Are you one of the lucky ones tasked with training Microsoft Office products?  Does the thought of doing so overwhelm you?  Relax, there are a ton of resources available to help you put together a suite of training that will knock anyone’s socks off!

Original photo from cheezburger.com

First, I know this is a bit late, but at MPOW a few of us are just now moving to Office2007.  We are planning on moving the whole system to Office2010 eventually.  For now, my challenge was helping the few of us moving to 2007 without launching an entire training program since everyone else is still using 2003.  I was so happy to find the Guides to the Ribbon on Microsoft’s site.

The most challenging part of moving from Office2003 to Office2007 is the Ribbon.  I’m still not thrilled with the thing, but I can see that if I were a brand new user who hasn’t been a slave to the Office Suite for more years than I care to count, it is probably a bit easier to learn.  My brain to hand movements for making Office work are automatic after years of using and training on the software.  I love the Interactive Guides that you can run right from the page or, even better, download to have with you at any time.  I have the guides on my computer’s desktop so I can get to them quickly and I also carry them around on my thumb drive to use when helping people on location.

Here is a quick screencast of what the guides look like in action:

Now let’s look at all of the various resources out there that can help you put together that awesome training program for your staff or patrons.

The obvious place to start is Microsoft Office’s site itself.  They have many free, self-paced online training courses.  They’ve just launched an awesome tool called the Enterprise Learning Framework.  This helps you to develop a training and communication plan during deployments of upgrades.  You choose the topics you want people to learn and it will create a customized email with links to all of the online training available.  Very cool!  There are also free training presentations, and the Unlimited Potential Curriculum which is free for non commercial use in nonprofits.  I still have more to explore in Microsoft’s resources.  Check them out and please let us know in comments other tools you may have used from this rich collection.

Next stop is WebJunction’s Technology area.  There are a wealth of resources there.  When focusing on Office, be sure to see the Office Applications area.  Don’t reinvent the wheel, there are many others who have already done this.

I also like the stuff put out by GCF Learn Free a part of the Goodwill Community Foundation, Inc.  They have a YouTube channel that I subscribe to that puts out quick and easy tutorials on a variety of topics including Office.

Don’t forget a Google search on free microsoft office training!

If you’re willing to spend some money, there are many companies that have already done the hard work of creating the curriculums needed for Office training.  Again, a Google search on microsoft office training curriculum will get you started.

Personally, I had to go the route of putting out some cash to save me the hours of time it would take to build my own curriculum.  It would have been more expensive for my system to pay me to do that than it is for me to renew my license with CustomGuide every year.  The price is very minimal for a non profit.  Their courseware is totally customizable and includes online learning as well.  They have pre-assessments and post assessments to help as well.

I hope you have fun building your own Office Training Program.  It’s amazing how you can make someone’s day by showing them an easier and more efficient way to get the job done using Office.

Please let us know what you’ve done and share your links with us!

Stephanie Zimmerman

Stephanie Zimmerman is the Training Coordinator for the Library System of Lancaster County (Pennsylvania), a federated system with 14 member libraries, three branches and a bookmobile, which serves 490,562 residents. She designs and implements technology and development training and consulting to the member libraries. This includes training on Innovative’s Millennium Integrated Library System, Microsoft Office Applications, emerging technologies (i.e. social media) and various other areas. Her goal is to remove the fear of technology and help others to realize the amazing possibilities it provides. Teaching others to do things for themselves and see their excitement when they break through their barriers is her greatest reward. Stephanie has been a software trainer for 15 years. Her past employment involved training on federal and county government applications. She also worked for a private industry marketing company where she traveled across the country showing manufacturers and retailers in the consumer packaged goods industry how to use geodemographic targeting software. Always wanting to help others, Stephanie graduated from Millersville University (in Pennsylvania) cum laude with a BA in Social Work. She was also a student in the Computer Information Systems program at Harrisburg Area Community College. She is a member of ASTD (American Society of Training and Development). She is also a regular contributor to the T is for Training podcast which focuses on training in libraries. She was a trainer for WebJunction’s Spanish Language Outreach project and has done training for Commonwealth Libraries. She is grateful to have landed in the world of libraries. When she began her current job in January of 2004, there were no other library trainers in her immediate area. She turned to the social web to begin networking with other library trainers across the world and immediately realized her passion for social networking and social media. All of her continuing education has been done through these networks and she can’t help but push others to discover the immense opportunities available through online collaboration. Stephanie lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her family which includes husband, Bill (a self-employed stay-at-home-dad) and two children (ages 2 and 4 months). When she’s not being Mommy, or working, you’ll most likely find her singing. Stephanie can be reached at szimmerman[at]lancasterlibraries.org.