Switch Direction

How do you ensure your team doesn’t just learn new concepts, but actually uses them when they get back to work?.

The most successful businesses don’t choose between standard training and bespoke learning. They combine both into a blended strategy.

We break down the ideal learning mix in our latest article:

1️⃣ Use generic training to build core concepts and a shared language.
2️⃣ Use bespoke workshops to apply those concepts directly to your real business challenges.
3️⃣ Use on-the-job practice and coaching so your people have support right when they need to execute.
4️⃣ Use ongoing feedback to measure progress and track performance over time.

Want to see how this framework turns knowledge into action? Read through the full article on our website.

MICROSOFT TEAMS

Do you send a whole document just to collect a quick list of ideas from your team? 📋 There is a much easier way. Use a Loop component directly inside your Teams chat.

A Loop component is a live, editable block that sits right inside the chat message. Everyone in the conversation can type into it at the same time, and all changes update instantly for everyone.

The fix?

Open a Teams chat.

In the message box, click the Loop icon on the toolbar (it looks like two overlapping circles).

Choose the type of component you want, such as a checklist or table.

Type your content and hit Send.

No files to open, no version mix-ups, everyone edits in one place in real time. ⚡

At Switch Direction, we help teams build habits that cut down daily admin and free up time for the work that matters.
Have you tried Loop components yet? 🙌

🔗 https://switchdirection.co.uk/it-digital-literacy/

Organisations are moving away from broad, generic courses and turning to bespoke learning. Why? Because they want to know that their training budget is actually changing how individuals perform day to day.

Skill-based learning targets specific capabilities tailored directly to your business.

When you bring a targeted focus to your team’s development, the results are tangible:

✨ Higher engagement because the material feels entirely relevant.
✨ Faster application because skills can be used immediately at desks and in meetings.
✨ Stronger performance because you are targeting real capability gaps.
✨ Better ROI because your outcomes are fully measurable.

Check out the full article attached to this post to discover how to build skills that stick.

POWERPOINT

Want your slides to look like they were made by a designer, with zero extra effort? 🎨 Try the Morph transition.

Morph automatically animates your text, images, and shapes as they move, resize, or change between two slides. No complicated animations needed.

The fix?

Create your first slide as normal.

Right-click the slide thumbnail and choose Duplicate Slide (or press Ctrl + D).

On the second slide, move, resize, or recolour your elements.

Click the second slide, go to Transitions and select Morph.

That is it! PowerPoint handles the smooth animation between the two slides automatically. 🪄

At Switch Direction, we make sure your team knows the tools that turn everyday presentations into ones people actually remember.

🔗 https://switchdirection.co.uk/it-digital-literacy/

EXCEL

Does your formula break every time someone adds a new column? 😤

It is time to swap VLOOKUP for XLOOKUP.

XLOOKUP is a smarter, more flexible way to search for data in your spreadsheet. Unlike VLOOKUP, it does not break when your layout changes and it does not matter where your data sits.

The fix?

Type: =XLOOKUP(what you are looking for, the column to search in, the column to return) ⚡

Simple example: =XLOOKUP(A2, B:B, C:C) means "find the value in A2, look for it in column B, and return the matching result from column C."

Safer, simpler, and it will not mess up your reports. At Switch Direction, we help teams swap frustrating spreadsheet habits for ones that actually save time.

How much time does your team lose to broken formulas? 💬

🔗https://switchdirection.co.uk/it-digital-literacy/

For years, generic training has been the go-to for upskilling teams. But while it is great for foundational knowledge and compliance, it often falls short when it comes to changing daily workplace habits.

People aren’t generic. Roles aren’t generic. Workplaces aren’t generic. So why should training be generic?

We explore this in our latest article – read to find out why businesses are shifting toward tailored, impact-driven development.

Big day. Real impact. 🙌

We're officially partnered with Suffolk New College as an Industry Partner — and things are already moving fast.

Dan Cocksedge kicked off day one with an amazing group working towards their Level 1 & 2 Multiskill Qualifications in Customer Service, Business Administration and Communication.

Interactive. Fun. Energetic. Exactly how learning should feel. 🔥

Oh, and did we mention? These courses are completely FREE through the Adult Skills Fund.

This is what opportunity looks like. 💪

Last month, we shared Outlook Quick Parts.
Now meet its bigger sibling: Quick Steps.

⚡Quick Steps saves entire sequences of actions — forward, flag, archive, all in one click.

Set it up once. Use it every day. Watch the admin disappear.

➡️Home tab > Quick Steps > New Quick Step.

Go try it.

Switch Direction training helps your whole team build habits like these.