Session 1: Google Workspace Essentials
Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drive as one connected system — and the sharing and collaboration settings that stop your work being either stranded on one device or accidentally public.
Learning objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to do each of these without prompting.
- Work confidently in Docs, Sheets and Slides and know which to reach for
- Understand Drive as the system that holds everything, not just a folder
- Share files with the right permission level rather than the default one
- Collaborate in real time without two people overwriting each other
- Use version history as the safety net it is, rather than saving copies manually
The taught content
What you are building in this course, and why it starts here
The deliverable for this course is a working personal system: a cleaned inbox with working filters, a folder structure with a naming convention, your files backed up to the cloud, and a shared calendar plus a form collecting real responses. That is not a hypothetical exercise — by the end you will have a system you use every day, and the measure of success is hours saved rather than features learned.
We start with Google Workspace because it solves the problem that ruins most personal systems: files trapped on one device. If your work lives only on your laptop, then a dead laptop is a dead archive, and a phone is useless for reaching anything. Workspace puts your documents, spreadsheets, calendar and email in one place that any device can reach, which is the foundation everything else in this course is built on.
The level is absolute beginner, so we assume nothing. What we will not do is treat the tools as a list of buttons to memorise. Each one is taught against a real task from your own life — a document you actually need, a schedule you actually keep, a set of files you actually struggle to find — because a productivity system you built for somebody else's example is a system you will not use.
Docs, Sheets and Slides: three tools, and knowing which one you need
The distinction is simple and worth stating plainly, because beginners often use the wrong one and fight it. Docs is for text — letters, proposals, reports, notes, anything that is mostly words. Sheets is for anything you will calculate, sort or count — budgets, lists with quantities, timetables, records. Slides is for presenting to people, and only for that; a document turned into slides is harder to read and harder to write.
The common failure is putting list-like information in Docs. A list of twenty clients with phone numbers and amounts owed, typed as paragraphs, cannot be sorted, cannot be totalled, and cannot be filtered — so you end up scrolling and adding things up by hand. If you will ever want to sort it, count it, or total it, it belongs in Sheets, even if it starts as three rows.
Then the habit that makes these tools worth using rather than merely available: work in the browser version rather than saving local copies. Every time you download a document, edit it, and re-upload it, you create two versions and eventually you will not know which is current. Workspace's whole advantage is that there is one document with one address; downloading fragments it back into the problem you were trying to solve.
Drive is not a folder — it is the system that holds everything
Drive is where your documents, spreadsheets and slides live, and understanding it as a system rather than a storage box changes how you use it. Every file has one address, which means it can be shared, linked, and found again from any device. It also means there is no such thing as an emailed attachment being the real version — the real version is the file in Drive, and the email should link to it instead.
That single change is worth more than any other habit in this session. When you email an attachment, the recipient now has a copy that diverges the moment either of you edits. When you share a link, both of you are always looking at the same current document. Attachments create versions; links do not. This is the root of most 'which file is the latest?' confusion in small teams and families alike.
Drive also gives you search that actually works — it searches inside documents, not just filenames, so a document you cannot remember the name of can still be found by a phrase in it. And it keeps version history automatically, so an overwritten or badly edited document can be restored without you having remembered to save copies. Both are free, and both are reasons to stop maintaining parallel copies 'just in case'.
Sharing and permissions: the setting people get wrong, with real consequences
When you share a file you choose a permission level, and the three that matter are: viewer, who can only read; commenter, who can read and suggest but not change; and editor, who can change anything including deleting content. The default is not always what you want, and the cost of guessing wrong runs in both directions — too restrictive and nobody can help you, too open and something gets changed or seen that should not have been.
Then the setting that causes genuine embarrassment: 'anyone with the link'. It is convenient and it is frequently the wrong choice, because it means anyone who obtains the link can access the file — and links get forwarded, screenshotted, and pasted into group chats. For a personal document that is a shrug; for a client list, a staff salary sheet, or anything with someone else's personal information, it is a data breach. Ask yourself whether you would be comfortable if the link were forwarded to a stranger, and if not, share with specific people instead.
This is not theoretical in Nigeria. Under the NDPA 2023, handling other people's personal data carries real obligations, and a shared spreadsheet of customer names, phone numbers and balances is exactly that. The professional habit is specific sharing by default, widening only when there is a reason — and reviewing what you have shared occasionally, because permissions accumulate and are rarely revoked.
Real-time collaboration, and version history as the safety net
Multiple people can edit the same document at once, each seeing the others' cursors and changes as they happen. This is genuinely useful — a proposal written by two people in one sitting rather than exchanged over a week — and it removes the entire 'final_v2_REAL_final' problem, because there is only ever one document. It also requires one discipline: do not both edit the same paragraph simultaneously, not because it breaks anything, but because you will overwrite each other's thinking without noticing.
The safety net underneath all of this is version history. Workspace records who changed what and when, and lets you restore any earlier state. This means you never need to save defensive copies again — no 'copy before editing', no dated duplicates cluttering a folder. If something is broken, open version history and restore it, which is faster and cleaner than any manual backup habit.
Two supporting habits make collaboration reliable. Use comments and suggestions rather than editing someone's text directly when the document is theirs — a suggestion they can accept or reject preserves their authorship and avoids silent rewrites. And name files for their content, not their version, because version history has made version numbers in filenames unnecessary; 'Client Proposal — Adeyemi Interiors' is complete, and the history tells you which draft you are on.
Instructor demonstration
We build the foundation of your personal system: a real document, a real spreadsheet, correct sharing settings, a live collaboration, and a restoration from version history.
- 01
Create your workspace and confirm you are signed in
A Gmail account gives you Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar and Forms together. Confirm you are signed in on both your laptop and your phone, because a system that only works on one device is not the system this course is building.
- 02
Create your first real document, not a practice one
Choose something you genuinely need this week — a letter, a proposal, a list. Using a real task is the difference between learning a tool and building a habit, and you will keep the result.
- 03
Use headings rather than bold text for structure
Apply Heading 1 and Heading 2 styles instead of manually enlarging and bolding. This generates a navigable outline, makes the document searchable, and keeps formatting consistent if you edit later.
- 04
Confirm autosave and stop saving manually
Note the 'All changes saved' indicator. There is no save button to press and no reason to download a copy — the document in Drive is the real one, and duplicating it locally recreates the problem you are solving.
- 05
Build a spreadsheet for something you actually track
A budget, an expenses list, a client record. Put column headings in row one and one item per row. This shape is what makes sorting, filtering and totalling possible later, and it is the shape most people never use.
- 06
Use a formula instead of a calculator
Total a column with SUM rather than adding on a phone calculator and typing the result. A formula updates when the data changes; a typed number silently becomes wrong.
- 07
Sort and filter to prove the structure works
Sort by amount, then filter to one category. If both work, your sheet is properly structured. If sorting scrambles it, you have merged cells or headings in the wrong row — worth fixing now.
- 08
Create a short presentation from an existing document
Take three points from your document and make three slides. Note how much text you had to remove — that is the point. Slides are for presenting, and a document pasted onto slides serves neither purpose.
- 09
Organise Drive with a minimal folder structure
Three or four top-level folders only — for example Work, Personal, Finance, Documents. Deeply nested folders are rarely used because nobody can remember where things are; a shallow structure with good filenames is findable.
- 10
Share a file with a specific person as a viewer
Enter their email address and choose Viewer. Note that you chose the level deliberately rather than accepting a default, and that only that person can access it.
- 11
Change that person to editor and explain the difference
Now they can change and delete content. This is the distinction that matters: viewer for reading, commenter for feedback, editor for working together. Choose based on what you actually need from them.
- 12
Demonstrate the 'anyone with the link' risk
Turn it on, then copy the link and open it in a private browser window where you are not signed in. Seeing that an anonymous stranger can read your file is more convincing than any warning, and it is why this should never be the default for anything personal.
- 13
Turn it back off and share specifically instead
Revoke link access and add the person by email. Then note the habit: if you would not be comfortable with the link being forwarded to a stranger, do not use link sharing.
- 14
Collaborate live with someone else
Open the same document simultaneously and type in different sections. Watch the cursors. Then deliberately try editing the same sentence and observe how easily thinking gets overwritten — which is why you divide sections rather than share paragraphs.
- 15
Use a suggestion instead of editing directly
Switch to suggesting mode and propose a change to their text. They can accept or reject it. This preserves authorship and avoids the silent rewrite that damages trust in shared documents.
- 16
Break something on purpose and restore it
Delete a paragraph, then open version history and restore the earlier version. Doing this deliberately, while calm, is what makes version history a genuine safety net later rather than a feature you have heard about.
- 17
Open the same files from your phone
Install the Drive app and open the document, spreadsheet and slides. Confirm you can read and edit. A system you cannot reach from the device in your pocket will not survive contact with real life.
- 18
Use search to find a file you cannot remember the name of
Search for a phrase from inside a document rather than its filename. This is the payoff for keeping everything in Drive instead of scattered across devices and email attachments.
Guided practice
Build the foundation of your own system
Create the workspace, put real work into it, and set sharing and collaboration habits you will actually keep.
- 01Confirm you are signed in on both a computer and your phone, with Drive installed on the phone.
- 02Create one real document you need this week, using heading styles rather than manual bold and size.
- 03Confirm autosave is working and delete any local duplicate copies of that document.
- 04Build a spreadsheet for something you genuinely track, with headings in row one and one item per row.
- 05Use a formula to total a column rather than typing a calculated number.
- 06Sort and filter the sheet to confirm its structure is sound.
- 07Make a short presentation from an existing document, removing enough text that it works as slides.
- 08Create three or four shallow top-level folders in Drive rather than a deep nested tree.
- 09Share one file with a specific person as viewer, choosing the level deliberately.
- 10Change them to editor and write one line on when each level is appropriate.
- 11Test 'anyone with the link' in a private window, see the exposure, then revoke it.
- 12Collaborate live with someone, dividing sections rather than sharing paragraphs.
- 13Make a suggestion rather than editing their text directly.
- 14Delete a paragraph deliberately and restore it from version history.
- 15Open every file you created from your phone and confirm you can edit them.
- 16Find a file by searching for a phrase inside it rather than its name.
The standard we hold you to
Workspace accessible from both a computer and a phone; one real document using heading styles with no local duplicate copies; a spreadsheet with headings in row one, a working formula total, and successful sort and filter; a short presentation derived from a document; a shallow folder structure of three or four top-level folders; sharing demonstrated at viewer and editor levels with the link-access exposure tested in a private window and then revoked; a live collaboration with a suggestion used rather than a direct edit; a deliberate deletion restored from version history; and a file located by searching its contents.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Putting list data in a document because it started as a list
Fix: If you will ever sort, count or total it, it belongs in Sheets. A client list typed as paragraphs cannot be sorted or summed, so you end up scrolling and calculating by hand.
Downloading, editing and re-uploading documents
Fix: That creates two divergent versions and eventually you will not know which is current. Work in the browser version; the file in Drive is the real one.
Emailing attachments instead of sharing links
Fix: Attachments create copies that diverge the moment either person edits. Share a link so both of you always see the same current document.
Leaving 'anyone with the link' enabled on anything personal
Fix: Links get forwarded and screenshotted. Share with specific email addresses by default, and ask whether you would be comfortable if a stranger had the link.
Giving editor access when viewer is all that is needed
Fix: Editors can change and delete content. Choose the lowest level that lets the person do what you need — viewer to read, commenter to give feedback, editor to work.
Keeping defensive copies because of version anxiety
Fix: Version history records every change and restores any earlier state. 'Copy before editing' and dated duplicates are unnecessary clutter that makes files harder to find.
Two people editing the same paragraph at once
Fix: Nothing breaks, but you will silently overwrite each other's thinking. Divide sections between collaborators rather than sharing paragraphs.
Building a deeply nested folder structure
Fix: Nobody remembers where things are in six levels of folders. Use three or four shallow top-level folders and rely on good filenames and search.
Expert notes
The habits that separate someone who can do this from someone who does it well.
- Share links instead of sending attachments. It is one small habit and it eliminates the most common source of version confusion in small teams and families — the document everyone has a slightly different copy of.
- Test 'anyone with the link' once in a private browser window. Seeing your own file open for an anonymous stranger is far more convincing than being told to be careful, and after seeing it you will not leave it enabled by accident.
- Use version history instead of saving copies. Once you have restored a document deliberately, in calm conditions, you stop maintaining defensive duplicates — which removes most of the clutter that makes files hard to find.
- Build the system with your own real work rather than example files. A productivity system assembled for somebody else's scenario is a system you abandon in a fortnight; one built around your actual documents and lists survives because you need it.
Key terms
- Google Workspace
- The connected set of Google tools — Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, Forms — sharing one account and one file system.
- Google Drive
- The storage system holding your files. Each file has one address, which is what makes linking, sharing and finding-again possible from any device.
- Viewer / commenter / editor
- The three main permission levels. Viewer reads, commenter suggests without changing, editor can alter and delete content.
- Anyone with the link
- A sharing setting allowing anyone who obtains the URL to access a file. Convenient and often inappropriate, because links are easily forwarded.
- Version history
- An automatic record of who changed what and when, allowing any earlier state to be restored. It replaces the need for manual backup copies.
- Suggesting mode
- An editing mode where changes appear as proposals the owner can accept or reject, preserving authorship in shared documents.
- Heading styles
- Formatting styles such as Heading 1 and Heading 2 that create document structure, generate a navigable outline and improve searchability.
- NDPA 2023
- Nigeria's Data Protection Act, which imposes obligations when handling other people's personal information — relevant to any shared list of names, numbers or balances.
Homework before the next session
Move one real area of your work into Workspace
Pick the area that currently causes you the most trouble — documents, a list, or a set of records — and move it in properly. Delete the local duplicates once you have confirmed everything is accessible.
Audit what you have shared
List every file you have shared, with whom, at what permission level, and whether link access is on. Revoke anything that no longer needs to be shared, and record what you changed.
Restore something from version history
Make a deliberate destructive edit to a document and restore the earlier version. Note the steps — this is the skill that will save you on the day you actually need it.
Write your sharing rule in one line
A personal default, such as 'specific people by default, viewer unless editing is needed, link sharing only for files with nothing personal in them'. Written down, because defaults drift without a rule.
Assessment rubric
How this session is marked. The certificate for Digital Productivity is awarded on the deliverable, not on attendance.
| Criterion | Passing | Excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Tool selection | Can create documents, sheets and slides. | Chooses the right tool for the task, puts list and calculable data in Sheets, and can explain why a document pasted onto slides serves neither purpose. |
| Drive discipline | Files are stored in Drive. | Works in the browser rather than downloading copies, shares links instead of attachments, uses a shallow folder structure, and finds files by searching their contents. |
| Sharing judgement | Can share a file. | Chooses permission levels deliberately, has tested link access and understands the exposure, defaults to specific sharing, and considers NDPA 2023 for other people's data. |
| Collaboration | Worked in a shared document. | Divides sections rather than sharing paragraphs, uses suggesting mode on others' text, and understands that there is one document rather than several versions. |
| Safety habits | Knows version history exists. | Has restored a document deliberately, no longer keeps defensive copies, and can name files by content rather than by version number. |
Session questions
Do I need to pay for Google Workspace?+
No. A free Gmail account includes Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Calendar and Forms with generous storage, which is everything this course uses. Paid Workspace adds a custom email domain and more storage, which matters for a business rather than a personal system.
What if my internet goes off — do I lose my work?+
No. Documents keep working offline in the browser and sync when you reconnect, and the phone app caches what you have opened. You will not lose work, though you should not rely on offline mode as your primary way of working.
Is 'anyone with the link' ever the right choice?+
Occasionally, for something genuinely public with nothing personal in it — a flyer, a public timetable. For anything containing names, contacts, money or someone else's information, share with specific people instead.
I already have files on my laptop. Do I have to move everything?+
Move the area that causes you the most trouble first, and let the rest follow as you touch it. Moving everything in one evening is a project you will abandon; moving one painful area is a habit that sticks.
Someone shared a file with me and I cannot edit it. Why?+
They gave you viewer permission. Ask them to change you to editor, or make a copy you own — but do not silently work around it, because two copies is exactly the problem links are meant to prevent.
This session is part of
Digital Productivity
2 weeks · 4 sessions · ₦30,000 · you leave with a working personal system