Power users play a key role in managing your organization’s SharePoint environment. A power user is also called a ‘SharePoint expert’ and is responsible for managing and assigning a variety of organizational tasks to other Power Users in the business organization.
A power user does not need to be an administrator, IT specialist, or a developer to perform the role of a power user. Ideally, every department of an organization has its own Power User to manage and update the site, content, and manage list permissions.
Anyone can become a Power User. However, not everyone possesses the skills, talent, and characteristics required to be a great Power User for an organization. Following are the top 10 characteristics of great SharePoint Power User:
1. Expertise In Different Editing Tools
A SharePoint Power User has a deep understanding and knowledge of different types of content, design, format, and workflows and possesses the required skills to build and edit them easily. He is also capable enough to work with different editing tools such as SharePoint Designer, Microsoft Visual Studio, and InfoPath Designer.
A Power User is also responsible for performing various tasks and operations that are usually performed by an End User such as updating, producing, evaluating, and deleting various list items. If a Power User has Full Control permission, then he can also work on new lists, pages, document libraries, and subsites. A good SharePoint Power User is not dependent on the SharePoint developer’s and administrator’s help to complete his tasks.
A SharePoint online Power User is eager and motivated to research and learn the use of different tools to build a new page or a subsite on his own without taking help from any experts.
2. Facilitating Colleagues In Using SharePoint Tools
Perhaps the most important SharePoint Power User characteristics the eagerness to help and assist other SharePoint users within the organization. Not only is a good SharePoint Online Power User passionate towards his own work but is also eager to educate others with his skills and knowledge regarding the usage and implementation of various SharePoint tools.
Due to this reason, businesses must invest in such skilled Power Users who can help the rest of their team members and end-users to ensure a successful SharePoint implementation. Those business organizations that are investing in a highly integrated online platform like SharePoint need to make sure to have such Power Users that can ensure the completion and success of projects for the organization.
3. Providing Reliable Security To The Organization
A great SharePoint Online Power User has sound knowledge of the security needs of an organization’s SharePoint environment. He should be familiar with the work ethics and activities of his organization and understand what different jobs roles his company has. This can ensure smooth and efficient management of permissions within the site. Through such effective security measures within the sites and subsites, security maintenance becomes simple and easy.
4. Managing the SharePoint Portal Effectively
While managing SharePoint permissions, even a single subsite with disapproved permissions from the source site can lead to multiple security issues. Therefore, a Power User needs to have a thorough understanding of who should access, create, view, delete, and edit items within the SharePoint portal while granting permissions to ensure smooth and effective security maintenance.
5. Providing Solutions According To Organizational needs
A skilled SharePoint Power User needs to have a clear understanding of different business processes and operations. He needs to build solutions to benefit his company’s business via SharePoint. He needs to identify and create different strategies to improve processes.
A good SharePoint Power User needs to identify when a particular process requires any changes, and when it does not. This prevents the Power User from unnecessarily making the processes difficult or complex by overusing different SharePoint tools and features.
6. Collaboration With Other SharePoint Users
Another outstanding SharePoint Power User characteristic is the ability to change and adjust according to the users that he may be collaborating with. A SharePoint Power User needs to be in charge and take the lead to make sure all business processes are properly planned in SharePoint.
He is also responsible for educating other members on what is possible to achieve and what is not within the SharePoint system. A SharePoint Power User also needs to understand and describe difficult technical terminology that is used in a SharePoint environment for other members.
7. Explaining complex SharePoint Terminologies
SharePoint Power Users know how to create and present business ideas and easily conduct training sessions for other users. It is extremely important for a SharePoint power user to confidently manage and work with a variety of people within the company’s SharePoint environment, and be skilled enough to explain different designs and concepts easily to other users.
8. Sound Knowledge of New SharePoint Tools
To keep up with all the different tools and features that SharePoint keeps introducing and updating, it is important for a SharePoint Power User to keep upgrading his knowledge regarding different tools and features of SharePoint. He may even independently search and explain any hidden or new tools and features of current SharePoint versions.
9. Impeccable Problem Solving Skills
An expert SharePoint Online Power User is capable of solving many problems. After understanding the organizational requirements, they get working on identifying the best way to achieve the intended results.
Instead of developing tools for solving problems, they access a variety of tools and plugins that are available for use for solving particular problems. These off-the-shelf tools are more efficient because they are already tested in the market. A Power User who has a decent amount of experience in the industry will know which tools work best in a given situation to solve a particular problem.
10. Detailed Knowledge Of SharePoint Third-Party Tools
A good SharePoint Power User possesses detailed knowledge on the usage of SharePoint third-party tools and features. Although the option of customization is available in SharePoint, however, it should be allowed to users only after having a clear understanding of all the out-of-the-box tools and features along with with other SharePoint third Party tools.
The Final Word
Make a list of which of the 10 characteristics you already possess, and which ones you need to develop. If you want to become a SharePoint Power User and are a quick self-learner, you can access a large number of online tutorials to develop your skills on our portal. However, if you like more structured learning, there are multiple online courses you can take.
Connect with us today and find out more on your available options.