantastic for replacing a word or phrase, cut and pasting a section to another location, and 
3. Windows key + arrow
• This one is the keyboard equivalent of the Windows 7 drag to an edge and and snap to size feature. It is great for viewing two windows side by side for multitasking or rekeying. What takes this shortcut to the next level though is that it works when windows are off your screen. So if that top bar is in a place you can't grab with your mouse, you can rescue it to your main screen.
4. Ctrl + ;
• This one is a winner for those PMs that struggle in Excel (or Google Sheets), this one will enter in today's date. Want to quickly denote a task as completed today? Ctrl + ; will quickly enter 05/31/2016.

Here are some defining characteristics about detail-oriented people that do NOT mean you are a micro-manager.

1. You review things on your own time
• Okay, so you care about every detail, almost looking for mistakes. It's a lot of work, sifting through all of the little things to make sure it's all right. If you take the time to do so, and not just gravitate towards "omg there's an issue; fix it fix it right now" then you're probably okay. Micromanagers may act like a bird that pays most attention to the shiny things in front of them. Show them you respect their time and look at everyone on your own first.
2. You ask questions
• Instead of simply changing something, it is better to learn the reasoning that someone did it the other way in the first place. You ask questions like "why" and "how come", or even "does that mean". Even "what about this alternative" is a good sign that you are trying to find the root of the problem and are being a sleuth, not a micromanager.
3. You accept the corrections of others
• When you're pointing out the mistakes of others, is it with the intention of making sure it's right? You probably are equally accepting when mistakes are pointed out to you then and you're happy to make the correction whether yours or theirs to make it right. Micromanagers tend to defend their decisions too quickly instead of trusting others.

I can't take the "On this bullet you need to change this word to this one instead." micromanaging conversations. Seriously, who can learn to do something better next time if all the feedback you get is at the "capitalization of a letter" level? Don't you want to just tell micromanagers to just go do it themselves if they think their way is better?

Micromanagers are tough to work for and it takes tact to "manage up". There are definitely rude signals you can try to send them but they never seem to work. And I'll admit, in my past I have tried showing disinterest by leaning back in my chair, avoiding eye contact or interrupting. When someone is focused on the details, they can't get their head above the weeds to notice let alone change their methodology. Micromanagers just keep on going, line by line, slide by slide, not giving any notice to the obvious signals of "stop micromanaging me! It's not working!".

So what else can you do? Try to feed your micromanager's need for control by handing them micromanaging opportunities so that they stay away from the other things. Here are few ideas I've tried that may work for you too.

1. Tell them
• I'm serious, tell them they have a problem. Usually they already know about it. Really. They know they have room for improvement but like any unconscious bad habit, it is hard to fix it. Work with them on creating a secret signal to notify them when something is going wrong. Ask them what they think was done well instead of what needs to be fixed. Or, (my favorite) tell them they can only ask questions instead of statements.
2. Give them control in other ways
• It is obvious that having both hands on the problem is what it takes for micromanagers to feel they are making a difference. Before they come to you asking for trouble, I mean, asking to help, you can offer first. Give them something to pick apart that isn't your pride and joy or main project. Or give them a task that only they can do like asking his/her boss for something that benefits your both.
3. Act it out
• Try to put yourself in their shoes and imagine what it would be like to manage you. If you pretend to be the boss, would you also micromanage? Maybe you can learn a quirk of your own that is triggering your boss's micromanaging. If your boss just acts like the angry receiver of news instead of warning you about them, you learn faster.

1. The people that can't delegate or say "no"
• Whether you're a manager or a team member, you're taking on too much work. You need to learn how to say no, I can't take on more and admit your limits. Even if it's a client, there are things like process documentation or change management communication that you can ask them to help with. People usually are team players and will do what they can.
2. The people that can't manage their time
• Who do you ask when you get stuck if you're the only one in the office? If you wait to ask key questions, test critical components, or . If you're on step 5 at 3:30pm and get all this work done until you need the password from the IT guy at step 20 at 7:00pm, guess what, you're stuck. S/he went home and if you had just looked ahead to see the bottlenecks, then you wouldn't have wasted your time.
3. The people that can't set realistic expectations
• If you work too much you're probably afraid of under delivering but the culprit may be over promising. I know I struggle with this one when something is needed you want to jump on it right away and give a deadline. At first it sounds realistic, but after a couple hours you find out just how difficult it is. Try saying "Let me get back to you in x hour/days on that" after you've done a real analysis. Then you and all parties involved won't be holding their breath.

It's No Shave November! Okay, I'm a lady so unless we're talking about my armpits (and ew) it doesn't apply. But there are many things that we would rather not do on a regular basis that this month is dedicated to "allow" us to pass on for a while. Well, here's what I think about it: the opposite!

No Shave November? I'm not sure that's what it's all about.

1. How about then?
• We tell ourselves a lot that "I'll do it in 5 minutes" but that excuse constantly gets pushed out 5 minutes at a time. Look at time past instead and ask, the last 5 minutes, should I have just gotten up and done it then? It might make you feel a little guilty and get you to get up now so that in 5 minutes, you can look back and say, ya, that was okay.
2. Going slow is better than not going at all
• I like this mantra for exercise but it can be applied to anything. Like that email you meant to reply to, or that documentation you kept putting off. Maybe you never felt inspired or felt ready to tackle a problem. News flash, you may never feel ready; so just get up and do it and take as long as it takes.
3. Set personal reminders
• It is soooo easy to set reminders these days. Outlook calendar, smartphone apps, post-it notes. They can popup incessantly and it's too easy to dismiss or delay them. Try having a real person be that reminder. They are a lot harder to get rid of. :-)

Here is my version of the good, the bad, and the ugly. A good project manager (PM) has good organization skills and good listening skills, sure, but here are a few things that I think can make or break a PM. The clincher? You can BUY all of these things so it should never be an excuse to stand in your way of going from good to great.

1. The Obvious: Calendar
• Every PM needs a good piece of software to do their job and the more people and schedules involved, our jobs become exponentially more complex. (N * (N-1) / 2 in fact). You must have a good calendar that you can move one dependency and shifts or warnings pop up. You must manage holidays and vacation days of your team members too. Pay for the good stuff and you will never regret it.
2. The Great: Bad Jokes
• PMs are the ice breakers whether they like it or not. PMs are the bearer of bad news, whether they like it or not. They always find themselves in awkward situations, which is why maybe they are so quirky. So having a back pocket story and funny helps avoid the small talk and anticipating killer silence. And go buy a joke book if you aren't a comedian yourself.
3. The Annoying: Headset
• We are people persons and we have to stay well connected. Send email, create videos, write documentation and presentations, call stakeholders. You have to be easy to contact and easy to hear so having a high quality headset is key to being able to refill your coffee or block out the neighbor-cube calls while on the phone.

I am an engineer by heart and yes, I can read binary. I think that the basics of computers are simple and graceful way to evaluate things and when I started thinking about it, there are a lot of applications for the on or off, true or false, one or zero, way of binary. Get inspired by math and see how a little technical thinking can make your projects easier to deal with.

Here is our example:


Step 1: Know how your processing power.

• A computer is limited by RAM and the processor to how many bits it can do at once. Projects also have limited power by how many people are on the team. You need to know how many people and what their workable hours are that they can dedicate to the project. You know that they can't do all 120 hours of work in one week!

Step 2: Break it down into bytes and bits.

• A byte is typically one full character (255 options) so in most instances that is 8 bits. The above example is 3 bytes. You have to read each byte individually before reading the next one. Each byte is like a stage of the project such as planning that must be completed before development can start. Don't even try to read ahead; stay focused and do one at a time.

Step 3: Zero or one, not done or done?

• The classic problem in project management is the answer to the question "Is it done?" and you get the answer "Almost". There is no grey in binary, no maybe. It is either all the way done or not. By limiting yourself and your team to the strict yes or no you can quickly know that status of your project step, project stage, and project deadline.

Special props to those of you that figure out what the example above actually is!