Microsoft 365 training and content for modern digital workplaces
Author: Nate Chamberlain
Nate helps people communicate and collaborate better. He shares solutions and ideas on his blog at http://www.NateChamberlain.com and was awarded Microsoft MVP for Office Apps and Services in recognition of community contributions.
I had an issue come up today where a user wanted to search a SharePoint list by the default ID column.
Problem: The ID column cannot be indexed and is not searchable using just the ID number itself.
Solution: You can still search ID numbers in lists if you include the proper Keyword Query Language (KQL) syntax. Format your search as ListItemID:3 (replacing 3 with your own ID number, of course) and it will work.
And yes, this works in both modern and classic list search experiences and in SharePoint Server and SharePoint Online/O365.
The wiki tab that is added to every Team and each of its channels is convenient, but not robust and its content is not easily migrated and shared. I typically recommend new Team owners (or admins setting up new Teams) delete the ‘Wiki’ tab that comes with the Team and insert a new OneNote tab called ‘Notebook.’
Why replace the wiki with OneNote?
OneNote has a dedicated app.
Notebooks and Wikis are both stored in SharePoint (not Teams)
Notebooks can be moved, migrated, archived and accessed later more easily as a standalone OneNote file.
Wikis are folder structure document libraries in your site’s Site Contents folders. Individual sections are saved as .mht files. This can get messy reassembling and manipulating.
OneNote is easily searchable and can have password protected areas. Try searching your wiki or restricting certain parts without creating a private channel.
OneNote supports drawing/writing with styluses (styli?)
OneNote supports audio/video
OneNote integrates with Outlook
There are more reasons, like how robust you can get with formatting text, but I think you get the picture.
Why you might keep the wiki
While I’m suggesting that OneNote be used for your Team’s note-taking, collaboration, and regular information sharing in a highly mobile and flexible medium, there is still a case to keep wiki alongside OneNote. Matt Wade suggests renaming the wiki tab to ‘About’ and using it as a reference/resource for the Team itself in his Definitive Guide to Everyday Etiquette in Microsoft Teams. So then you’ll have a simple ‘About’ tab for Team information and a ‘Notebook’ tab for ongoing collaboration and work.
How to replace wiki with OneNote
Use the dropdown menu for the Wiki tab and select Remove
Click the plus sign (+) to add a new tab and select OneNote for the tab.
Select the Notebook, and if for a channel other than general, perhaps a corresponding section in the Notebook. (I recommend mirroring your notebook’s sections to your Team’s channel structure)
Use the tab dropdown menu to rename the probably-very-long name to something simple like ‘Notebook’ for a cleaner user experience.
That’s it! Just a few steps and you’ve substantially increased the productivity potential and collaboration superpowers of your Team. You’ll want to repeat these steps for each new channel you create and, as mentioned, consider creating a new notebook section for each channel to keep things simple, organized, and easy to navigate.
Still aren’t convinced?
Bob Morris has done a very impressive and thorough job of comparing the two. His thoughts on the matter may help you decide whether wikis or notebooks are the best fit for your Team(s).
One year ago today, I announced and released my first-ever email course. To celebrate its birthday, I’m giving it away for FREE! I enjoyed building the course and I’m confident there’s something new and exciting in it for everyone, even a year later.
This email course delivers a healthy serving of OneNote each day, for seven days. Topics include:
Flavors of OneNote (multiple devices, multiple versions)
Audio tips and tricks
Working with files in OneNote
Image magic in OneNote, like searching text within images
Keyboard shortcuts to maximize your efficiency
OneNote + Outlook
Tags and Tag reports (summary pages)
Requirements:
Includes GIFs and relies on images to demonstrate tips so must support HTML message formats
Must allow emails from MailChimp (check spam/junk if you don’t get your first email within 24 hours of signing up)
I’ve had a great privilege of attending Collab365 events before, such as their 24-hour global conference in 2017. I’m stunned by not only the quality of the sessions and the Microsoft professionals presenting them, but also by the technical execution and professionalism of the entirely virtual event.
This year, I’ll still be cheering (and probably live-tweeting) in the audience, but I also have the great honor of getting to share my love letter to OneNote as a session. “You’re the one, OneNote!” will be part of the #GlobalCon1 lineup, and I hope you’ll be able to tune in. It’s one of my absolute favorite apps and I’ve got a TON of tips to share (as well as a recording of the session with a companion e-book included for those who upgrade from the free pass to get the all-access pass).
Of all the professional development and self-investment you’ll do this year, make the #GlobalCon1 (and 2, 3, and 4) part of your plan. The value is unmatched, and your experience will undoubtedly inspire and push you to the next level.
#GlobalCon1 Registration Links:
You can register for free (while free passes last), or upgrade to the All-Access Pass.
Once in a while, you’ll want to use the survey web part for one reason or another. There are awesome tools like Yammer polls, Microsoft Forms, etc. but sometimes the only tool suitable for a specific use case is still the out-of-the-box SharePoint survey app.
If you search for it when adding a new app and get “We didn’t find a match here, but check out…” don’t fret. It’s tied to a site feature that apparently isn’t activate on your site. This applies to both on-prem and online/O365 environments.
To get the survey app as an option on your site, you’ll need to be a site owner who can activate the Team Collaboration Lists site feature (settings wheel > Site settings > Manage site features).
Once you activate it, your site will now be able to add these apps:
Document library
Custom list
Tasks
Picture library
Issue tracking
Survey
Discussion board
…and much more
Here’s a quick GIF demonstrating activation of the required feature:
I’m late to the game trying out PerformancePoint Services, a has-been dashboard and KPI service for SharePoint server that still exists in production for many on-prem farms running 2013/2016/2019. I’d venture to guess most would prefer the more modern and flexible Power BI (either Report Server or the online service via O365) to PerformancePoint Services but, alas, change takes time.
So, anyway, when I tried to open Dashboard Designer on a PerformancePoint list for the first time, I received the following error.
Cannot Start Application
Cannot download the application. The application is missing required files. Contact application vendor for assistance.
I had tried to open Dashboard Designer using Chrome and CrEdge (Chromium Edge) without luck. The downloaded designer.application file just gave me the issue seen above.
In the end I found, as with most dated tools and functions in the SharePoint world, some things only work in Internet Explorer (IE). This particular button, however, worked in both IE and Edge!
So copy your list’s URL, move over to Edge or IE, and try to launch it again from there. This worked well for me. Good luck!
Reflection, to me, is an important part of my growth. It can be difficult to move forward without acknowledging and appreciating how far we’ve come. In this post, I’ll share a bit of what 2019 brought to my career journey, preparing me for 2020.
“You’re the one, OneNote! How to be more productive with OneNote”
9/21/2019
SharePoint Saturday Pittsburgh
“Rise of the Advocates: Building and leading governance and champions groups”
9/21/2019
SharePoint Saturday Pittsburgh
“OneDrive 101: Welcome to OneDrive for Business”
8/23/2019
SharePoint Fest Seattle
“You’re the one, OneNote!”
8/22/2019
SharePoint Fest Seattle
“SharePoint Wizardry for Content Management, Archiving, & Retention”
8/21/2019
SharePoint Fest Seattle
“Building the Intranet of the Future: Using SharePoint to Empower Collaboration”
8/3/2019
SharePoint Saturday Omaha
“SharePoint Wizardry for Content Management, Archiving, & Retention”
8/3/2019
SharePoint Saturday Omaha
Keynote: “Rise of the Advocates: Building and leading governance and champions groups”
4/18/2019
Baltimore SharePoint User Group
“SharePoint Wizardry for Content Management, Archiving, & Retention”
3/17/2019
MVP Global Summit
Attendee
3/14/2019
North American Collaboration Summit
“SharePoint Wizardry for Content Management, Archiving, & Retention”
2/11/2019
Kansas City Office 365 User Group
“You’re the one, OneNote! How to be more productive with OneNote”
1/19/2019
SharePoint Saturday, St. Louis
“Building the Intranet of the Future: Using SharePoint to Empower Collaboration”
1/14/2019
Kansas City Office 365 User Group
“The ABCs of SharePoint: 26 ways SharePoint can enhance your digital workplace”
I met my goals, but the best part of all of it was meeting so many of you in the community. I’m motivated by everyone’s energy and curiosity and can’t wait to see what we collectively achieve in 2020.
That certification, plus MS-100 + MS-101 = M365 Enterprise Admin Expert
Spoke at:
TWO national conferences (North American Collaboration Summit and SharePoint Fest Seattle)
FOUR SharePoint Saturdays (St. Louis, Omaha, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City)
TWO user groups other than my own
Gave my first keynote for any event, at SPS Omaha
Attended my first MVP Summit
Appeared on two podcasts
Left LMH Health, and the healthcare industry, to take on new challenges in the corporate realm at DH Pace
Goals for 2020
Honestly, I don’t know what’s next and I don’t have a clear vision of where I want to be. But here are a few things I am interested in pursuing along the way to wherever I’m headed:
Gaining another certification
Learning more SQL, Azure, and AI
More blogging and speaking on the Power Platform
Writing fiction (what??)
Thank you
I am grateful to University of Kansas Libraries and LMH Health for helping me gain valuable experience and knowledge over the last several years. Within your walls I made amazing connections and friends who inspire me regularly. And without your support, I wouldn’t have achieved much of what’s shared in this post.
Thank you to my colleagues at DH Pace for making me feel welcome and valued as a new member of the team. I’m excited to see what we achieve this year.
Thank you to all of the SharePoint Saturday, national conference, and user group organizing committees who welcomed me to their respective stages this year. Meeting your enthusiastic attendees is always a highlight of my year.
Thank you to Tara Saylor, Suzanne Hunt, Nikkia Carter, Jonathan Weaver, April Dunnam, Stacy Deere-Strole, Sharon Weaver, Matthew J. Bailey, Melissa Hubbard, Shadeed Eleazer, Akdas Asif, and Mohamed Ubaid for sharing your time and expertise with the Lawrence SharePoint User Group.
Thank you to my Mastodon and LinkedIn connections. I enjoy learning from you and getting to know you.
And, as always, thank you to the attendees, the readers, and listeners – you’re a continuous source of inspiration and joy. I wish each of you growth, happiness, and love this year and I hope you’ll say hello if our paths cross in 2020.
In keeping with a tradition I started last year, I’m sharing the top 10 posts of 2019. Blogging is one of my favorite ways to share with the community (and, admittedly, document things I might forget otherwise). It’s been a pleasure and privilege to have this platform – thank you for reading.
The following includes the ‘Top 10’ most popular posts by views published in 2019:
No post found
Interested in more? Check out the archives for all previous posts:
And if my blog has been useful to you this past year, join the mailing list for weekly updates when there’s new content and consider donating to help defray the cost of keeping the site up.
Note: Applies to SharePoint Online/O365 and modern experiences only.
In SharePoint Server/on-prem, we have to manage content types and allow links to documents before we can link to documents outside the current document library. But in SharePoint Online/O365, there’s a Link option on the New menu that does all the work for us, and without even needing to adjust the library’s content type settings.
Modern experience in SharePoint Online/O365
In a modern-view document library, simply use New > Link.
Then paste a URL to the file, or select it from recent files which, yes, will include files modified even outside the current library.
This will add a link/shortcut within your document library to the document stored/managed elsewhere.
