You're more than an app user.

Master new tools and use them to help others.

It’s expected that you know the basics, so find one feature in your daily tools that you haven’t mastered yet. Whether it’s a spreadsheet shortcut or a filter in your project manager, learn “power moves” to save yourself time and prevent getting bogged down in manual, repetitive work. The more you let technology handle the busy work, the more brain space you have to focus on creative ideas.

A tech-forward mindset builds your reputation as a problem-solver. As you move up, your success may depend on you leading your team through digital changes and finding new ways to stay efficient.

In addition, look for ways to use tools to help your team stay organized. If you notice that information is getting lost in long email threads or that no one knows who’s doing what, suggest a better way to use your team’s shared platforms. For example, you might offer to set up a central folder or a shared project board. When you use your tech skills to solve team problems, you stop being just another user and start being a digital lead who makes the department run smoother.

Put these approaches into practice.

Let’s look at practical ways to identify "power moves"—shortcuts, automations, and organizational features—that free up cognitive space for higher-level creative thinking.