Gantt Chart Powerpoint and Keynote template from ppt gantt chart template , image source: slidebazaar.com
Every week brings documents, emails, new projects, and task lists. Just how much of this is different from the work you have done? Odds are, maybe not much. A number of our tasks are variants on something.
Do not reinvent the wheel each time you start something new. Rather, use templates–standardized files with formatting and text as starting point. As soon as you save a separate version of the template, just add, remove, or change any info for that unique record, and you are going to have the work.
Templates work anywhere: in word processors, spreadsheets, project management programs, survey programs, and email. Here is the way to automatically create documents from a template — and how to use templates in your favorite programs –so you can get your ordinary tasks done quicker.
Programs take time to build, and it’s easy to wonder if they are worth the investment. The short answer: absolutely. Editing a template takes much less time than formatting something from scratch. It is the difference between copying and pasting some text, or retyping it.
That is not the only benefit: Using a template means you’re not as likely to leave out crucial information, too. For instance, if you need to send freelance writers a contributor agreement, modifying a standard contract template (instead of writing a new contract every time) ensures you won’t depart out the crucial clause regarding owning the content once you’ve paid for this.
Templates additionally guarantee consistency. You send investors or clients regular job updates. Using a template, you know the upgrade will have the formatting, layout, and general arrangement.
How to Create Fantastic Templates
Not all templates are created equal–and a few things don’t need a template. Here are a few guidelines to follow.
First, templates must be comprehensive. It’s more easy to delete information than add it in, so err on the side of including instead of too little.
Imagine you are creating a template of your own resume. You would want to record in-depth details so you’ll have all the info you want to submit an application for any job.
You always have the option to delete less-important notes on, but when it’s not in the template you might forget it in the final edition.
Some tools will automatically fill in these factors for you (more on that in a bit). But should you need to fill in the data by yourself, add some text that’s simple and obvious to look for so you can locate text that has to be altered without much effort.