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© 2010 Administrative Sparkle Blog
Sometimes it would be nice to send a signature without having to print the completed document first, sign the document, scan it, and save again in order to send to the recipient.
The document I was working on actually consisted of multiple signatures that were required. So there were signature lines that ran down the left margin, as well as a series of signatures that ran down the halfway point of the page.
If you have a signature line with subsequent lines indicating your title and department, a graphic can put too much space between the information and make it look, well… like you actually didn’t sign it. Also, you will want the ability to place the signature in a specific location.
These directions are for Word 2007. However, all of these features are available in Word 97-2003.
Directions to creating a signature within Word:
- Scan your signature and save as a graphic file. You may need to edit the graphic to select just the signature portion of the scan. A really basic program that works great is Paint. I know, too easy.
- With the original scanned graphic in Word, point and click on the graphic to select it, Copy (Ctrl+C) the graphic, switch to Paint (Alt+Tab), and then Paste (Ctrl+V) the graphic into Paint.
- Click outside the grahic onto the “white” background and drag the handles on the sides and /or corners of the “white” background to eliminate excess.
- Don’t forget to save as a grahic file (jpg, tif). When you do Save As, at the bottom, under where you type in the File name: is a drop down menu for Save as type:.
- With your cursor on the signature line (it could be a graphic line or a tabbed underline), from the Menu bar select Insert. Then select Insert Picture from File. From here your directory will appear for you to select the signature graphic.
- Once you have selected your signature graphic, resize the graphic from the corner. If you resize from the top, bottom, or sides, it will expand or contract the image that is not a correct representation of your signature. If you resize from the corner it will maintain the aspect ratio and remain proportional to the authentic look of your signature.
- With your mouse over the graphic, right click and select Text Wrapping, scroll and select Behind Text.
- Select the graphic by left clicking on your mouse. While the graphic is selected, hold down the Ctrl key and pressing the up, down, left, and right arrow keys. This will position the graphic incrementally to where you want it. Or, you can merely hold down the left mouse button and drag the graphic to the location you want it go.
The graphic will literally go to any location you designate without interfering with or moving text around. Doing this permits the line to remain completely visible with any letters that would normally hang under it.
On a final note, I would like to suggest converting the document to .pdf or protecting the Word document as I explained earlier in Word: Restrict Formatting and Editing before sending it out. Otherwise your signature graphic is available to copy and save by anyone who receives the document in the original Word format.
Let me know how this works for you. Also, if you have any other suggestions that may be helpful, I welcome the creative insight. I did try keep the directions very simple. Sometimes, the more complicated, the more confusing.
Each day I am inspired. There are moments, people, questions that challenge, or suggestions that stick out in my mind at the end of the day. That is why I love writing after a busy day, to share those inspirations.
Has the suit really gone away? In the late 80s and early 90s when the internet was a big development in creating websites and large masses of wealth regardless of the return on investment at the time, it became cool to dress down (as it is now called “business casual”). When the big “bust” came and many of the ventures started falling fast and hard, I remember Google survived, the suit did not necessarily return. Except for the job interviews that many were faced with.
Today as I was waiting for the elevator for my next destination, a gentleman appeared, impeccably dressed in a beautiful navy suit, crisp white shirt, and tie. He was also immaculately groomed, pleasant demeanor, and great smile. I say this last part because those are a man and woman’s best accessories. Very polished and attention to details.
Am I the only one who misses this? I love the suit and would appreciate seeing the return. Today we see flip-flops (remember when they were referred to as “shower shoes?”), women no longer wear hose (stockings), and panty lines (this can be resolved with hose). Taste and style never go out of fashion. However, it can make a person out of place in the office that no longer require a “business” dress code. There are many places that really don’t even have a formal dress code in place.
In the introduction to Dress Smart Women, by Chic Simple:
To paraphrase John T. Molloy—people do judge a book by its cover. Right or wrong, it’s the real world. Dressing appropriately in today’s workplace is essential. Your clothes are the first impression you make whether on a job interview, representing your firm to a new client, or making a presentation within your company. Botton line: You should always dress for the job you want, and for your professional goals.
A suggested must watch would be Mad Men. For the appreciation of style of course, as martini lunches and behaviors toward women in the workplace are not appropriate. In some ways we have evolved; in others, not so much. The suit garners respect. It does make an impression.
Would love to get your feedback and thoughts on “the suit” and have added a “survey” in the blog.
Hot-Key combination tip for the week. You’ll notice that there are some shortcut keys that just go together. Printing, saving, and closing your documents are the perfect completion to a project.
Ctrl+S
Holding down the Ctrl key, tap the letter S. If the document has been previously saved, meaning it has already been given a document file name, it will save over the current version of that document. If it is an originating file and has not yet been saved, you will be prompted to give it a file name.
Ctrl+S is a really easy way to make quick saves. Hopefully you have your Word program Options automatically saving a backup in reasonable increments of time in the event that you computer goes down. You don’t want to lose 10 or 20 minutes worth of work. When you lose it, anything is more than you want to rethink and redo. Nevertheless, Ctrl+S is a quick save when you get interrupted or need to step away immediately.
Ctrl+P
While holding down the Ctrl key, tap the letter P. This will bring up the print menu. If you are printing to the printer that is tagged as your default, all you have to do is press the Enter key. If you have choices of printers, this is where you get to use your mouse to make the selection of an alternate printer if you will not be using the default printer and press Enter.
Alt+F4
Once again, hold down the Alt key and tap the F4 key. This hot-key will not only close out your document, but closes the program as well. If the document has had any edits applied to it before executing this hot-key, a menu will ask you if you want to save the document. If it is an originating document that has yet to be giving a document file name, you will be prompted to save the document. Answering “yes” to save the document will display your file directory to apply a document name and the folder to save in.
When I know that I am finished making edits to the document, doing it in this order:
Ctrl+S, Enter, Ctrl+P, Enter, Alt+F4
is seamless.
All these hot-keys will work in any of the Microsoft programs the same. These keys will automatically prompt you to what you need to do next, so you never have to worry about exiting a document and leaving edits behind, unless you choose to.
You’re ready to move onto the next task at hand.
Bonus Hot-Key Tips
While discussing with colleagues some of their favorite quick hot-keys they like, I would like to offer you the two that you might find indispensable.
Windows Logo Key+M
If you work in an open cubicle where your monitor faces people who enter from behind you and find yourself working on private or sensitive information, such as your banking, you can quickly minimize everything on your desktop by pressing down the Windows logo key and M. Instantly all that will be viewable is your wallpaper.
Windows Logo Key+L
This hot-key requires you have a Windows password. Walking away from your computer, leaving it unattended for even five minutes, leaves your information available to anyone walking by your desk. Kind of like leaving your purse or wallet out in the open around your desk for sticky fingers or the curious, instead of securing it away in a drawer. Pressing the Windows logo key and L will automatically lock the computer out, displaying the password access prompt.
Many of the shortcuts I like to share with you eliminates excess prompts and overall time in execution. If you find these helpful or have any suggestions, write me a comment and let me know. All suggestions are appreciated and helpful to other readers.
With the internet and the extent of its development, our lives are almost a free-for-all to anyone who wants to get information or “dirt” on us. It can almost feel like the Big Brother theory we heard about years ago, but it is much more than that. It is not only the government, it is our neighbors, employers, prospective employers, our mate/partner, or even a possible date.
Now most of us have “Googled” ourselves or others, but how often do we make a point of seeing what information is being put out there. Here is a simple solution that keeps me up-to-date on information that could be about me. It’s Google Alerts. Once a week I receive a report on what is being put on the internet that contains my name. It’s not always about me, but I am informed. I also keep Alerts on my kids, company, and the State of California.
Are you aware that your traffic violation is on the net? Well it is if you get your ticket in Sacramento. The SacBee lists your full name, the date of the violation, the violation, as well as the city your reside in. Yup, that is a lot of information. And it’s not just traffic violations!
Here’s what you do:
- Go to http://www.google.com/.
- At the top, go to more and then select even more.
- The very first selection you will see in Search is Alerts.
- After selecting Alerts, you will be asked to “Create a Google Alert.”
- Type in your “Search terms.”
- Select a “Type:” News, Blogs, Web, Comprehensive, Video, Groups.
- Select “How often:” as-it-happens, once a day, once a week.
- Type in your e-mail.
- Click on “Create Alert.”
That’s it! You will be sent a verification e-mail to confirm your request. Doesn’t it feel better to be informed. No surprises or unaware. You can take care of information that is out there about you and available to just anyone as soon as it happens.
I hope this information is helpful and welcome any suggestions or ideas that you use.
Body language says a lot about a person, whether we like it or not. Some things we do, we do unconsciously. If you find yourself meeting resistance when interacting with others, it might be a signal to evaluate what your visual presentation is conveying.
Here are some things to avoid:
- The tentative entrance. Walk with purpose, confidence, and that you belong. Otherwise you will either 1. appear to be lost or that you don’t know what you are doing there, or 2. just won’t be noticed at all.
- The downcast look. Eye contact is important or you will come across disinterested or, worse, dishonest.
- The lowered chin. This posture comes across aggressive and makes eye contact impossible.
- The dead-fish handshake. This conveys lack of self-confidence and, an offense, disinterest.
- The death-grip handshake. Just makes the other person uncomfortable. Not a good first impression.
- Fidgeting. Other people catch onto it whether you realize it or not making others nervous, frustrated, and eager to leave.
- Sighing. Suggests that the situation calls for despair. You really aren’t that negative and depressing, are you?
- Yawning. Be attentive and interested.
- Head scratching. Equals confusion.
- Lip biting. Nervous, anxious.
- Rubbing the back of the head or neck. This gestures conveys frustration and impatience.
- Narrowing of the eyes. Very negative gesture suggesting disagreement, resentment, and anger. Squinting just suggests you are absolutely clueless.
- Raised eyebrows. This act conveys that you do not believe or trust what the person is saying, disbelief.
- Peering over the top of your eyeglasses. Same thing as raised eyebrows.
- Crossing arms in front of your chest. This is a message of defiance and being close minded. The tighter and higher, the more elevated the aggression.
- Rubbing eyes, ears, or the side of the nose. These tell others that you doubt what is being said by either yourself or someone else.
I realize that I have a tendency to fuss and fidget having been in a car accident that fractured the length of my spinal column in my back, neck, and skull. So I make every effort to take deep breaths and, literally, shake it off (I do this somewhere I am alone before going into a room to interact). Yoga and meditation also helps to keep me limber and reduce the build up of stress in my muscles. Nevertheless, I realize that I do this and have taken steps to reduce it so as not to make other people uncomfortable.
Have you ever watched the TV series “Lie to Me?” This is a great show to learn how our mannerisms, expressions, and reactions disclose what we think and feel. A great resource to check out.
These tips were brought to you by a book that I am currently reading called The Unofficial Guide to Climbing the Corporate Ladder by Jack Griffin.
I look forward to hearing your comments and your own stories.
The question is “How do you keep track of all the website accounts, their links, and passwords?” With all the information out there, who even gets real “paper” mail in their home mailbox? Yes, you still have one and it’s out there collecting cobwebs. I check my mail every couple of days, only because I get NetFlix (an online website that needs a password). Other than that, I wouldn’t check my mail for a week or two. Although have been known to check it a month at a time.
We can now do all our banking and bills online. Eliminating shredding bills and bank statements with our account numbers on them, postage stamps (I don’t think USPS is very happy about that), and buying checks. I actually only write one check once a month and actually wished my complex was up-to-speed in the technology age to offer that online. Yes, I could actually eliminate that completely by using my bank’s “automatic bill pay” service, but I still prefer to make that determination. Downside: it’s pretty tough to fight those late payment fees when it’s done electronically. Just can’t argue the submission date.
Outlook Notes:
I used to use this one. Each website got it’s own little note in a designated category color. This worked for a while, but recently I found it is like looking for the egg in the Easter egg hunt because I have collected quite a collection of websites with information that use password access. So onto a better system.
Excel:
This one is great for organizing all the information into a spreadsheet where you can also sort the information alphabetically.
OneNote:
I initially put the information in Excel so I can sort the information and put it into OneNote. It’s a lot like a scrapbook. I keep various books that I collect information. Looks something like this:
There are a couple of ways this can be done. Copy and paste or attach the actual file. Either way it keeps all my information in one place and easy to find.
Outlook Contacts:
Another idea I have is to create a separate Contacts folder just for websites and their various details. In Outlook Contacts you can manipulate the information in different views, sorting, and categories.
For now the OneNote works for me. However, I’m one of those people who catalog my books, CDs, and DVDs and Contacts would arrange it more like an electronic card catalog.
Would love for you to share your ideas, suggestions, or tips you have on how you keep track of all your websites and their corresponding passwords.
This is a back-to-basics hot-key tip. I’m always amazed how many people still use the mouse to scroll through the menu bar to access the copy and paste functions. These were probably the first of many shortcut keys that I learned when WordPerfect was running on DOS. If I can get you hooked on the value of shortcut keys, or as I refer to them as hot-keys, it is the Ctrl-C (copy) and Ctrl-V (paste). Another value in these keys is that they are used in nearly every other program, definitely in all of the Microsoft Suite programs.
Hot-Key: Ctrl-C
Just like when accessing the menu bar, select/highlight the text, information, graphic and with the Ctrl key pressed down, push the letter “C” key on your keyboard. That’s it. Your information has been copied to the clipboard. This information can be used over and over until you replace the information with the “copy” function.
Hot-Key: Ctrl-V
Now switch over to another program or location in the document you are working, placing the cursor where you want the information, and with the Ctrl key pressed down, push the letter “V” key. There it is, pasted into your designated location.
Bonus Hot-Key: Ctrl-X
This is an alternate “copy” key. It is refered to as “Cut” in the menu bar. If you find that the information would be better placed in a different location, Ctrl-X will delete the selected/highlighted information, storing it in the clipboard to be used over and over until you replace the information with something else using the “cut” or “copy” functions.
Combination Key Tip Using Alt-Tab
Using the Alt-Key hot-key tip that I gave you last week is the perfect ensemble key combination you will find. I use these four hot-key tips throughout my working day when manipulating data and information constantly. You could say these are my “staple” shortcut keys. Copying information and switching between programs and duplicating the information with these hot-key tips is a tremendous timesaver. You will find your co-workers fascinated at watching you flip through programs, copying, and pasting without mousing around.
In a later blog I will explain how to quickly locate and select text without your mouse. Soon you will find yourself maneuvering around your documents rarely having to mouse through your menu and scroll bars, completing work in half the time.
Now we’re making computing fun!
Most people aren’t aware that you do not have to spend a lot of money to buy Adobe Acrobat to send a document that you do not want the content to be changed, such as agreements and contracts. Although Adobe Reader is free to download so anybody should be able to receive a document in pdf, if you do not have Adobe Acrobat or another program that manipulates pdf documents, you will not be able to create or convert documents to pdf.
Here is an alternate solution to sending a document that will protect individual content controls or to a group of controls with limited permissions and/or access directly from Word. (Note: I use Word 2007, so this may not apply to other versions of Word or the directions to apply may be different.)
Select Review and then select Protect Document.
1. If you want to limit the formatting that readers can apply, select Limit formatting to a selection of styles check box. By clicking on the Settings, you will be given a selection of styles to choose from.
2. If you want to allow readers to add comments only or track changes and comments, select the Allow only this type of editing in the document check box, and then click the editing level that you want. Editing levels consist of No changes (Read only), Tracked changes, Comments, and Filling in forms. You can select parts of the document and choose users who are allowed to freely edit by using Exceptions. (Note: The Exceptions tool only works on a network where users are listed in a domain.)
3. Start enforcement, click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection. This will prompt you to assign a password to the document so that only reviewers who know the password can remove the protection. (Note: Keep in mind that if you choose not to use a password, readers can change your editing restrictions.)
This technique allows you to transmit a document with the confidence of knowing that that the content cannot be altered. It eliminates having to save an additional file; when changes are made to the Word document, you do not have to remember to overwrite the converted pdf file; and you do not have to purchase a pdf program, such as Adobe Acrobat.
Hope this helps.
I have a great network of friends I can always rely on to give me advice and suggestions. They are smart, successful, and know what they want. So I will enlist them for advice on how my blog is coming along in regards to presentation, style, and content. My friend, we will call him “Frank,” relayed some things that he thought I may want to consider that he believes are improvements.
Frank is a very direct person and likes his information straight and to the point. As you can see, I am a bit of a storyteller and I like to illustrate with examples, which may cause me to careen off point. So, back to the point. He loves what I’ve come up with here, but likes his information direct and to the point. “Tell me what I want and/or need to know so I can move on” kind of guy. I respond with “KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid.”
The suggestions and tips I plan to give here are simple, easy, and fast. They are designed to be executed without having to seek out an IT genius and they will save you time. You will be able to accomplish the same task in a fraction of the time that you did before.
Hot-Key Tip: Alt-Tab
Frank is a person who “normally” has around 20 applications running at one time, consisting of web pages, documents, programs, and accessories going at any given time. I try to do everything that needs to be done by not leaving my keyboard to execute the process without reaching for my mouse and searching. This takes my right hand off the home keys and my attention is now on navigating a mouse in a seek-and-destroy mission. This tip will allow you to navigate through all your open applications without having to grab your mouse and look around for what you want.
You can have any of your windows minimized, maximized, or anywhere in between, or a combination of any of those to execute this.
First, hold down the Alt key. Then, while holding the Alt key down, tap the Tab key. This will display a window of all the applications you have currently running with a description of the highlighted application. It will look something like this:
If you continue to hold down the Tab key, you will rifle through probably ten pages in one second, unable to view the description as it passes through. So tapping the Tab key, always holding the Alt key down, you will be able to view each document and description to get to the one you want. Once you release the Alt key, the desired page will lift onto the screen and is now your active application.
So this one is for you Frank. Sometimes you really are my “idea” guy.
I just couldn’t shake today’s topic out of my head today. I already knew what I would be discussing for topic today, but my head was completely saturated with this thought on forming habits.
Commit to forming one new habit a week. It could be something that you do once a day, a couple of times a week, or even once a week. It could be something big or something that just takes a moment in your day. Pick a habit from a category in your life, i.e., professional, personal, health & fitness, networking, diet & exercise, just to name a few.
Here are some examples:
Health & Fitness: Run and/or walk 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
Family: Tell my partner and/or kids “I love them” at least once a day.
Relationships: Send out an email to at least one person in my contact list at least five days in the week with no other agenda other than to say “Hi, keeping in touch because you are important to me.”
Home: Make my bed every morning before doing anything else.
Professional: Organize my desk before leaving at the end of the day so I have a nice clean desk to come into the next morning.
Personal: Smile and say “Hi” to at least once person I don’t know in passing each day.
Spiritual: Meditate at least 15 minutes each day, even if it is to sit silently and quiet my mind. This will raise my vibration and open my heart and mind to receive all the good things that are out there for me.
The result… Within one month you will have formed a habit, within one year you will have formed 52 new habits, and over the course of that year you will have created change in your life and those connected to you.
Some thoughts to keep in mind when considering a habit.
1. The habit moves you in the direction of your goals.
2. The habit is positive or positive reinforcement.
3. The habit enhances life and does not harm you or others.
Now you must be thinking by the end of the year how could you possibly manage 52 habits. Well, that’s easy. They involve various aspects of your life. Some habits you may discontinue because you have reached a goal it was attached to, some habits you may find don’t move you toward your goal and instead create more work (I’m all about simplifying), and some habits only take a second in the course of your day that doesn’t take away from your daily tasks.
