Time Management and Outlook
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Time Management and Outlook
Creating a Simple Rule
04 June 2010
Wouldn’t it be great if every time you got an e-mail from your boss, Outlook moved it to its own folder? Outlook has a feature to do just that; it’s called the Rules and Alerts wizard.
You can get to the wizard in one of a few ways:
Click the Create Rule ( ) button on the Standard toolbar
Right-click an e-mail and click Create Rule
Click the Tools menu and click Rules and Alerts
With either of the first two choices listed above, you will see this dialog:
This is a simplified version of the Rules and Alerts wizard, which we’ll talk about in a minute. It’s a great way to create a quick rule.
The top part of the box specifies when the rule will act and the bottom part specifies what will happen when the type of e-mail you’ve specified arrives. At least one of the boxes in each section needs to be checked for the OK button at the bottom to become active.
Let’s go over the first set of boxes (“When I get e-mail with all of the selected conditions”):
From
This box is automatically filled in with the sender of the e-mail that was selected when you clicked the Create Rule button. It can’t be changed in this window.
Subject contains
The white text box is automatically filled in with the subject of the e-mail that was selected when you clicked the Create Rule button. You can edit it just by clicking in the white box, deleting the text that’s there, and typing. (You can, of course, also modify the text that’s typed in there.)
Sent to
This message was sent to someone using a distribution list (a predefined group of contacts), so this drop-down list contains both the name of the distribution list and “me only.”
The second set of boxes specifies what action(s) to take when the conditions in the first set of boxes are met (“Do the following”):
Display in the New Item Alert Window
With the New Item Alert window, you can open the e-mail by clicking the Open Item button, edit the rule by clicking the Edit Rule button, or just close the window.
Play a selected sound
Plays a sound when the e-mail arrives. (Normally Outlook plays a sound anyway when you get new e-mail, but this is a way to have Outlook play a sound for only specific e-mails, or to set a custom sound for certain e-mails.) Click the Browse button to pick a file; you can also click the Play button to hear the sound.
Move the item to folder
This is the most commonly used feature. This option will move e-mails that meet the conditions set out in the first box to a folder that you specify. When you check this box, a window will pop up asking you to pick a folder. (You can only specify one folder.)
To review the complete Time Management and Outlook workshop - Click here.
Marking a Message for Follow-Up
03 June 2010
If you simply don’t have time to deal with an important message but also don’t want to forget about the message, Outlook 2007 includes the ability to automatically alert you about a message after a given period of time.
Open an e-mail message you want to follow up on later.
Click the Follow-Up command on the Message tab and select a reminder flag.
Once you have selected a date for follow-up, Outlook 2007 adds a new task to your list, using the e-mail’s title, to the specified date. For example, if you wanted to follow up on the “Accounting Report” message tomorrow, a new task titled “Accounting Report” would be entered as a task for tomorrow.
Select a time to follow up, and then close the message.
To review the complete Time Management and Outlook workshop - Click here.
Creating a Simple Rule
04 June 2010
Wouldn’t it be great if every time you got an e-mail from your boss, Outlook moved it to its own folder? Outlook has a feature to do just that; it’s called the Rules and Alerts wizard.
You can get to the wizard in one of a few ways:
Click the Create Rule ( ) button on the Standard toolbar
Right-click an e-mail and click Create Rule
Click the Tools menu and click Rules and Alerts
With either of the first two choices listed above, you will see this dialog:
This is a simplified version of the Rules and Alerts wizard, which we’ll talk about in a minute. It’s a great way to create a quick rule.
The top part of the box specifies when the rule will act and the bottom part specifies what will happen when the type of e-mail you’ve specified arrives. At least one of the boxes in each section needs to be checked for the OK button at the bottom to become active.
Let’s go over the first set of boxes (“When I get e-mail with all of the selected conditions”):
From
This box is automatically filled in with the sender of the e-mail that was selected when you clicked the Create Rule button. It can’t be changed in this window.
Subject contains
The white text box is automatically filled in with the subject of the e-mail that was selected when you clicked the Create Rule button. You can edit it just by clicking in the white box, deleting the text that’s there, and typing. (You can, of course, also modify the text that’s typed in there.)
Sent to
This message was sent to someone using a distribution list (a predefined group of contacts), so this drop-down list contains both the name of the distribution list and “me only.”
The second set of boxes specifies what action(s) to take when the conditions in the first set of boxes are met (“Do the following”):
Display in the New Item Alert Window
With the New Item Alert window, you can open the e-mail by clicking the Open Item button, edit the rule by clicking the Edit Rule button, or just close the window.
Play a selected sound
Plays a sound when the e-mail arrives. (Normally Outlook plays a sound anyway when you get new e-mail, but this is a way to have Outlook play a sound for only specific e-mails, or to set a custom sound for certain e-mails.) Click the Browse button to pick a file; you can also click the Play button to hear the sound.
Move the item to folder
This is the most commonly used feature. This option will move e-mails that meet the conditions set out in the first box to a folder that you specify. When you check this box, a window will pop up asking you to pick a folder. (You can only specify one folder.)
To review the complete Time Management and Outlook workshop - Click here.
If you simply don’t have time to deal with an important message but also don’t want to forget about the message, Outlook 2007 includes the ability to automatically alert you about a message after a given period of time.
Using the To_Do Bar
02 June 2010
The To-Do bar is a new feature in Outlook 2007. This bar is visible in all folders except the calendar and provides quick access to upcoming tasks and appointments.
The top section shows the current calendar month and upcoming appointments. Any appointments that have been added to your calendar make the date on which they fall appear bold. In the picture below, notice that the 5th and 9th of November are in bold, meaning there is an appointment scheduled sometime that day.
To review the complete Time Management and Outlook workshop - Click here.
Guidelines for Efficient Planning
01 June 2010
- You can save yourself an hour a day by getting organized.
- It is important to identify and operate within two time horizons: short and long term.
- Anticipating events allows you to get things done in the short term which contribute to achieving long-term objectives.
- An up-to-date master calendar can be your most helpful planning tool. However, detailed project plans should be developed before you make entries on your master calendar.
When things begin to get hectic, a "Things To Do Today" list helps focus attention on the highest priority items. - Action planning worksheets, milestone charts, and PERT diagrams are excellent planning aids when properly used.
- Planning contact with colleagues and staff will help minimize disruptions. Keep a file for each person you meet with on a regular basis, with items to be discussed.
- The most effective approaches to planning are those tailored to meet individual needs.
- Concepts, procedures, and worksheets should be modified to fit individual circumstances.
- Experts say nothing should be attempted without prior planning, but there must be flexibility.
- Remember Murphy’s Law: If something can go wrong, it will.
To review the complete Time Management and Outlook workshop - Click here.