The document provides tips for using key tools in Microsoft Outlook to improve efficiency. It discusses using the calendar to schedule meetings and view availability, contacts for storing contact information and creating distribution lists, email for sending messages to groups and setting rules to organize incoming mail, and tasks for assigning and tracking tasks. Color-coding and customizing the quick access toolbar are also suggested for prioritizing messages and accessing functions quickly.

1. Time-Saving and Efficiency Tips & Hints
for Administrative roles
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2. Key Microsoft® Outlook® Tools
 Calendar
 Contacts
 Mail
 Tasks
 Extras
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3. Outlook Calendar®
 Launching Calendar first
 Good for: seeing your appointments and weekly plan first.
 Scheduling a meeting/training
 Good for: getting the meeting on your and invitee Calendars;
converting meeting time zone differences automatically;
having related meeting notes, phone numbers, links
convenient and readily handy.
 New Appointment, New All Day Event, and Recurring
Appointments or Events
 Good for: scheduling meetings, project time slots, vacations,
breaks/lunches, and recurring of the same.
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4. Outlook® Contacts
 Creating new contact
 Good for: having someone’s contact information
available in case you need it in the future –
vendors, service providers, customer key contacts, etc.
Also makes easier to create group distribution lists.
 Creating group distribution lists
 Good for: preparing to send messages to customer
groups, contact roles
(sales, recruiters, technicians, accounting, etc.) without
having to send the same message individually to each
person.
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5. Outlook® Mail
 Sending email to group distribution list
 Good for: sending message to customer groups, contact roles without
having to send the same message individually to each person.
 Creating One-Click buttons
 Good for: frequently used tasks with individuals, such as sending new
email to your manager, CC’ing work group, forwarding to backup
person, assigning task, etc.
 Reply vs. Reply All
 Reply is good for: getting response or info back to the sender only;
keeps email traffic down by not Replying All.
 Reply All is good for: getting response or info back to the sender(s), the
CC list group or individuals, and any BCC recipients; for getting
information that everyone involved in original messages needs to know.
Be aware that some distribution lists are blind or are entire
departments, so everyone in these groups or distribution list will see
your message.
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6. Outlook® Mail (continued)
 Using Auto Correct for auto-completion of long words,
phrases, addresses, etc.
 Good for: saving time; using the Auto Correct to complete
frequently-used messages, text, driving directions, numbers,
and so on.
 Setting your Out-of-Office Auto-Reply
 Good for: letting people know you’re out and unavailable; you
aren’t in to immediately respond to requests; let others know
when you will be back, and whom to check with for things that
can’t wait.
 Creating Inbox folders
 Good for: sorting, organizing in a way that makes sense to
you.
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7. Outlook® Mail (continued)
 Creating Rules to manage and sort incoming emails
 Good for: routing regularly received
emails, notifications to pre-determined folders; helping
to cut down on number of inbound emails that need to be
individually reviewed and sorted; easily working on like-
item email tasks for ease and efficiency.
 Using colors, fonts to prioritize senders in Inbox
 Good for: making emails from particular senders stand
out from all the others; allows you to focus on specific
messages, tasks from these senders. Helpful for people
who get a high volume of inbound email messages every
day.
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8. Outlook® Mail (continued)
 Delaying Send by 2 minutes
 Good for: re-do situations, such as forgetting to attach
files to emails, rethinking email text.
 Dragging email message to Contacts, Calendar or
Tasks
 Good for: quickly creating a contact
record, appointment, or task without having to toggle
back and forth between email and function to create.
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9. Outlook® Tasks
 Assigning tasks to an individual
 Good for: reminding yourself or others about an
event, appointment or task; for following-up; tickling
with reminder.
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10. Outlook® Extras
 Using Quick Access Toolbar, customizing – can be
accessed from any Outlook® function.
 Good for: quick one-click access to various Outlook®
functions without being in that particular function area.
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11. Questions?
 There are many more Outlook® functions and features
available; they are all excellent and valuable tools.
 If you have questions or would like to review specific
steps, please see my function-specific presentations, or
contact me.
I hope you find this information helpful;
good luck and best wishes!
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