Managing Outlook presented by Anna Legrand

“To Do” Items  We hold between 3-7 items in our conscious minds.  We hold every emotion, thought, hope, dream, worry and each of every 40,000+ images we absorb daily in our subconscious mind.  In addition to that, our subconscious minds hold all of our unrecorded ‘to do’ items.

Data Collection Cell Phone Voice Mail NotesFax Mail Your Head In/Out Tray

What should we do?  Empty out your data collections regularly.  Collect data in a minimum number of locations.  Write things down immediately, instead of keeping them in your head.  How do we do that?  Microsoft Outlook can help!

Action Types: Calendar  Time Specific: AT  Ex. Call Mr. Smith at 9am Monday.  What: Appointment  How: double-click on the time and type the action to create appointment.

Action Types: Calendar  Day Specific: ON  Ex. Call Mr. Smith on Monday  What: All Day Event  How: double-click on date at the top of day and type the action to create an all day event.

Action Types: Tasks  Due Date: BY  Ex. Call Mr. Smith by Friday  What: Task with Due date.  How: Control+Shift+K and type the action to create the task. Add the due date.

Action Types: Tasks  Due Date: NO  Ex. Call Mr. Smith  What: Task with No due date  How: Control+Shift+K and type the action. 85%-95% of your action items Do Not belong on your calendar.

Categories In Tasks  What are they For…..?  Group similar actions.  Streamline focus.  Effective prioiritization

How to set up Categories  Click on TASKS in your folder list  Celect CTL SHIFT K for “NEW TASK”  Bottom Right, Select CATEGORIES  Click on MASTER CATEGORY LIST  Remove unnecessary categories  Type in new categories and select ADD  Select OK, then OK again, then close the window, select NO Categories won’t show up until you have a task in the category

Setting Up Taskpad  Go to Tasks in Folder List.  Right Click on the heading bar next to Subject and select FIELD CHOOSER.  Drag the ICON, SUBJECT, and DUE DATE tabs.  Remove all others by dragging to FIELD CHOOSER.  Select VIEW then ARRANGE BY then CURRENT VIEW then CUSTOMIZE CURRENT VIEW.  Select GROUP BY then select CATEGORIES from drop down box.  Select ALL COLLAPSED  Sort by SUBJECT

Calendar View  Select GO and click on FOLDER LIST  Select VIEW again and click OUTLOOK BAR off  Select 1-DAY VIEW  Show 2-3 months of calendar by placing cursor between panel to make them larger or smaller.  Right Click on TaskPad Bar, select CUSTOMIZE CURRENT  Select GROUP BY then CATEGORIES  Sort by SUBJECT

Two Type of Information in Outlook  ACTION ITEMS Task Pad Calendar  REFERENCE ITEMS Contacts Notes File Folders

Adding Contacts  Select CONTACTS from the Folder List  Click NEW  Add Information  Click SAVE and CLOSE

Adding Notes

Two Types of Actions  What goes on the Daily Calendar Actions that occur AT a Specific Time Actions the occur ON a Specific Day, but NO Specific Time. Recurring meetings and reminders

Use the large Box to record information

This is for things that must be done some time that day

This is good for things that recur with frequency such as team and faculty meetings

Two Types of Actions  What goes on the TaskPad?  Actions to be done BY a date  Actions that have NO due date  Project/Outcome Names – so we don’t forget we have them!

Move Tasks to the Calendar  Go To Calendar View.  Highlight the time on the Calendar.  Right Click on task and drag to highlighted time on calendar.  Select Move Here…  Save and Close

Create an Action Item from an  Decide if the belongs in the CALENDAR (do ON a certain day or at a certain time) or in TASKS (due BY or no due date).  Left Click message and drag to Calendar or Tasks folder.  Edit Subject line, fill in any details, then Save & Close.

Insert an into Calendar or Task.  Open existing appointment or Task.  Click INSERT, select ITEM.  Select message you want to insert.  Click ok and the message will appear as an envelope in the appointment.

How Do we use this to keep our inbox clean???  Ask: What is This?  Is it an ACTION ITEM? Yes No

If it is not an Action Item  Delete It  Reference It Folders Notes Contacts Paper Files  Someday Maybe It Create a place to keep things that are ‘someday maybe items’

If it Is an Action Item  Is it a Project Yes?  What is the desired outcome? List Plan No?  What is the Next Action?  DO IT IF IT CAN BE DONE IN 2 MINUTES OR LESS

If you cannot do it in 2 minutes  Delegate It In writing with detail With Due Date With all Details included Track using ‘Waiting For’ in Tasks.  Defer It Due on Specific Day/Time?  Calendar Dues by a date or no due date?  Tasks

Make The Commitment  This system only works if you make the commitment to do this every day.  Set aside 5-20 minutes each day to go through your s and prioritize them.