Worked for Her: Our strategy for mastering new software

Imagine if you had a network of women leaders all across the country that you could tap anytime you wanted to find out what’s working for them. With our new feature, Worked for Her, you can. In our most recent installment, Gina Regnier, Accountant at Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins Ltd., in Chicago, shares her secret to spicing up her company’s meetings. 

Scoring new software was a big win for our department. But little did we know that the real challenge was still ahead: figuring out exactly how it all worked!

Software, especially for our industry, can be complicated. Ours had dozens of features and more than a few quirks we needed to get used to.

Our staffers were always looking for ways to develop their software skills so we could be more efficient.

So one day, when our software provider invited us to a local event, we thought, “Why not?”

Tapped the experts

Two or three times a year, we started attending these user-group meetings for our software.

First a rep talks to us, reviewing updates and extensions we can try, as well as new techniques we can use to get the most out of the product.

We’re also able to troubleshoot problems and ask questions about specific issues we have – and get answers straight from the experts.

Another perk: Since most of the attendees work in similar jobs, we can talk more generally about our jobs and share helpful advice.

We realized taking advantage of these kinds of opportunities can make all the difference in our productivity.

Now, at least twice a year, we’re learning new tips and tricks that make us more efficient each and every day.

(Gina Regnier, Accountant, Klein, Thorpe & Jenkins Ltd., Chicago)