Introduction
Nice to be back for another episode of Digital4Productivity. And you may have noticed. I published a new book last week, my ninth in total, entitled "Using digital tools effectively". The subtitle - Move into the fast lane with new technologies. The whole thing was published by Gabal-Verlag. You can get it not only from Amazon as a book and as a Kindle, but of course also from iBooks via your iPad or from your trusted local bookseller.
Yes, what is it about? It's about concepts and solutions for the optimal use of digital tools. Just like I talk about here in the podcast. And in the next few episodes, I'm simply going to take the opportunity for you to take part for those who have perhaps either already read the book, read it or say, I'd rather not read the book to you, that would be boring, but give you the essential messages, the essential impulses, the essential messages and tips from this book. Yes, this episode is about the topic of overview. And on the back of the blurb it says that modern technology opens up incredible opportunities for us to make our lives more productive and efficient. I think we can all agree on that. Provided, however, that you know how to use digital tools correctly.
AI is not the future, AI is the present
Yes, of course, it just gets stuck in practice, you know the old joke, what do Windows and a submarine have in common? It's obvious, as soon as you open the first window, the problems start. Yes, the question is that we often simply use technology without thinking about it. And we don't even use what we may already have in the house. And you know my two mottos on this, the first being "switch on the brain first, then the technology". You don't have to do everything digitally just because it's digital, and on the other hand, "just use technology". You know the saying of the former head of the German telephone operators, who said that if you digitize a shitty process, you have a shitty digital process. I'll go one step further and say that experience shows that you'll have an even worse digital process. And when I look at it, and the chapters start with classic topics, the book starts with the topic "Stop the flood of messages" and the tenth chapter ends with the topic "Use AI strategically". And these are two great examples, because when I look at the topic of messengers, for example, we are often completely unreflective and simply allow ourselves to be bombarded by messenger services. And on the other hand, we watch spellbound at what can be done with AI instead of simply trying out AI. Because AI, and that's why I included it not just as an outlook chapter, but really as a concluding chapter, AI is not the future, but AI is the present. More is already possible than you might think. And that's a typical example for technologies in general. We always have two tendencies. On the one hand, we always have a tendency to completely overtax and overestimate technologies when they come out. So it's always this classic hype issue. And then, when we then, I always hear this when it comes to chat GPT, where I then hear oh, it doesn't work, it's nonsense. Yes, I always like to compare the topic of chat GPT with a new employee. Of course they bring something with them. But if they simply say, write me an article on this and that topic, then the result will certainly be different than if you write to the employee and say, have a look, go and read this, go to the website, write it in the style of this article. And just as you can brief a person, you can also brief an AI. So here are just a few keywords and points when I look at the two things that the book starts with, Messenger, which the book ends with again, namely AI. And again, when it comes to AI, it's similar to Excel. We use about 10% of the possibilities that the systems offer. That's like driving a new 911 Porsche in first gear in the right-hand lane.
Yes, and the nice thing is, I experience it again and again, when systems are introduced, such as Microsoft 365 , for example. And you think that new technologies will make everything more productive and faster, but the opposite usually happens. If you don't consistently say, okay, a new way of working is replacing an old one, then more things are added. Then you don't just get 500 emails or what I had last week in the workshop, 700 CC emails a day, but also 700 chat messages. That's why this week, or last week again in a bank in a Microsoft 365 workshop, it was very clearly discussed. On the one hand, IT projects on cultural change topics. In the past, when it came to authorization management, I always asked myself the question: who is allowed to see what? Today, it might be an idea to ask the other way around and say, what are things that are now confidential, i.e. that not everyone is allowed to see, such as contract and salary documents? And anything that you can't think of on this topic, then make it available to everyone. And just last week, an IT manager at the Volksbank in Leipzig or Leipziger Volksbank said to me, "Gee, if we think that our employees spend the whole day searching around in the forums and the Teams file area to see what kind of lists there are. So I think we have a different problem. IT systems also offer the opportunity to incorporate a change in culture when they are introduced and then to do so consistently, as was the case at Leipziger Volksbank, for example, where I was on site and spoke to Falk Hähle, who said that we have, for example, very consistently disconnected employees' own drives. They can only access OneDrive just save it. We have disconnected the team drive in the file service. They can only save their data in teams. And that's exactly what my esteemed colleague and friend Andy Buhler said so beautifully last Sunday during his live online training on leadership. "Employees change when they have no alternative." So if I still have five options for saving files, then of course I create more confusion. And then it's not malice at all, it's simply a lack of clarity, it's a lack of guidance that I'm giving there. So that's why it's really important.
The book contains many online materials
Yes, this book I'm talking about here, Using Digital Tools Effectively, is not just a book, not just an eBook, but you get a whole host of online materials with it, so lots of checklists, lots of videos, which I also update regularly. As you can imagine, when it comes to artificial intelligence at the latest, a book format fails in terms of updating. So there are regular updates here. This may also answer the question that some people have when they say, "Wow, why does the Kindle edition cost €30? That's madness. Or even over €30. The book is also a bit more expensive than a normal book. That's because it's a new series from Gabal. It's been around for a year now, I think. So we're now on the second or third edition. My esteemed colleague and friend Peter Brandel wrote Communication 3.0 in this series. I have now written this book Digitalization and it is a book format, which is a hybrid book format. So I don't just do hybrid events and livestreams, but also hybrid book formats. And these hybrid book formats are characterized by the fact that the book format also gives you the opportunity to watch many videos, audios and checklists online. And there is even a page with a chatbot for the corresponding book. So you can do a whole lot there. And if you add in all the materials, you're easily looking at a day's worth of materials. And my normal daily rate is a whole lot higher. So you even save money with the book.
What are the topics covered in the book?
Yes, what is the book about? What are the chapters? It starts with the topic "Stop the flood of messages". That's where it starts. And the topic here is always the avalanche of emails plus messenger chaos. Second chapter "Coordinate your end devices, the PC and much more". Third chapter "Take effective digital notes - digital instead of analog search for notes". Fourth, "Structure your digital file storage - digital data graveyard instead of paper". Fifthly, "Integrate modern assistants optimally - really do it yourself instead of handing it over?" Sixth, "Make the most of your video conferences - dead by meetings". Seventh, "Turn your digital event into a livestream event - online = stupid". Eighth, "Control the flood of information - online info instead of printer ink". Ninth, "Optimize your social media strategy - rest easy, Facebook". Tenth, "Use AI strategically - Ki instead of MI".
As you can see, I have always given you a slightly smirking subtitle to the individual chapters. And the chapters always start with a short one, like the first one here, Email avalanche plus messenger opportunity. Which begins with, do you know this? For example, you receive 700 CC emails and since the introduction of Teams, you have the same amount of chat messages instead of having an alternative. Or even within Teams, some of them are sent via posts, some via chat, and then there are always WhatsApp messages. So that's "welcome to the club".
And in each of these chapters, I then go into the three main problems of digital written communication and their solutions, for example, or here, if I have several devices, the three main problems of using several devices and their solutions, or in the case of note-taking, the three main problems of digital note-taking and their solutions. In other words, I'll show you what the three main problems are in an area that I've noticed in my experience in my training sessions, in my consultations, in my one-to-one coaching sessions with managers, as a personal IT coach for managers. And then I say okay, what tips and tricks are there for the effective use of chat services, for example, tips and tools against the flood of messages, and then at the end there are the top 10 from the respective chapter.
As I said, the whole thing always includes an online area. And it's not that you have two or three small additions, but you simply have a whole lot. And I'll read you this "Do you know this from the first chapter" to give you an idea of what's there. But, you know what, next week we're doing the topic of messenger chaos. That's why I'm going to read you "Do you know this about AI".
Stop the flood of messages
And you know what it's like? You have a deadline for an article and the day before you sit in front of a blank sheet of paper or a blank document on your PC. The deadline is approaching, but the ideas just won't come. A Google search on your topic returns over 2 million hits. But that doesn't really get you anywhere. Fortunately, since the introduction of ChatGPT, this is a thing of the past. Simply enter something into ChatGPT and a finished article comes up. But the result is still not really convincing. You wanted to approach the topic in a completely different way. And until you've finally found the right input prompt, you'd rather write the article yourself. Computers are stupid. Aren't they?
This is an example of an introduction to the topic of AI instead of MI and where I then say, for example, "Man, what are the problems you have there? And if you like that, you can try out the chatbot. I'll give you a teaser. Problem number 1 with AI is that we don't give new things a second chance. So the word bingo, which means yay, hype and then we drop out. The second problem is that we use the wrong tools or use the right ones incorrectly. And thirdly, we forget about the garbage in, garbage out syndrome. So if you enter a bad search term in Google, you'll get a bad search result. And believe me, with AI the whole thing gets much faster.
A whole host of tips
Yes, and there are quite a few tips that you have with you. So how do you introduce the topic accordingly? I'll give you my favorite IT tools, AI tools accordingly. I've also included a few examples. So here are my top 10 tips from chapter 10, AI is the big topic, so you can have a preview of the tenth chapter. Because these are the top 10 tips from chapter 10.
Get to grips with the concept of artificial intelligence to understand what AI, in brackets, cannot yet do. Don't succumb to the news hype, because disillusionment will follow. It's a bit like Metaverse. Hang in there after the disillusionment, the systems can do more than you think. IT tools without AI are also very useful and you'll find a lot of things in my book. Funnily enough, we also have a lot of things that have AI in them, where AI is not on them, and vice versa, things that don't have AI in them, where AI has long been part of everyday life. So believe me, Google has had a lot of AI in it for years, and Siri and Alexa are no different.
A taste of some of the AI tools
Yes, then with Auphonic you get a great sound. So here's another one of those, I'll give you a tool or two again, create HappyScribe, translate subtitles with calendar booking tools simplify appointment finding. With RainDrop.io you always have your browser bookmarks synchronized and deal with the input prompts of the AI systems, you will be rewarded with better results and also use ChatGPT to generate prompts for other AI systems such asMidjourney. This is an example of the 10 tips from the AI chapter and we have 10 times 10, i.e. 100 great tips and the three problems and the corresponding solutions for each.
So those who have read the book have found it very useful. And now you may be asking those who have read your "Digital Working for Managers", should I get it? You will, I published it almost exactly ten years ago with Gabal-Verlag, Digital Working for Managers. When I read through it, and I read through it in advance, you'll notice that easily 80-90% of the things I described there are still highly topical. I'll give it a quick read and then I'll be right back with you.
The book "Digital Working for Managers"
So, what were the chapters of "Digital Working for Managers"? It was about managing the flood of emails, efficient meetings, smarter communication, planning and monitoring goals, keeping an eye on deadlines, planning tasks, delegating, finally having a single address book, smarter travel, perfect interaction with your assistant, using media intelligently, digital notepad, training, using the cloud correctly, smart document management and, finally, a making of. As you can see, there are a few overlaps, but I deliberately wrote both books myself. I took a quick look at both books and then, during this process, I simply said to myself: what are the current topics, and AI didn't exist back then, nor did the topic of video conferencing in this form. So there are some new topics involved and the topics, including messengers, did not yet exist in this form or in this mass in this area. So that's why you'll find a lot of new tools there and in the chapters that overlap. I have also evolved over the ten years. Microsoft 365 didn't exist ten years ago. So the book is definitely worthwhile both for those who have already read Digital Working for Managers and for those who haven't yet.
This was also confirmed to me by those who read the whole thing in advance. Believe me, the whole family had to suffer under my many draft texts. And here again, there was a bit of additional digital material in the Digital Working book for managers. Now there is much, much more additional digital material.
Conclusion
Yes, and as I said, we will now, that was the episode for the overview and we will then deal with this book over the next ten weeks in the next ten episodes. Next week we will start with the topic "Stop the messenger flood" and I would be delighted if you would join us again when it's Digital4Productivity.
Your personal IT coach for managers Thorsten Jekel. See you next time.
Key Takeaways
- Thorsten Jekel's ninth book, "Using Digital Tools Effectively", published by Gabal-Verlag, covers ten chapters on making the most of digital tools — from stopping message floods to using AI strategically.
- The book is a hybrid format: besides the printed or Kindle text, buyers get access to a rich online area with checklists, videos, and even a dedicated chatbot — amounting to a full day's worth of materials.
- AI is not the future — it is already the present. Most people only use about 10% of what AI systems are capable of, similar to how most users exploit only a fraction of what Excel or Microsoft 365 can do.
- Briefing an AI well (giving context, style references, and clear instructions) dramatically improves results — just as you would brief a new employee rather than just issuing a vague request.
- Introducing new technology without replacing old habits typically makes things worse: adding Teams chat on top of 700 CC emails a day doubles overload instead of reducing it.
- Consistent, clear rules help: Leipziger Volksbank successfully disconnected personal drives and forced staff to save exclusively in Teams/OneDrive, proving that employees adapt when they have no alternative.
- Three recurring problems per topic are identified in the book (e.g., for AI: not giving new tools a second chance, using wrong tools or using them incorrectly, and the "garbage in, garbage out" syndrome).
- Tools explicitly highlighted in the book's AI chapter include ChatGPT, Midjourney, Auphonic, HappyScribe, RaindropSync (Raindrop.io), as well as established AI-powered tools like Google, Siri, and Alexa.
- The ten chapters cover: stopping message floods, coordinating devices, digital note-taking, file storage structure, modern assistants, video conferences, livestream events, information overload, social media strategy, and strategic AI use.
- Compared to Jekel's earlier book "Digital Working for Managers" (published about ten years prior), the new book adds topics that did not yet exist or were not widespread then — including AI, video conferencing, and modern messenger tools.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Thorsten Jekel's book "Using Digital Tools Effectively" about?
"Using Digital Tools Effectively" is Thorsten Jekel's ninth book, published by Gabal-Verlag, with the subtitle "Move into the fast lane with new technologies". It presents concepts and solutions for the optimal use of digital tools across ten chapters, ranging from stopping message floods and organising digital files to using AI strategically.
Where can readers buy the book?
The book is available in multiple formats and channels: as a printed book and as a Kindle edition on Amazon, via iBooks on iPad, and from local bookshops. It is part of a hybrid book series from Gabal-Verlag that pairs the text with extensive online materials.
What makes this a "hybrid book format"?
Beyond the printed or digital text, buyers gain access to a dedicated online area containing checklists, videos, audio files, and a chatbot linked to the book's content. Jekel estimates the total materials add up to roughly a full day's worth of learning content, and the online area is updated regularly — especially important for fast-moving topics like AI.
Why does Jekel say AI is not the future but the present?
Jekel argues that AI capabilities are already far beyond what most people realise and are actively in use today — in Google search, Siri, Alexa, and tools like ChatGPT and Midjourney. He included AI as the tenth and concluding chapter (rather than an outlook chapter) to underline that AI is a current reality to act on, not a distant prospect to watch.
How should you interact with AI to get better results?
Jekel compares briefing an AI to briefing a new employee: providing context, a reference style, specific sources, and clear instructions produces far better results than a vague prompt. The "garbage in, garbage out" principle applies — the quality of your input prompt directly determines the quality of the AI's output.
What are the three main problems with AI use that the book identifies?
According to the book's AI chapter, the three main problems are: first, people do not give new AI tools a second chance after an initial disappointing result (the hype-then-dropout cycle); second, people use the wrong tools or use the right tools incorrectly; and third, they fall victim to the "garbage in, garbage out" syndrome by entering poor prompts and blaming the technology.
Why does introducing new digital tools sometimes make teams less productive?
Jekel explains that if a new tool is added without replacing an old communication channel, overload multiplies rather than diminishes. He gives the example of a bank where staff already received 700 CC emails a day and then, after introducing Microsoft Teams, also received 700 daily chat messages — doubling the problem instead of solving it.
How did Leipziger Volksbank successfully drive adoption of new digital tools?
Leipziger Volksbank, where Jekel worked on site with Falk Hähle, disconnected employees' personal drives entirely so that the only option for saving files was OneDrive or Teams. By removing alternatives, staff had no choice but to adopt the new system — illustrating the principle that "employees change when they have no alternative."
What are the ten chapter topics of the book?
The ten chapters cover: (1) stopping the flood of messages, (2) coordinating end devices and PCs, (3) taking effective digital notes, (4) structuring digital file storage, (5) integrating modern assistants, (6) making the most of video conferences, (7) turning digital events into livestream events, (8) controlling the flood of information, (9) optimising your social media strategy, and (10) using AI strategically.
How does this book differ from Jekel's earlier "Digital Working for Managers"?
"Digital Working for Managers" was published approximately ten years earlier and, according to Jekel, still contains about 80–90% relevant content. However, the new book adds topics that did not yet exist or were not widespread at the time of the earlier book — specifically AI, video conferencing as a mainstream tool, and the explosion of messenger services — plus updated tool recommendations reflecting a decade of development in Microsoft 365 and beyond.
Tools & Resources Mentioned
- ChatGPT / AI tools – used as the primary AI example throughout the book; Jekel recommends learning to write good input prompts to get better results
- Midjourney – mentioned as an AI system for which ChatGPT can help generate better prompts
- Microsoft 365 (Teams, OneDrive) – central platform example for digital collaboration and file management; workshop setting at Leipziger Volksbank
- Auphonic – audio enhancement tool mentioned in the book's AI chapter for achieving great sound quality
- HappyScribe – tool mentioned for creating and translating subtitles
- Raindrop.io – browser bookmark synchronisation tool highlighted in the book's top-10 AI tips
- Google, Siri, Alexa – cited as long-established tools that already use AI extensively, often without users realising it