Effective Time Management

Effective Time
Management
Using Microsoft Outlook to
Organize Your Work and
Personal Life
LoThar SEiwErT
hoLgEr woELTjE
Published wiLh Lhe auLhorizaLion o MicrosoL CorporaLion by.
OReilly Media, lnc.
005 CravensLein Highway NorLh
SebasLopol, Caliornia 95472
CopyrighL 20 by LoLhar SeiwerL, Holger WoelLje
All righLs reserved. No parL o Lhe conLenLs o Lhis book may be reproduced or LransmiLLed
in any orm or by any means wiLhouL Lhe wriLLen permission o Lhe publisher.
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Acquisitions and Developmental Editor: Kenyon 8rown
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Cover Design: 1wisL CreaLive SeaLLle
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iii
Contents
Foreword ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
Chapter 1 How Not to Drown in the Email Flood 1
lLs NoL Lhe Fmail Messages, lLs How We Handle 1hem 4
DonL LeL oursel CeL DisLracLed 4
8reak our Response PaLLern 8
Keep our lnbox in Order
Process our Fmail 8lock wiLh Lhe DANF SysLem 2
File Fmail Messages Accordingly 3
CreaLe and Use our Own Folder SLrucLure 9
Flag Lhe Messages ou SLill Need Lo Work On 22
DonL Force Alarms on oursel. 1he Reminder
FuncLions o OuLlook 2007 and OuLlook 200 24
Keep All lLems 1haL Are Flagged or Processing
in a Single view 27
LeL OuLlook PresorL our lnbox or ou 28
1hink 8eore ou CommunicaLe 3
Make our 1exL Fasier Lo UndersLand. Always
AdjusL lL Lo Lhe RecipienLs 3
Keep our Phrasing ShorL, Precise, and CrysLal Clear 3
Use Well-WriLLen SubjecL Lines Lo Make
Fveryones Lie Fasier 32
ou 1ry lL 33
iv ConLenLs
Chapter 2 How to Work More Effectively with Tasks and
Priorities 35
How Lo Run a CounLry Like Lhe UniLed SLaLes in Lhe 24
Hours a Day Has Lo OerSeL PrioriLies! 37
Focus on WhaL MaLLers MosL (Lhe PareLo Principle) 38
Decide WhaLs MosL lmporLanLUse Lhe
Fisenhower MaLrix Lo SeL Rough PrioriLies 39
WriLe Down our Plans 42
Use 1ask LisLs Lo Plan Flexibly and FecLively 43
1asks vs. AppoinLmenLs 44
1asks in OuLlook 44
1he 1exL FdiLor in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 48
Dene our Own views (OuLlook 2003, OuLlook 2007,
and OuLlook 200) 52
Use FilLers Lo Clean Up our views 53
Fine-1une our PrioriLies wiLh Lhe 25,000 S MeLhod 55
1he 1o-Do LisLview 1asks rom MulLiple Folders
and Fmail Messages aL Lhe Same 1ime 60
ou 1ry lL 6
Chapter 3 How to Gain More Time for Whats Essential
with an Effective Week Planner 63
WhaL Really MaLLersand Why Does lL ConLinue Lo
Remain Undone 64
1ake AdvanLage o CaLegories Lo Combine 1asks 66
Cain PerspecLive wiLh CaLegories 66
Keep 1rack o our MosL lmporLanL CaLegories by
Using Colors 7
FilLer and Croup by CaLegory 82
v ConLenLs
1he Kiesel PrincipleCain More 1ime or WhaL MaLLers
MosL Fach Week 90
Keep our Lie in 8alance 90
Plan our Proessional Lie and PrivaLe Lie 1ogeLher 9
Regularly 1ake 1ime or WhaL Really CounLs 95
How Lo Plan our Week wiLh OuLlook 97
Prepare our 1ask LisL or Lhe Week 97
Plan 1asks and AppoinLmenLs 1ogeLher in 8alance 00
Plan AppoinLmenLs wiLh oursel Lo ConcenLraLe on
Lhe FssenLial 1asks 02
ou 1ry lL 07
Chapter 4 How to Make Your Daily Planning Work in Real Life 109
1he 8asics o Successul Day Planning 2
Combine Similar 1asks inLo 1ask 8locks 2
For Advanced Users. 1ake AdvanLage o Lhe Journal
or Semi-AuLomaLic 1ime ProLocols 5
1ake our Perormance Curve and our DisrupLion
Curve inLo ConsideraLion 8
Focus on our lmporLanL 1asks WiLhouL
lnLerrupLions During ProducLiviLy Hours 9
Order MusL Prevail 2
Hide Lhe 1asks lnLended or 8lock 8uilding in Lhe
Week/Day views 22
Mark 1asks 1haL Are Due 1oday and 1omorrow in Color 23
Cain a 8eLLer Overview by Using AppoinLmenL LisLs 26
Fine-1une our Daily Planning 30
Plan Pending 1asks wiLh Lhe 25,000 S MeLhod 30
vi ConLenLs
More SLeps or Successul Daily Planning 33
Make FurLher AppoinLmenLs wiLh oursel 34
Keep an Fye on 8uer 1imes 34
Use Lhe 1o-Do 8ar Lo Keep Upcoming
AppoinLmenLs and 1asks in view 35
How Lo CusLomize Lhe 1o-Do 8ar 36
ou 1ry lL 37
Chapter 5 How to Schedule Meetings So They Are
Convenient, Effective, and Fun 139
1he Problem. Way 1oo Many lnconvenienL MeeLing
RequesLs and lnsucienL PreparaLion 4
MeeLing RequesLs wiLh OuLlook8asic Rules and 1ips 42
Find Free 1imes and FvaluaLe Replies 43
SLay on 1op o lL. Calendar Overlay 49
Use MeeLing RequesLs Sparingly 55
OpLimize our Calendar Lo Make MeeLing RequesLs Fasy 6
Prepare MeeLings FecLively 66
lmprove Fciency by Preparing and Running
our MeeLing Wisely 67
Use MeeLing Workspaces Lo Prepare MeeLings 69
ou 1ry lL 73
Chapter 6 How to Use OneNote for Writing Goals,
Jotting Down Ideas, and Keeping Notes 175
Why Do lmporLanL DocumenLs and NoLes Always CeL LosL 77
Finally, a Place and a SysLem or All our NoLes 78
Use a SLrucLured SysLem When Planning 78
Do ou SLill Use Paper Fven 1hough ou Have a LapLop 80
Discover Lhe AdvanLages o OneNoLe 8
vii ConLenLs
8asics or NoLes in OneNoLe 82
1ake AdvanLage o Lhe DigiLal NoLebook SLrucLure 83
Work wiLh SecLions, NoLebooks, and Pages 85
How Lo Fill our Pages 87
Use Pens, 1exL Markers, and Colors 89
MeeLing MinuLes in OneNoLe 94
Use OuLlining or PreparaLion 94
Keep Follow-Up AcLiviLies and lmporLanL
lnormaLion in view 98
Link our lnormaLion. Use OuLlook and
OneNoLe as a 1eam 202
CreaLe Page 1emplaLes and ChecklisLs 207
Always Keep our ldeas and Coals in SighL 208
PrinLingFxporL DaLa rom Any Program 209
Read 8eLween Lhe LinesOCR or PicLures 2
SeL Coals or ourselNoL JusL or our Revenue 22
CreaLe our MasLer Plan 26
ou 1ry lL 28
Chapter 7 How to Truly Beneft from This Book 219
How Lo CeL a Handle on our 1ime 22
1he NexL SLeps 223
1esL Lhe CurrenL version o Oce or Free 224
1ake ResponsibiliLyDo lL Now! 224
1ime ManagemenL ls Sel-Discipline 226
CreaLe our Own Personal AcLion Plan 226
Find a 8uddy 227
SLarL lmmediaLely and Keep aL lL! 228
viii ConLenLs
Appendix A Recommended Reading 229
Index 231
About the Authors 247
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Foreword
MOST PRODUCTIvITY ENTHUSIASTS in Lhe UniLed SLaLes have never
heard o LoLhar SeiwerL and Holger WoelLje. 1haLs abouL Lo change. 1hey are
rock sLars in Furope, and Lhis book will rock in Lhe U.S.
l meL LoLhar Lhrough my role as Lhe 20202 U.S. PresidenL o Lhe NaLional
Speakers AssociaLion (NSA), Lhrough which he received Lhe CerLied Speaking
Proessional (CSP) designaLion. He inviLed me Lo speak aL Lhe Cerman Speak-
ers AssociaLion (CSA), where l wiLnessed his celebriLy sLaLus. Hes a member
o Lhe Cerman Speakers Hall o Fame and received Lhe LieLime AchievemenL
Award rom Lhe Cerman 1raining and DevelopmenL FederaLion. His books
have sold over our million copies, and his co-auLhor, Holger, has auLhored
seven besL-selling books. ResL assured Lhey are well qualied as auLhors o Lhis
new OuLlook producLiviLy guide.
Under my moniker, 1he ProducLiviLy Pro, lve been presenLing keynoLes
and seminars on increasing ouLpuL and saving Lime aL work since 992. As a
MicrosoL CerLied ApplicaLion SpecialisL in OuLlook (MCAS), lve provided
OuLlook Lraining Lo corporaLe clienLs (including MicrosoL!) since Lhe 990s.
8oLLom line. 1here is simply no beLLer Lool ouL Lhere or managing and in-
LegraLing your email, Lasks, noLes, conLacLs, journal, and calendar. 8uL many
people simply donL know how Lo geL Lhe mosL ouL o OuLlook. ld esLimaLe
mosL people use abouL 525% o iLs capabiliLies. MosL Lraining consisLs o
heres your inbox, have un! SeiwerL and WoelLje Lake Lhe mysLery ouL o all
Lhose seLLings, lLers, checkboxes, and menu opLions, and give you a cusLom-
ized OuLlook experience or Lhe way you manage your Lime and work.
OuLlook acLually is your work, as all Lhose messages represenL someLhing you
need Lo do. 8uL many people are paralyzed by Lhe sheer volume o messages
or donL have a sysLemaLic way o pulling acLion rom email. So mosL people
leave messages in Lheir inboxes Lo languish and geL buried by Lhe onslaughL
o new incoming emails.
x Foreword
A single email could acLually require you Lo.
1. 1hink abouL Lhe end resulL o whaL youd like Lo accomplish wiLh Lhe
Lask. Who needs Lo be involved Who should own iL WhaL sLeps are
required
2. Reply Lo Lhe email or send an acknowledgmenL wiLh a promised
deadline.
3. ConverL Lhe email inLo a Lask or appoinLmenL.
4. Do Lhe required Lask oine.
5. Respond wiLh Lhe requesLed inormaLion.
6. SeL ollow-up reminders or pending acLion or promised deliverables.
7. SLore Lhe supporLing inormaLion.
So many pieces involved in one liLLle email! 1his book shows you, wiLh many
pracLical case sLudies, screenshoLs, sLep-by-sLep insLrucLions, and relevanL ex-
amples, how Lo compleLe Lhese processes very quicklyalLhough Lhe oine
work will sLill Lake some Lime. oull discover a brand-new sysLem or organiz-
ing your Lime and Lo-dos in a more producLive, eecLive way.
How many hours do you spend in your email inbox each day 1his book will
show you how OuLlook can help you Lo become more producLive, so geL
ready or LhaL gure Lo go down! l you leL yoursel be chained down by your
email insLead o leLLing iL help you manage your lie, youre never likely Lo geL
much done. SeiwerL and WoelLje are abouL Lo seL you ree!
Laura Stack, MBA, CSP
Productivity expert, speaker, trainer
Author, WhaL Lo Do When 1heres 1oo Much Lo Do.
Reduce 1asks, lncrease ResulLs, and
Save 90 MinuLes a Day (Berrett-Koehler, 2012)
President, The Productivity Pro, Inc.
President, National Speakers Association
Laura@TheProductivityPro.com
www.TheProductivityPro.com
acknowledgments
WE HAvE TO THANK so many people or Lhis book LhaL we know iL is
impossible Lo wriLe a compleLe lisL. 1haL said, Lhere are people we need Lo ciLe
personally here because o Lheir parLicular conLribuLions.
We have Lo sLarL wiLh Christian Obermayr, ormer ProducL Manager or
MicrosoL Oce. eighL years ago he sLarLed Lhe projecL or Lhe Cerman edi-
Lion o Lhis book, provided some cool addiLional Lips and Lricks, and careully
reviewed and Lweaked every Cerman ediLion ever since.
Special Lhanks Lo Laura Stack, CSP, Americas Premier FxperL in ProducLiviLy,
CFO o 1he ProducLiviLy Pro, and PresidenL o Lhe NaLional Speakers Asso-
ciaLion (NSA), or her wonderul oreword. We oer sincere Lhanks Lo Dan
Poynter, CSP, Para Publishing, or his supporL and encouragemenL.
1hanks also Lo Achim Berg and Juergen Gallmann, ormer CFOs o Micro-
soL Cermany, who provided Lhe orewords or Lhe various Cerman ediLions.
We oer sincere Lhanks Lo Thomas Pohlmann, ormer FdiLorial Manager o
MicrosoL Press Cermany, who goL Lhe rsL Cerman ediLion launched seven
years ago, Thomas Braun-Wiesholler, FdiLorial Manager aL OReilly Media,
and Claudia Petersen, Sales Manager aL MicrosoL Press, who managed Lhe
eighLh Cerman ediLion o Lhis book and played a huge parL in geLLing iL nally
LranslaLed inLo Fnglish, and especially Lo Kenyon Brown, Senior FdiLor aL
OReilly Media, MicrosoL Press Division, who did a Lremendous job in keeping
everyone involved moving orward as a Leam as well as managing Lhis projecL.
A parLicular menLion goes Lo Kathy Krause, FdiLorial SpecialisL aL Online
1raining SoluLions, lnc. (O1Sl). she has been our copy ediLor, careully review-
ing and correcLing everyLhing, and Lweaking Lhe language. We are noL naLive
Fnglish speakers, and she deserves all Lhe crediL i you can read Lhis book well
and uenLly. 1hanks also Lo Teresa Elsey and Dan Fauxsmith, ProducLion
Managers aL O'Reilly Media, or managing Lhe producLion side and keeping
everyLhing on Lrack Lhere. lL has been a pleasure Lo work wiLh all o you!
xi
xii Acknowledgments
1hanks Lo Nespresso or providing Lhe awesome coee LhaL kepL us going
Lhrough some Lough wriLing and ediLing sessions, Lo all Lhe people rom
Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn who make our Lraveling easier and more
enjoyable, and Lo everyone aL Apple, Amazon, Lenovo, Microsoft, and
Research in Motion (RIM), who build Lhe greaL Lechnology, soLware, and
cool gadgeLs LhaL help us Lo be producLive on Lhe road and always keep
connecLed Lo our amilies, riends, clienLs, and business parLners, no maLLer
where we are around Lhe world.
A very big Lhanks goes Lo all o Lhe participants rom our keynoLes, work-
shops, and seminars who implemenLed whaL we LaughL Lhem. Whom we have
Lhe honor Lo supporL on Lheir journeys Lo reaching Lheir goals, overcoming
challenges, and making Lheir workdays easier. Who help us wiLh Lheir ques-
Lions Lo adjusL our meLhods and Leaching Lo Lhe ever-changing business and
Lechnology world. Who give us back so much wiLh Lheir eedback and shar-
ing Lheir personal success sLories a ew monLhs or even years laLer. Hearing or
reading abouL and someLimes even seeing in person how Lheyve been able
Lo improve Lheir work resulLs, achieve a balanced lie again, and gain more
Lime or Lheir amilies and riends is Lhe mosL precious reward or us we can
imagine.
And, nally, Lhanks a loL Lo you, dear reader, or helping us Lo make Lhis book
a success. We hope youll enjoy iL and gain a loL rom Lhe Lips, Lricks, and
sLraLegies youll nd on Lhe ollowing pages. Now iLs your Lurn Lo read Lhis
conLenL, really Lhink deeply abouL iL, apply iL Lo your work and personal lie,
and implemenL Lhe Lechniques one aL a Lime Lo harvesL some big resulLs!
Lothar Seiwert and Holger Woeltje, SepLember 20
xiii
introduction
ARE TOO MANY EMAIL messages, urgenL deadlines, and sLressul meeL-
ings driving you nuLs ls Lime running ouL on you Do you someLimes eel like
you didnL geL anyLhing imporLanL done aL Lhe end o Lhe day, because all Lhe
urgenL, small sLu kepL you so busy you didnL even sLarL Lhe Lhings LhaL really
maLLer in Lhe long run
lL doesnL have Lo be LhaL way. ln Lodays modern world, characLerized by
complexiLy, inormaLion overload, and way Loo many disLracLions, MicrosoL
OuLlook can help you Lo ocus and prioriLize, Lo separaLe Lhe wheaL rom Lhe
cha. 8uL i no one ever showed you how Lo use OuLlook in a really produc-
Live way, iL can cause even more Lrouble. Reminders LhaL pop up on your
screen and disLracL you while youre in Lhe middle o someLhing else, desk-
Lop alerLs or new email messages LhaL keep consLanLly nagging you, and a
Lask lisL wiLh 357 overdue red enLriesno wonder OuLlook puLs you in a bad
mood as soon as you look aL iL! lLs nally Lime Lo change LhaL! oull learn a
proven Lime managemenL sysLem Lweaked or use wiLh OuLlook. lLll help you
Lo ocus on whaL maLLers mosL and gain more Lime or imporLanL Lhings while
only requiring you Lo invesL a liLLle Lime each day or planning.
1he auLhors o Lhis book are Lwo highly experienced Lime managemenL
experLs rom Cermany, Lhe largesL naLional economy in Furope. 1hey help
execuLives all over Lhe world Lo become more successul and will show you
how Lo sysLemize and organize your complex everyday lie, Loo. How Lo Lurn
rom being Re-acLive inLo Pro-acLive using rigorous Lask planning and weekly
planning. And how Lo creaLe daily plans LhaL sLill work even when Lhe unex-
pecLed occurs.
1his book will show you, very concreLely and wiLh many pracLical examples,
how OuLlook perecLly supporLs you in implemenLing an eecLive Lime man-
agemenL sysLem o Lhis kind. OuLlook oers many pracLical uncLions LhaL
help you keep Lhings in perspecLive and save a loL o Lime during your hecLic
workdayas long as you use Lhese uncLions wisely and seL Lhe righL priori-
Lies. lLs up Lo you Lo make use o Lhis nowjusL invesL hal an hour each day in
reading, undersLanding, and applying Lhis knowledge or Lhe nexL ew weeks,
and youll greaLly beneL rom iL sooner Lhan you could have imagined!
xiv Introduction
who This Book is For
1his book is or all OuLlook users who wanL Lo improve Lheir Lime manage-
menL skills and wanL Lo use OuLlook in an easier, asLer, more producLive way
Lo organize Lheir email, Lasks, and appoinLmenLs. lL wonL show you every
available OuLlook uncLion, jusL Lhe ones you need Lo achieve Lhis goal as
quickly and as easily as possible.
lLll sLill require some work Lo geL Lhere, buL well skip Lhings such as managing
conLacL enLries or changing your email signaLure. Well also skip geeky sLu
like Lhe developer ribbon, Lhe Forms Designer or cusLomized OuLlook orms,
and conguring MicrosoL Fxchange serverscomplex Lhings LhaL soLware
developers and l1 adminisLraLors use, buL mosL OuLlook users will never need
aL all. Well sLill cover advanced uncLions such as cusLomizing your OuLlook
views, lLering enLries, and even adding cusLom elds, buL Lhese uncLions will
be easy Lo learn and will help you a loL in ocusing on cerLain projecLs and
Lasks you need Lo Lake care o Loday.
assumptions
1o undersLand and use Lhis book, you already should know MicrosoL OuLlook
on a basic level. Having used iL or a ew weeks is enough. ou should also be
amiliar wiLh your compuLers operaLing sysLem (such as Windows XP, Windows
visLa, or Windows 7) on a basic level, and know how Lo click a menu, close a
dialog box by clicking OK or Cancel, and recognize clickable buLLons. l you are
LoLally new Lo compuLers, Windows, or OuLlook, and have never used iL beore,
we recommend geLLing an addiLional book or beginners rsL, Lo Lake your
rsL sLeps.
8uL i you have already used OuLlook or a ew weeks, know how Lo enLer
an appoinLmenL in your calendar, and can wriLe, send, and reply Lo an email
message, well guide you rom Lhere. 8ecause many OuLlook users have never
used Lasks beore or sLopped using Lhem because Lhey had no working sys-
Lem or using Lhem, well even cover using OuLlook Lasks rom Lhe beginning.
Also, i you are a very experienced OuLlook user or proessional developer
who has used OuLlook or years and knows every single buLLon and command
by hearL, youll sLill beneL rom Lhis book because iL shows you a sysLem or
organizing your work in a more eecLive way. ou mighL also discover some
new ways Lo use Lhe OuLlook uncLions you already know or implemenLing
Lhis sysLem.
xv Introduction
Again, Lhis is not a Lechnical OuLlook manual explaining every uncLion avail-
able, but a Lime managemenL guide or everyone wiLh basic OuLlook knowl-
edge. lLll show you Lhe besL and proven Lime managemenL sLraLegies and
LacLics Lo beLLer organize your work and privaLe lie, ocus on your goals and
mosL imporLanL Lasks Lo achieve whaL maLLers mosL Lo you, and use OuLlook
or your weekly and daily planning.
Hal o Lhis book is abouL Lime managemenL, and hal o iL is abouL using
MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2003, OuLlook 2007, or OuLlook 200 Lo implemenL
whaL youve jusL learned. So iLs noL an OuLlook manual, buL youll sLill learn
some very handy Lechnical Lips and Lricks along Lhe way, such as Lurning o
disLracLing email alerLs, coloring appoinLmenLs in your calendar, lLering views
Lo quickly swiLch beLween all Lasks due Loday, all Lasks or a specic projecL
due anyLime during Lhe nexL Lhree monLhs, or all appoinLmenLs grouped by
locaLion.
how This Book is organized
ln ChapLer , How NoL Lo Drown in Lhe Fmail Flood, youll discover how Lo
sLop being disLracLed by new email messages, how Lo improve your email
wriLing sLyle, how Lo keep your inbox clean and process messages much more
ecienLly, and how Lo le Lhem, geL Lhe imporLanL ones done in Lime, and
also keep Lrack o Lhings you canL do righL away buL will have Lo Lake care o
in a ew weeks or monLhs.
ln ChapLer 2, How Lo Work More FecLively wiLh 1asks and PrioriLies, we
show you how Lo seL prioriLies, gure ouL whaLs mosL imporLanL, and use Lhe
OuLlook Lask lisL in a genuinely eecLive way Lo keep Lrack o everyLhing you
have Lo do. Well also show you how Lo seL lLers Lo ocus on specic Lhings
you wanL Lo see, such as all 4 Lasks or Loday insLead o all 92 or Lhe nexL
ew monLhs.
ln ChapLer 3, How Lo Cain More 1ime or WhaLs FssenLial wiLh an FecLive
Week Planner, youll nd a sysLem LhaL helps you balance Lhe dierenL areas
o your lie beLLer, regularly reserving some Lime or your amily, yoursel, your
healLh, sLraLegic decisions, and your mosL valuable projecLs, even when loLs o
urgenL Lhings are geLLing in your way. oull learn how Lo use OuLlook caL-
egories, group your Lask view by Lopic, and use weekly planning in OuLlook Lo
gain more Lime or whaLs mosL imporLanL aLer youve gured ouL whaL LhaL
is (or which you will need Lo read ChapLer 2 rsL).
xvi Introduction
ChapLer 4, How Lo Make our Daily Planning Work in Real Lie, helps you Lo
plan your day wiLh OuLlook and implemenL your weekly planning as well as
your prioriLies rom ChapLers 2 and 3. oull also discover how Lo display your
appoinLmenLs by ciLy insLead o by daLe (or example, Lo nd ouL when youll
be in Miami or Los Angeles nexL Lime), how Lo auLomaLically highlighL Lasks
LhaL meeL cerLain criLeria wiLh a dierenL color, and how Lo prepare your daily
plans so Lhey sLill work even when Lhe unexpecLed occurs.
ChapLer 5, How Lo Schedule MeeLings So 1hey Are ConvenienL, FecLive, and
Fun, Lakes care o improving your meeLing culLure. how Lo organize meeLings
more ecienLly, how Lo prepare a good meeLing, how Lo nd Lhe righL Limes
wiLh OuLlook and prepare your calendar Lo help oLhers nd suiLable Limes
more easily, and how MicrosoL SharePoinL can help you avoid duplicaLe or
ouLdaLed documenLs or meeLings and quickly nd Lhe righL ones.
ChapLer 6, How Lo Use OneNoLe or WriLing Coals, JoLLing Down ldeas, and
Keeping NoLes, inLroduces you Lo MicrosoL OneNoLe, a greaL companion Lo
complemenL OuLlook or noLes, meeLing minuLes, goals, small projecLs, and
big ideas. oull discover how Lo use OneNoLe, keep Lrack o your noLes, seL
goals, link Lhe sLeps or achieving a goal Lo OuLlook Lasks, and le email mes-
sages or meeLing agendas rom OuLlook Lo OneNoLe Lo Lake addiLional, more
deLailed noLes Lhere.
ChapLer 7, How Lo 1ruly 8eneL rom 1his 8ook, shows you how Lo success-
ully implemenL everyLhing youve learned in Lhe oLher chapLers, and how Lo
seL up an acLion plan Lo Lake a ew minuLes each day or hal an hour a ew
days a week Lo achieve your rsL resulLs very soon and realize big improve-
menLs aLer Lwo Lo ve monLhs.
We recommend LhaL you approach Lhis book chronologically, chapLer by
chapLer. When you have Lhe whole picLure and undersLand how Lhe sysLem
explained in Lhis book works, you can always use Lhe index aL Lhe end o Lhe
book Lo quickly reer Lo any special uncLion or concepL i you need Lo look iL
up again. ou could also sLarL wiLh ChapLer 2, ChapLer 5, or ChapLer 6 insLead
o ChapLer . ou can always swiLch Lhe order and go back laLer, as long as
you read ChapLers 2, 3, and 4 in a row and read ChapLer 7 only aLer youve
read everyLhing else rsL. SLill, we recommend sLarLing wiLh ChapLer , going
chronologically chapLer by chapLer, and nishing wiLh ChapLer 7.
xvii Introduction
additional Video Lessons online
oull nd a complimenLary video course online.
CeL a comprehensive overview o whaL youve learned in Lhis book.
Discover addiLional Lips and Lricks.
See how Lo implemenL Lhe sysLem rom Lhis book in ull-color OuLlook
screen-capLure videos.
1hese video lessons are ree or all readers o Lhis book. 1heyll show you how
Lo beLLer organize your Lask lisL, your calendar, and your inbox and how Lo use
Lhe sysLem rom Lhis book in OuLlook. 1hey also include some addiLional Lips
and Lricks.
1o claim your complimenLary video course now, jusL go Lo
www.technoproductivity.com/outlook-2007 (videos or OuLlook 2007,
mosL o Lhe Lhings shown also work wiLh OuLlook 2003)
or
www.technoproductivity.com/outlook-2010 (videos or OuLlook 200)
how to get Support & Provide Feedback
1he ollowing secLions provide inormaLion on erraLa, book supporL, eedback,
and conLacL inormaLion.
Errata & Book Support
Weve made every eorL Lo ensure Lhe accuracy o Lhis book and iLs compan-
ion conLenL. Any errors LhaL have been reporLed since Lhis book was published
are lisLed on our MicrosoL Press siLe aL oreilly.com.
http://go.microsoft.com/FWLink/?Linkid=227512
l you nd an error LhaL is noL already lisLed, you can reporL iL Lo us Lhrough
Lhe same page.
l you need addiLional supporL, email MicrosoL Press 8ook SupporL aL
mspinput@microsoft.com.
Please noLe LhaL producL supporL or MicrosoL soLware is noL oered
Lhrough Lhe addresses above.
xviii Introduction
we want to hear from You
AL MicrosoL Press, your saLisacLion is our Lop prioriLy and your eedback our
mosL valuable asseL. Please Lell us whaL you Lhink o Lhis book aL
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1
CHAPTER 1
THESE DAYS, oce workers spend an average o Lwo hours per day
processing email. DespiLe Lhe enormous advanLages Lhis Lype o com-
municaLion provides, many o us consider iL a monsLer LhaL leads Lo
disLracLion, misundersLanding, sLress, and even more problems down
Lhe road. ou will spend much o your Lime in MicrosoL OuLlook work-
ing wiLh email, which is enough o a reason Lo devoLe Lhe rsL chapLer
Lo LacLics and meLhods or solving mail problems. ou will learn how
OuLlook supporLs you, and we will share Lips and Lricks Lo help you e-
cienLly handle elecLronic mail.
how Not to Drown in
the Email Flood
Youve got junk...!
IN THIS CHAPTER, YOU WILL
Disable new email notifcation.
Create an appointment or a task
from an email message.
Create a new contact entry for
the sender of an email message.
Create tasks and appointments
from individual parts of a longer
email message.
Insert multiple email mes-
sages into existing tasks and
appointments.
Set up new folders.
Create your own search folders.
2 Chapter 1 How Not to Drown in the Email Flood
ROBINS EvERYDAY FRUSTRATIONS DURING THE PROCESSING OF EMAIL
AcLually, Robin Wood wanLed Lo be done wiLh his monLhly reporL or his manager an
hour ago, buL well, Lhe liLLle deskLop alerL window keeps popping up Lo announce a
new message again and again. Fach Lime he Lhinks, 1his mighL be imporLanL! buL so
ar iL hasnL been, noL Loday, noL yeL. Hmm, now LhaL lve goL Lhe message open any-
way, l mighL as well answer really quick. No sooner LhoughL Lhan done. FiLeen minuLes
laLer, he nds himsel back in ronL o his reporL. WaiL a minuLe...where was l lL Lakes
him a momenL Lo geL Lhe hang o Lhose numbers again
A liLLle while laLer, a new message is announced. NoL again! Robin grumbles. esLer-
day an especially avorable oer or a smarLphone LhaL could also be used privaLely
was senL Lo all employees. Since Lhen, Lhis is Lhe 8Lh message in which somebody has
senL order inormaLion or an inquiry noL jusL Lo Lhe originaLor o Lhe oer buL also Lo all
oLher recipienLs o Lhe original message by inadverLenLly hiLLing Reply All, Lhus add-
ing Lo Lhe oLher senseless junk in Lheir inboxes. Well, aL leasL iLs kind o inLeresLing Lo
see whos ordering Lhe phone, and whaL quesLions Lhey are asking, even Lhough lve
already owned iL or Lhree weeks now and donL really have Lo decide wheLher Lo geL iL
or noL So he reads Lhe enLire message beore deleLing iL.
JusL beore lunch, he is nally done wiLh Lhe reporL. 8eore heading o Lo Lhe caeLeria,
he quickly goes Lhrough his laLesL messages. His Leam leader is poliLely reminding him
LhaL she had asked him Lo revise a documenL concerning Lhe Lrade show preparaLion
and Lo send iL back Lo her Lwo weeks ago. 1ime is running shorL. Ooops, draL! He
had LoLally orgoLLen abouL LhaL. He scrolls abouL 30 messages down, and Lhere iL is.
Lhe requesL or a review Lwo weeks ago, which he hadnL been able Lo work on righL
awayaLer all, back Lhen he sLill had 0 days Lo do iL. And Lhen, unorLunaLely, he had
compleLely overlooked iL siLLing Lhere in his crowded inbox. Hell Lake care o iL righL
aLer lunch, even i Lhere are oLher pressing issues.
How Not to Drown in the Email Flood Chapter 1 3
1he mosL ubiquiLous and worsL problems wiLh email have Lhe ollowing causes.
Constant interruptions ou requenLly wanL Lo respond righL away when noLic-
ing a new message. Maybe ouL o curiosiLy, or maybe because iL represenLs a
welcome disLracLion rom such boring Lasks as crunching endless columns o
numbers. Or maybe you jusL eel like you have Lo do righL by everyone and answer
immediaLely.
Sending junk to others How oLen do you geL messages LhaL are only slighLly
relevanL Lo your work or have noLhing Lo do wiLh iL aL all and donL require any
kind o answer or response rom you How oLen do you puL an addiLional Lhree
people on Lhe recipienL line jusL in case Lhey mighL be inLeresLed Once in a while,
Lhis Lriggers a veriLable answer maraLhon.
Unclear formulation CerLain issues mighL be as clear as day Lo Lhe sender, buL
Lhey may noL be as obvious Lo Lhe recipienL and donL become clear in Lhe message
body eiLher. For example. Would be nice i we could sLill inLegraLe FeaLure XbuL
maybe LhaLs Loo complex. ls LhaL an idea, a quesLion abouL wheLher someLhing is
possible, an indirecL commenL LhaL Lhe person responsible isnL qualied Lo do iL, a
suggesLion LhaL iL should be leL ouL, or a kind plea Lo inLegraLe Lhe eaLure
The emotional factor ln comparison Lo oLher orms o communicaLion, email
seems Lo be virLually preprogrammed or misundersLandings. lLs hard Lo geL an
underLone or Longue-in-cheek meaning across, you canL see Lhe acial expressions
or gesLures o your counLerparL, and you are delivering a relaLively long mono-
logue wiLhouL Lhe opLion o immediaLely inquiring abouL or responding Lo ambi-
guiLies or oLher problems. Have you ever spenL Lwo hours wriLing an angry answer
Lo an email message LhaL resulLed in an escalaLion o Lhe discussion Or decided Lo
discard an angry answer insLead o sending iL aLer spending an hour wriLing iL
Answering without thinking frst SomeLimes we swiLch Lo response mode, be-
cause iL jusL seems so much quicker LhaL way. 8uL we end up invesLigaLing issues or
Lriggering discussions LhaL are acLually irrelevanL. Or we provoke mulLiple inquiries
or superuous (re)work, because in our rush Lo answer we orgeL Lo include cerLain
inormaLion.
Insuffcient order leading to the data graveyard Did you ever orgeL Lo answer
an imporLanL message or aL Lhe crucial momenL discover LhaL you were unable Lo
locaLe essenLial inormaLion Some people have more Lhan 500 or even Lhousands
o messages in Lheir inbox. Fven Lhough Lhe search uncLion or a good memory
(DidnL Lisa Miller send a requesL concerning projecL X a couple o weeks ago)
can help in 90 percenL o Lhe cases, Lhe remaining 0 percenL o open quesLions
and pending issues are buried under a mounLain o junk.
Lets get Started and Change This!
1he ollowing sLeps will help you manage your daily email ood.
DonL allow yoursel Lo geL disLracLed. Answer consciously, and Lhink abouL your
answers rsL insLead o responding immediaLely Lo each message.
Send Lhe message only Lo recipienLs who really need iL.
WriLe in a recipienL-orienLed ashion. Make sure your communicaLion is clear and
unambiguous.
CreaLe a sysLem or processing incoming email. Keep Lrack o ollow-up acLiviLies
so Lhey are available when required. Know where Lo nd saved inormaLion quickly
and reliably. WiLh a biL o pracLice and a ew weeks o geLLing used Lo Lhe sysLem,
preLLy soon you wonL orgeL Lhings any longer.
Use a sysLem Lo keep your inbox in order. Keep no more Lhan 30 messages in your
inboxand you will always keep Lrack.
ln Lhis chapLer, you will nd Lime-LesLed Lips and meLhods Lo do Lhis and learn how
OuLlook can supporL you perecLly.
it's Not the Email Messages, its how
we handle Them
Now LhaL weve named Lhe problems LhaL prevenL us rom working eecLively, leLs nd
Lheir causes. WhaL is our parL in Lhe problems Are we causing Lhem or making Lhem
worse l we canL prevenL or eliminaLe Lhem, we musL accepL Lhem and change our way
o handling Lhem.
Dont Let Yourself get Distracted
LeLs sLarL wiLh Lhe disLracLions. Do you really need Lo check email consLanLly and answer
righL away wiLhouL nishing oLher Lasks in peace Or could iL jusL be a bad or debiliLaL-
ing habiL Or maybe iLs a subconscious aLLempL Lo dodge Lhe Lask aL hand WhaL would
be Lhe worsL Lhing LhaL could happen i you simply ignored Lhe inbox or Lhe nexL Lwo
hours Usually Lhe answer is NoLhing. On Lhe conLrary. you mighL jusL be able Lo nally
nish LhaL monLhly reporLand you would no longer have LhaL queasy eeling in your
sLomach.
8uL whaL i your manager needs an answer righL away and now shes going Lo geL iL Lwo
hours laLe Well, i you donL always answer every message wiLhin 3 minuLes (and who
can do LhaL on a conLinuous basis), your manager should realize LhaL Lhe issue can eiLher
waiL or LhaL she has Lo call you on Lhe phone Lo geL an answer.
Educate Pushy Senders
ln urgenL cases, a phone call is Lhe beLLer choice anyway. an immediaLe dialogue LhaL
allows boLh o you Lo answer direcLly, insLead o a series o alLernaLing email monologues
wiLh waiL Limes in beLween. Unless your job is Lo respond quickly Lo inquiries via live chaL
or email as parL o a supporL or cusLomer service Leam, iLs absurd Lo expecL immediaLe
answers Lo email messages. 1hereore, i somebody is pushy or complains, ask him or her
poliLely Lo jusL give you a call nexL Lime, i iLs urgenL. ou could use Lhe argumenL LhaL a
phone call would also leL Lhe inquirer nd ouL wheLher you are even available aL LhaL Lime.
NOTE our company mighL have specic policies as Lo Lhe Lime rame in which
Lo answer email messages, or you can seL LhaL Lime rame yoursel and leL
your email conLacLs know whaL iL is, such as 48 hours aL mosL. 8uL make
sure Lo adhere Lo Lhis Lime rame. 1ake noLe o Lhe ollowing.
1urn on your ouL-o-oce noLicaLion i you are Laking a ew days o
or won'L be able Lo answer messages wiLhin Lhe promised Lime rame.
1hink o all evenLualiLies. lLs besL Lo granL a represenLaLive (a col-
league or assisLanL, or example) access Lo your inbox, in case you
suddenly geL sick. Make sure Lo leL cerLain conLacLs know Lhis, i you
are expecLing condenLial email messages.
Disable New Email Notifcation
1urn o Lhe noLicaLion or newly arrived messages. lL will only disLracL you, worsL case,
iL mighL moLivaLe you Lo inLerrupL and posLpone an imporLanL buL unpleasanL Lask yeL
again. Fven i you only Lake Lwo Lo our minuLes Lo answer a message in beLween, iL
will enormously slow down Lasks LhaL require your ull concenLraLion over an exLended
period. For each inLerrupLion o more Lhan a ew seconds, you will have Lo invesL a ew
minuLes more Lo reach ull concenLraLion again and geL back Lo working aL Lhe same
speed as beore.
l you are expecLing an urgenL and imporLanL message LhaL is o Lhe highesL prioriLy
because you require iL Lo conLinue your work, you mighL wanL Lo ask Lhe sender Lo ol-
low up aLer Lhe Lime-sensiLive message has been senL, or example wiLh a phone call or
LexL message (called SMS in some parLs o Furope). 1his is a beLLer opLion Lhan leLLing
Its Not the Email Messages, Its How We Handle Them Chapter 1 5
yoursel geL inLerrupLed by every newsleLLer or junk mail message or Lhe nexL ve hours,
or checking every Lwo minuLes Lo see wheLher Lhe message has come in yeL, because you
will always nd anoLher subjecL in your inbox LhaL will disLracL you. ou could also agree
wiLh Lhe sender on a Lime when Lhe message should arrive. 1his way you will noL need Lo
check beorehand.
how to disable the visual and/or acoustic new email notifcation
1. MicrosoL OuLlook 200. Click Options on Lhe File Lab Lo display Lhe Outlook
Options dialog box, as shown in Figure -.
MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2007/MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2003. On Lhe Tools
menu, selecL Options.
2. OuLlook 200. ln Lhe leL pane o Lhe Outlook Options dialog box, click Mail.
OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003. On Lhe Settings Lab, click Email Options.
3. OuLlook 200. Clear all check boxes in Lhe Message Arrival pane.
OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003. ln Lhe Email Options dialog box, click Advanced
Email Options. Clear all check boxes in Lhe Upon arrival of new items in the
Inbox pane (or aL leasL clear Show Desktop Notifcations and Play a Sound).
4. Close all dialog boxes by clicking OK.
FIGURE 1-1 DonL leL yoursel geL disLracLed by each new messageLurn o noLiicaLions.
how to disable the automatic downloading of new messages
l you wanL Lo nally work Lhrough all Lhe exisLing messages in your inbox wiLhouL re-
ceiving new ones, as long as you are noL expliciLly calling Lhem up via Send/Receive All
Folders or Send/Receive, you can avoid receiving new messages alLogeLher.
ln OuLlook 200, click Send/Receive Groups in Lhe Send & Receive group on Lhe
Send/Receive Lab, and Lhen selecL Disable Scheduled Send/Receive.
ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, do Lhe ollowing.
1. On Lhe Tools menu, click Options.
2. On Lhe Mail Setup or Email Setup Lab, click Lhe Send/Receive buLLon, and in Lhe
Transfer Groups dialog box, under Settings for group All Accounts and un-
der In Offine Mode, clear Lhe Automatic Transfer Every x Minutes check box.
l you have seL up several groups, you need Lo perorm Lhis sLep or each group.
3. Close all dialog boxes by clicking Close or OK.
Process Email Messages in Blocks
1hink abouL how oLen you really need Lo check your inbox or new messages. MosL peo-
ple inLuiLively check iL much Loo oLen. WouldnL iL be enough Lo devoLe one hour Lwice
a day, 40 minuLes Lhree Limes a day, or 30 minuLes our Limes a day Lo handling email
(ou will nd more inormaLion abouL Lhe advanLages o organizing blocks o Lasks or
processing in ChapLer 4, How Lo Make our Daily Planning Work in Real Lie.)
WHAT IS A BLOCK?
ln Lhe conLexL o Lime managemenL, a block is a specic amounL o Lime you
seL aside Lo bundle LogeLher a loL o small Lasks or processing all aL once
or example, you could schedule yoursel Lo Lake care o all o your email
and reLurn calls rom P.M. unLil 2 P.M. 8y doing so, you wonL be consLanLly
inLerrupLed while doing larger Lasks, Laking a small break and Lhen making a
call, Lhen anoLher one. More imporLanLly, youll be able Lo ocus on Lhe big
and imporLanL Lasks insLead o always Lhinking Oh, lve goL Lo squeeze in nine
calls somewhereyoull have a whole hour rom P.M. unLil 2 P.M. Lo Lake
care o LhaL.
1he creaLion o blocks is especially helpul when processing email messages. Unimpor-
LanL messages can be answered asLer or deleLed immediaLely. 1en more messages aLer
Lhis one. ikes, l sLill have oLher Lhings on my plaLe, buL Lhis one isnL even imporLanL. So
lll keep iL shorL and hurry up. (ou'll learn more abouL Lhe DANF SysLem or processing
email messages in Lhe secLion Keep our lnbox in Order laLer in Lhis chapLer.)
SomeLimes hours o waiLing Lime unLil your nexL email block sLarLs, added Lo your normal
response Lime, can even lead Lo ewer incoming messages, because your colleagues may
nd iL quicker Lo research cerLain inormaLion by Lhemselves, insLead o sending a mes-
sage Lo you.
Break Your response Pattern
1his nexL Lip may iniLially Lake a biL o Lime, buL you will recover Lhe invesLed Lime
elsewhere. 8eore answering an email, pause or Lhree seconds and lisLen Lo yoursel.
FvaluaLe your emoLional sLaLe Lo deLermine wheLher you can answer neuLrally. l you are
angry, irriLaLed, scared, very nervous, or a liLLle conused, waiL a while beore you answer,
i aL all possible. Ask yoursel. Why is Lhis inquiry in my inbox, who senL iL, whaL happens
i l send a shorL reply now, is email Lruly Lhe righL answer medium
MosL o Lhe Lime, you will reply in a similar way as beorejusL a liLLle more deliberaLely.
Once in a while, however, you will discover LhaL Lhese quesLions lead Lo a noLiceable
improvemenL. SomeLimes even a mail maraLhon, which could drag on or hours and over
several email messages, can be prevenLed wiLh a Lwo-minuLe phone conversaLion.
l you wanL Lo call Lhe sender (or a recipienL) o an email, buL he or she has noL added
a signaLure wiLh a phone number, you donL need Lo swiLch Lo your conLacLs Lo reLrieve
Lhe required inormaLion. Simply righL-click Lhe person's address in Lhe preview window
(or in Lhe open message) in Lhe From, 1o, Cc, or 8cc eld. l your Contacts older conLains
phone numbers or Lhis person, Lhey will be displayed in Lhe shorLcuL menu, as shown in
Figure -2. (Depending on your OuLlook version and sysLem seLLings, you may need Lo
click 8usiness Card or Look Up OuLlook ConLacL rsL.)
FIGURE 1-2 ln Lhe shorLcuL menu, you can selecL Lhe business card or Lhe phone number or open all
saved conLacL daLa or Lhe conLacL.
View Current Sender information with a Mouse-Click: The outlook 2010
Social Connector
OuLlook 200 shows you currenL inormaLion abouL Lhe sender and Lhe recipienLs o Lhe
acLive message direcLly below Lhe message in Lhe so-called Social ConnecLor (see Figure
-3), so you donL have Lo do a search. ln OuLlook 2003 and OuLlook 2007, Lhis personal
conLacL area is noL available ouL o Lhe box, buL MicrosoL provides iL as a ree download
called Lhe OuLlook Social ConnecLor or upgrading Lhose earlier versions o OuLlook.
l you are looking aL an email message in Lhe reading pane or (by double-clicking iL) in iLs
own window, OuLlook displays a miniaLure phoLo o Lhe sender in Lhe lower-leL corner
o Lhe reading pane, assuming LhaL such a phoLo exisLs in your daLa (oLherwise an empLy
silhoueLLe is displayed), and Lhe sender name nexL Lo iL (see Figure -2 shown earlier).
On Lhe righL border, Lhe phoLos/silhoueLLes o all Lhe oLher mail recipienLs are displayed,
and Lo Lhe righL o Lhem youll see a small upward-poinLing arrow. l you poinL Lo one o
Lhese phoLos wiLhouL clicking iL, OuLlook shows Lhe name o LhaL person and (i iL exisLs
in your conLacLs) his or her job LiLle and company name. ou can click Lhe arrow head or
a phoLo Lo view an enlarged version o Lhe Social ConnecLor.
ALer you have clicked a persons picLure or name, you can selecL LhaL persons available
daLa Lo Lhe righL o his or her phoLo. For example, OuLlook can nd Lhe conLacL's upcom-
ing meeLings, email messages you have received rom Lhe conLacL, or only email aLLach-
menLs rom LhaL conLacL. Clicking Lhe respecLive iLem opens iL direcLly.
FIGURE 1-3 CurrenL inormaLion is always aL hand wiLh Lhe Social ConnecLor in OuLlook 200.
ou can also view RSS eeds and sLaLus updaLes rom Lhe social neLworks o Lhis person
and add Lhis person Lo your own social neLworks by using Lhe Add command below Lhe
persons phoLo. For example, you may nd a new clienL via his email address aL Linkedln,
add him Lo your Linkedln conLacLs, and rom Lhere imporL his company, mailing address,
and phone number inLo OuLlook. l your business parLners are using Lhe sLaLus enLries on
social neLworks, you can also see who has become a new parenL, or who is on vacaLion
or a business Lrip in a dierenL Lime zone and can Lhereore only be reached in Lhe eve-
ning. O course, Lhis only works i all parLies involved are revealing Lhis kind o (personal)
inormaLion publicly and are conLinuing Lo mainLain Lheir social neLwork pages. Make
sure Lo seL an inormaLion limiL or yoursel LhaL makes sense. WhaL do you wanL Lo know
abouL which person OLherwise you wonL geL any work done due Lo all Lhe Facebook
and 1wiLLer updaLes you are receiving, and you may noL be able Lo pull yoursel away
rom Lhe compuLer during your Lime o, eiLher
AvOID UNNECESSARY MESSAGES WITH THE TEAM FUNCTIONS OF
OUTLOOK AND SHAREPOINT
lnsLead o conducLing all communicaLion via email, iL can be helpul Lo save
dened reporLs (such as projecL sLaLus reporLs, agendas, and meeLing logs) aL
cenLral locaLions aL predeLermined Limes. ou can do Lhis by using a MicrosoL
SharePoinL siLe on your organizaLion's inLraneL.
ou can nd ouL more abouL Lhe Leam uncLions o OuLlook and SharePoinL in
ChapLer 5, How Lo Schedule MeeLings So 1hey Are ConvenienL, FecLive, and
Fun.
When a colleague sends you an email message requesLing Lhe Lelephone number
o a conLacL, Lhe simplesL and quickesL Lhing would seem Lo be Lo answer him
righL away wiLh Lhe requesLed number. However, Lhis is noL necessarily Lhe besL
soluLion.
l you requenLly nd yoursel in Lhis kind o siLuaLion, you should ask yoursel
why. Maybe Lhere is no cenLral address managemenL. l you creaLe and mainLain
a public conLacLs older or address lisL on a SharePoinL siLe wiLh daLa abouL your
conLacLs or Lhe Leam, you will save Lime and geL inLerrupLed less oLen, because
Lhe people who would normally send you email messages can jusL look or Lhe
answer Lhemselves and nd iL quickly.
Keep Your inbox in order
1he rsL sLep on Lhe way Lo an empLyor aL leasL orderlyinbox is Lo build blocks o
email messages, which allows you Lo work more producLively already. 1he second sLep is
Lhe consequenL and disciplined use o a sysLem Lo process Lhe messages in Lhe block.
1he minimum number o remaining messages you end up wiLh in your inbox aL Lhe
end o an email block or work day will vary. Depending on Lhe Lype o business you are
in, your way o working, and your posiLion and corporaLe culLure, 20 messages mighL
already be a greaL resulL. OLher users in cerLain working environmenLs may geL down Lo
ve or even no remaining messages. As long as you have no more Lhan 20 Lo 30 mes-
sages in your inbox, you can reLain an overview and quickly nd whaL you need. And,
lasL buL noL leasL, iL will jusL make you eel calmer, which is much beLLer Lhan Lhe sLress o
having a mounLain o daLa wiLh 2584 messages, giving you a guilLy conscience because
iLs so hard Lo nd Lhings in Lhere.
Keep Your Inbox in Order Chapter 1 11
Process Your Email Block with the DaNF System
Maybe you remember Lhe old saying abouL how Lo reduce Lhe amounL o papers on your
desk. Pick up each piece o paper only once. 1his is also a good guideline regarding
email. Many messages can be processed when you read Lhem or Lhe rsL Lime, oLhers
may require Lwo or Lhree sLeps. 1hereore, when you sLarL wiLh your email block, go
Lhrough all messages one aLer Lhe oLher and evaluaLe Lhem according Lo Lhe ollowing
aspecLs and quesLions (DeleLe, AcL Now, File or Lhe DANF System, or shorL).
Delete it 8eing able Lo deleLe incoming messages saves Lhe mosL Lime. DeleLe as
many as possible as quickly as possible. 1he rsL quesLion you should ask yoursel
is. Can l deleLe Lhis mail wiLhouL hesiLaLion FrequenLly, a quick look aL Lhe sender
and Lhe subjecL line is enough Lo make Lhis decision.
Act Now Work on imporLanL and urgenL messages immediaLely when you sLarL
working your email block. Do Lhe same or small issues LhaL only Lake Lhree Lo our
minuLes Lo process. l you leave Lhese messages or laLer, Lhey may pile up end-
lessly and iLll Lake more Lhan an hour Lo caLch up aLer Lwo days. Planning a uLure
deadline, creaLing a Lask or Laking care o small issues, or looking aL Lhem mulLiple
Limes in a lisL o small sLu sLill pending will end up cosLing you more Lime and
energy Lhan Laking care o Lhem immediaLely. ALer all, you don'L need Lo inLer-
rupL a dierenL Lask, because your currenL Lask is Laking care o your email block.
1hereore, hurry up and geL rid o Lhemdoing so will Lake you one sLep closer Lo
an (almosL) empLy inbox.
File for later l iL looks like processing Lhe message will Lake more Lhan ve min-
uLes, and iL doesnL require immediaLe aLLenLion, le iL inLo your older sLrucLure.
8uL make sure you save iL in such a way LhaL you can Lake care o iL Lhe nexL Lime
you click iLand LhaL you will nd iL again when you need iL. (ou can learn more
abouL older sLrucLures in CreaLe and Use our Own Folder SLrucLure laLer in Lhis
chapLer.)
IMPORTANT When you are eecLively dealing wiLh Lhe message ood, Lhe DeleLe key
is your besL riend and mosL imporLanL ally! lL's also Lhere Lo assisL you on
your 8lack8erry.
ou can also use Lhe our prioriLy levels o Lhe Fisenhower diagram (see ChapLer 2, How
Lo Work More FecLively wiLh 1asks and PrioriLies) or messages you are noL working on
immediaLely. Check wheLher Lhere are Lhree appropriaLe olders LhaL work or you (deleLe
quadranL 4 or D messages righL away). ou can process Lhese olders aL predeLermined
Limes or in Lhe conLexL o your email block aLer you have compleLely processed all
newly received messages. Plan or Laking care o very imporLanL and urgenL PrioriLy-/A/
quadranL messages by making an appoinLmenL wiLh yoursel in your calendar i you are
unable Lo work on Lhem immediaLely.
l you aren'L sure wheLher you can deleLe a message righL away.
Ask yoursel wheLher iL requires a response, ollow-up acLiviLy, or simple answer on
your parL (and wheLher iL is really necessary).
l noL. Ask yoursel wheLher you will need Lhis message laLer on Lo look up inor-
maLion conLained wiLhin iL, and wheLher you would nd Lhis message again using
your search criLeria.
l noL. DeleLe Lhe message.
CAUTION Make sure you adhere Lo your companys policies regarding archiving
and sLorage o email messages. Maybe you are noL allowed Lo perma-
nenLly deleLe some (or, in exLreme cases, all) o Lhe messages Lhis book is
Lelling you Lo deleLe. ln Lhis case, creaLe a older called Compost, Garbage
Archive, or someLhing similar, inLo which you can move Lhe messages
whenever we recommend deleLing.
File Email Messages accordingly
1o keep your inbox organized, ollow Lhese Lhree guidelines.
1he required ollow-up acLiviLy is clear or Lhis message conLains inormaLion LhaL
perLains Lo a specic appoinLmenL or deadline. ConverL Lhe mail inLo a Lask or
appoinLmenL.
1he message requires an answer aL a specic Lime in Lhe uLure or urLher process-
ing sLeps. Save Lhe message in your older sLrucLure and ag iL or uLure process-
ing (see Lhe secLion Flag Lhe Messages ou SLill Need Lo Work On laLer in Lhis
chapLer).
No answer or oLher ollow-up acLiviLy is required o you, buL you wanL Lo save Lhe
message or look-up laLer on. File iL in your older sLrucLure.
Convert Email Messages into Tasks and appointments
SomeLimes an email message is noLhing more Lhan a Lask (or several) LhaL you need Lo
perorm. OLhers represenL appoinLmenLs (Lhese also include ighL or hoLel conrmaLions)
or addiLional inormaLion abouL an appoinLmenL (such as an agenda or driving direcLions).
l you are sending such messages yoursel, iL may be more pracLical Lo use a meeLing re-
quesL (Lo seL up or updaLe appoinLmenLs, see ChapLer 5) or use Lhe OuLlook uncLions or
assigning a Lask Lo oLhers. l you do iL LhaL way, Lhe recipienL jusL has Lo click one buLLon
Lo save Lhe message in his Lask lisL or calendar.
CAUTION 8e careul when using Lhe eaLure Lo assign a Lask Lo someone else.
CreaLing and delegaLing an OuLlook Lask can seem auLhoriLarian or pre-
sumpLuous Lo clienLs, colleagues, and managers in oLher deparLmenLs or
companies. l you are noL sure how your Lask delegaLion (or example,
sending required daLa) will be received, iLs beLLer Lo wriLe a regular
email message.
l you receive such a message as a plain email message, you should converL iL inLo a Lask
or appoinLmenL so LhaL you can nd iL again quickly when you need iL.
how to create an appointment or a task from an email message
1. RighL-click Lhe message in your inbox and keep Lhe mouse buLLon pressed.
2. Drag Lhe message Lo Lhe Tasks or Calendar group buLLon aL Lhe boLLom o Lhe
navigaLion pane, and release Lhe mouse buLLon.
3. ln Lhe shorLcuL menu LhaL is now displayed, click on Lhe acLion you wanL. or ex-
ample, selecL Move Here as Task with Attachment (see Figure -4). 1his auLo-
maLically removes Lhe email message rom your inbox.
FIGURE 1-4 Move email messages by dragging Lhem inLo Lhe Lask lisL.
We recommend LhaL you copy or move Lhe email message as a Lask wiLh aLLach-
menL (insLead o wiLh LexL). Copying as a Lask wiLh LexL inserLs Lhe enLire conLenL
o Lhe email message (including headers, such as Lhe sender) as LexL inLo Lhe noLe
pane o Lhe Lask. lnserLing an email message as a Lask wiLh aLLachmenL has Lhe
disadvanLage LhaL you canL read Lhe LexL immediaLely buL need Lo double-click
Lhe inserLed leLLer icon insLead. However, Lhis meLhod allows you Lo aLLach several
messages aL Lhe same Lime, represenLed in a compacL ashion. ou can keep
Lhe original message wiLh all iLs picLures and aLLachmenLs (which are removed
i you do a copy as LexL). ALer double-clicking Lhe aLLachmenL, you can also use
Lhe Reply, Forward, and Reply All uncLions in exacLly Lhe same way as i you
had opened Lhe message in your inboxor as i you had puL Lhe message inLo
a ollow-up le and given iL a daLe, a prioriLy and, i necessary, a reminder. lL will
laLer show up in your Lasks. More abouL Lhis in Lhe nexL chapLers.
4. OuLlook opens a new Lask orm and auLomaLically uses Lhe email message subjecL.
CompleLe Lhe enLry by adding a due daLe and dene a reminder i necessary.
5. Save and close Lhe new Lask by clicking Lhe appropriaLe buLLon.
how to quickly create a new contact entry for the sender of an email message
1. While keeping Lhe leL mouse buLLon pressed, simply drag Lhe enLire email mes-
sage onLo Lhe Contacts group buLLon aL Lhe boLLom o Lhe navigaLion pane (in
Lhis case, you wanL Lo copy Lhe LexL).
OuLlook creaLes a new conLacL. lL auLomaLically uses Lhe sender's address and
name rom Lhe message, and Lhe enLire LexL o Lhe original mail is displayed in Lhe
noLe box.
2. SelecL Lhe enLire LexL excepL or Lhe signaLure.
3. Press DeleLe Lo deleLe Lhe LexL, so LhaL only Lhe signaLure is leL.
4. SelecL Lhe company name (by double-clicking iL i iLs jusL one word, Lriple-clicking
iL Lo selecL Lhe enLire row, or jusL clicking in ronL o Lhe rsL word and dragging
over Lhe whole company name unLil you reach Lhe end o Lhe name).
5. Click Lhe selecLed LexL and drag Lhe company name onLo Lhe Company LexL box.
6. RepeaL sLeps 4 and 5 or all oLher relevanL daLa, such as phone numbers.
7. ALer you have Lranserred Lhe daLa (and deleLed any superuous daLa), save and
close Lhe new conLacL by clicking Lhe corresponding buLLon.
CreaLe an enLry in your OuLlook conLacLs or each conLacL LhaL mighL be relevanL or you.
ALer you have pracLiced Lhis process a ew Limes, iL only Lakes a ew seconds Lo creaLe
a new conLacL rom an email message wiLh a signaLure. 1he advanLages o enLering Lhe
conLacLs are.
l Lhe phone number or email address has been updaLed, you can always nd
Lhe currenL daLa in your conLacLs (unlike in older messages LhaL have Lhe wrong
number).
ou no longer need Lo search Lhrough dozens o messages i Lhe sender does noL
conLinue Lo send Lhe address daLa he senL in Lhe rsL mail.
1he conLacL daLa will also be available in prinLed address lisLs and or your iPhone
or 8lack8erry, i you need iL while you are Lraveling.
ou can provide your colleagues wiLh Lhe conLacL daLa by placing iL inLo a public
or shared older.
how to create tasks and appointments from individual parts
of a longer email message
l an email message conLains mulLiple paragraphs, each o which represenLs an individual
Lask or appoinLmenL, do Lhe ollowing.
1. SelecL Lhe respecLive secLions.
2. Release Lhe mouse buLLon, poinL Lo Lhe selecLed LexL, and click iL again.
3. Drag Lhe selecLion Lo Lhe corresponding group buLLon in Lhe navigaLion pane
Tasks or Calendarand release Lhe mouse buLLon.
OuLlook opens a new appoinLmenL/Lask orm and enLers Lhe selecLed LexL inLo Lhe
noLe eld o Lhe new enLry.
4. Add a meaningul subjecL line and urLher inormaLion, i necessary.
5. Save and close Lhe new Lask or appoinLmenL by clicking Lhe corresponding buLLon.
how to insert multiple email messages into existing tasks and appointments
ou can also append individual or mulLiple messages (as well as appoinLmenLs, Lasks,
conLacLs, and noLes) Lo already-enLered appoinLmenLs, Lasks, and conLacLs. ou mighL
wanL Lo do Lhis wiLh a message LhaL conLains access daLa or a phone conerence and
Lwo messages wiLh Lhe new documenLs Lo be discussed Lhere.
1. Open Lhe enLry by double-clicking Lhe appoinLmenL in Lhe calendar.
2. OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007. ln Lhe appoinLmenL orm, selecL Lhe Insert Lab, and
in Lhe Include group selecL Lhe Outlook Item command (see Figure -5).
OuLlook 2003. On Lhe Insert menu, selecL Lhe Item command.
FIGURE 1-5 lnserL email messages inLo appoinLmenLs and Lasks Lo view Lhe daLa where iL belongs.
3. ln Lhe Insert Item dialog box, selecL Lhe corresponding older in Lhe Look in box
and Lhen selecL Lhe message you wanL in Lhe Items box.
4. Click OK Lo inserL Lhe message.
5. Save and close Lhe changed appoinLmenL.
how to use a fag to mark an email message as a task in
outlook 2010/outlook 2007
1. RighL-click in Lhe column wiLh Lhe ag (fag status).
2. Use Lhe shorLcuL menu Lo assign a due daLe (Today, Tomorrow, and so on).
1his auLomaLically Lransers Lhe email message as a Lask inLo your 1o-Do LisL (see
ChapLer 2) and Lhus inLo Lhe 1ask LisL (see ChapLer 3, How Lo Cain More 1ime or WhaL's
FssenLial wiLh an FecLive Week Planner, and ChapLer 4). 8y using Lhe shorLcuL menu, you
can also ag Lhe message as Laken care o, deleLe Lhe ag, or add a reminder (an alarm,
which in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 is also displayed when you move Lhe message rom
your inbox inLo a dierenL older).
WiLh Lhe SeL uick Click command in Lhe shorLcuL menu, you can speciy Lhe uncLion
o Lhe ag when Lhe column is clicked (or insLance, seLLing Lhe due daLe Lo 1omorrow
or 1oday). ALer you have done Lhis, only a single click in Lhe ag column will Lhen be
enough Lo mark Lhe message as a Lask LhaL is due Lomorrow. AnoLher click marks Lhe
email (and Lhereore Lhe corresponding Lask) as compleLed. 1he ags will even carry over
Lo your 8lack8erry. l you use 8lack8erry OS 5 (inLroduced in 2009 wiLh Lhe 8lack8erry
8old 9700) or higher versions, you can also ag your messages on Lhe 8lack8erry. Flags
seL Lhere will also appear in OuLlook and vice versa.
1his meLhod has Lhe ollowing advanLages compared Lo dragging an email message onLo
Lhe 1asks group buLLon (as described earlier in Lhis secLion).
When you swiLch Lo your Lasks, OuLlook shows Lhe original email message direcLly
in your 1o-Do lisL. l you mark Lhe email as compleLed in any email older, you are
also marking Lhe Lask as compleLedand i you check o Lhe message as com-
pleLed in Lhe 1o-Do lisL in Lhe 1asks view, you are also marking Lhe email message
in your inbox (and any oLher older) as compleLed. l you deleLe Lhe email rom Lhe
1o-Do lisL or Lhe email lisL, iL also geLs deleLed rom Lhe oLher locaLion.
WiLhouL any addiLional sLeps, you can now sorL or lLer your Lask lisL by Lhe lcon
eld (see ChapLer 2) Lo display Lhe email messages always aL Lhe boLLom or noL aL
all in cerLain views, or maybe only Lhe messages buL no regular Lasks.
1he drag-and-drop meLhod o converLing email messages inLo Lasks, which already ex-
isLed in previous versions o OuLlook, sLill has Lhree crucial advanLages.
l you wanL Lo deleLe Lhe message rom your inbox Lo reLain a beLLer overview o
your email buL will need Lo respond Lo iL laLer on, iL will sLill be available as an aL-
LachmenL. (When you use Lhe agging meLhod, Lhe Lask is removed as well when-
ever you deleLe Lhe email message. l you copy or move iL inLo a Lask, however,
you can decide wheLher Lo keep Lhe message, and you can laLer independenLly
deleLe Lhe Lask LhaL conLains Lhe email copy.)
ou are keeping all iLems LhaL need Lo be Laken care o laLer in one locaLion. your
Lask older. l a ew monLhs down Lhe road you are looking aL an email message
abouL a projecL and need Lo work on iL, or you wanL Lo updaLe presenLaLion slides,
geL back in Louch wiLh someone over Lhe phone, or need Lo order new prinLer
carLridges, everyLhing is Lhere in your Lask older. However, i you mark Lhe email
message wiLh a ag, iL becomes a dierenL daLa source LhaL does noL display in
cerLain OuLlook views. Depending on Lhe panes Lhe user has displayed, Lhis can
lead Lo conusion in OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 200. (We will spare you Lhe Lechnical
deLails here, because Lhey are version specic and quiLe complicaLed Lo explain.
ln shorL. Lhe drag-and-drop approach works beLLer i you need Lo work inLensively
wiLh email messages LhaL require ollow-up, especially i you need Lo adjusL Lhe
subjecL line once in a while or add urLher inormaLion Lo Lhe noLe eld.)
When using Lhe drag-and-drop meLhod, you can, i necessary, add urLher and
more exLensive commenLs as well as addiLional email messages and daLa aLLach-
menLs in Lhe noLe eld o Lhe Lask wiLhouL changing Lhe original message (as you
mighL wanL Lo do, or example, when delegaLing).
ln Lhe end, iLs up Lo you wheLher you preer Lo use Lhe Lime-LesLed drag-and-drop
meLhod or email messages even in Lhe newer versions o OuLlook or insLead ag mes-
sages Lo converL LhemiL depends on how you work and how complex Lhe Lasks resulL-
ing rom your email messages are. (Do you ever change Lhe subjecL lines o messages
LhaL are agged as Lasks, or do you wriLe subjecL lines LhaL are so unambiguous Lo begin
wiLh LhaL Lhis is noL necessary Do you ag a loL o messages as Lasks, and do you wanL
Lo display Lhem in several views separaLely Do you use a 8lack8erry wiLh 8lack8erry
OS 5 or higher LhaL will also show ags and synchronize Lhem wiLh OuLlook)
Create and Use Your own Folder Structure
lL Lakes approximaLely Lwo hours Lo design and seL up a meaningul older sLrucLure or
messages and Lo le Lhe saved messages in Lhe correcL locaLions wiLhin Lhem. Fxperience
shows LhaL iL works besL Lo use no more Lhan seven main olders (in addiLion Lo Inbox,
Drafts, and Lhe oLher deaulL OuLlook olders). For each main older, you can creaLe sub-
olders. ou should also Lry Lo keep your sLrucLure Lo no more Lhen seven subolders per
level, so LhaL you can laLer orienLaLe yoursel quickly and condenLly.
1he seLup LhaL works besL or you depends on your area o work and your personal Lhink-
ing sLyleeach persons brain is wired dierenLly. For example, i you are managing ve
large projecLs, you may wanL Lo creaLe one main older per projecL, Lhus sorLing your
messages by Lopic. Some users may preer Lo sorL by Lime, wiLh olders such as Completed,
Reply by Tonight, Process This Week, Process This Month, Waiting for Reply, and Follow Up
by End of Week. ou can also come up wiLh a combinaLion. For some Leams, iL may even
make sense Lo have all Leam members use Lhe same older sLrucLure. 1here is no xed rule
LhaL can be applied Lo every siLuaLion. Do whaL works besL or you.
1ry Lo nd a sLrucLure LhaL works or you. For example, geL LogeLher wiLh a colleague
who has a similar working sLyle as youLwo heads puL LogeLher someLimes come up
wiLh beLLer ideas. Or you mighL ask someone who has already successully cleaned up his
or her inbox wiLh a older sLrucLure, Lo share experiences and give you Lips.
Create and Use Your Own Folder Structure Chapter 1 19
1he ollowing lisLs some example criLeria or how you can divide your older sLrucLure.
Persons/conLacLs (colleagues, clienLs, suppliers)
1opics/areas o experLise
ProjecLs/producLs
PrioriLy (see ChapLer 2)
LocaLions (counLries, ciLies, company locaLions, planLs)
ProducL numbers, reerence numbers, cusLomer numbers
Deadlines (MusL be compleLed by LonighL, 8y Lhis weekend, 1his monLh)
lL mighL iniLially Lake you a liLLle while Lo geL used Lo Lhis new sLrucLure. However, i aLer
Lhree Lo aL mosL ve weeks, you sLill nd your sLrucLure Lo be cumbersome or unclear,
and you conLinue Lo have a diculL Lime assigning or nding messages, you should
revise your sLrucLure, Laking your experiences inLo consideraLion.
how to set up new folders
1. ln Lhe older lisL, righL-click Lhe desired parenL older you wanL (or example, Lhe
name o your inbox or Personal Folders) and Lhen selecL New Folder in Lhe
shorLcuL menu. AlLernaLively, you can press Lhe CLrl-ShiL-F key combinaLion and
Lhen selecL where Lhe new older should be inserLed.
2. ln Lhe Create New Folder dialog box, Lype an appropriaLe name inLo Lhe Name
box.
3. l necessary, change Lhe enLry in Lhe Folder contains items of type lisL box Lo
Email and Provision, i Lhe dialog box was noL opened rom email view.
4. Close Lhe dialog box by clicking OK Lo creaLe Lhe new older.
TIP OuLlook auLomaLically sorLs your olders alphabeLically. SLarL Lhe older
name wiLh @, z, or a number Lo place iL aL Lhe beginning, Lhe end, or a
cerLain posiLion in Lhe lisL.
how to move messages into the correct folder
1. ln your inbox (or any oLher older), click Lhe message you wanL Lo move.
2. Drag Lhe message onLo Lhe LargeL older and release Lhe mouse buLLon Lo drop
Lhe message inLo Lhe older.
l you wanL Lo copy (noL move) Lhe message, righL-click iL and selecL Lhe correspond-
ing command in Lhe shorLcuL menu aLer dragging. ou can also press and hold ShiL or
CLrl while clicking Lo selecL several messages simulLaneously, and Lhen move/copy Lhem
in one go by righL-clicking and dragging Lhe selecLion. l you wanL Lo move an enLire
older wiLhin your older sLrucLure (noL jusL messages), simply click Lhe older and drag iL
inLo anoLher older or back onLo Lhe main level (inLo Personal Folders or your MicrosoL
Fxchange Mailbox).
FAvORITESQUICK ACCESS FOR YOUR MOST IMPORTANT FOLDERS
Use your Favorites older Lo access your mosL requenLly used olders quickly,
wiLhouL having Lo click Lhrough several older levels each Lime (see Figure -6).
Simply drag a older or subolder inLo Lhe FavoriLes secLion. 8ecause you canL
see Lhe parenL older levels in your FavoriLes secLion, iL makes sense Lo add some
orm o idenLicaLion Lo Lhe older names, eiLher in ronL o or behind Lhe name,
such as Technical data (product D). JusL like all oLher olders, your Favorites older
can be opened by clicking iL, or iL can serve as a LargeL or moving messages wiLh
Lhe drag-and-drop meLhod.
FIGURE 1-6 Use Lhe Favorites older or asL navigaLion.
Create and Use Your Own Folder Structure Chapter 1 21
how to customize message sorting for individual folders
WiLhin Lhe olders, you can sorL and group Lhe messages according Lo dierenL criLeria,
or example, you can sorL one older by subjecL and anoLher by sender, while all remain-
ing olders are sorLed by daLe. (ou will learn more abouL sorLing, grouping, and cusLom-
izing views in ChapLer 4.)
Click a column header Lo sorL Lhe iLems according Lo your chosen criLerion. Clicking Lhe
column header again reverLs Lhe sorL order, as shown in Figure -7.
FIGURE 1-7 Change Lhe view o Lhe iLems conLained in Lhe older quickly and easily.
Flag the Messages You Still Need to work on
1o make sure LhaL you donL overlook any required ollow-up acLiviLies or email messages
you haven'L marked as compleLed yeL, you can eiLher creaLe a Lask wiLh a copy o Lhe
message as an aLLachmenL, as described earlier, or ag Lhe message as pending (or ex-
ample, i iLs noL worLh creaLing an exLra Lask or iL, because Lhe email needs Lo be Laken
care o very soon). OuLlook supporLs you wiLh message aggingadding small colorul
caLegories or ags Lo mark Lhe messages. Messages LhaL need Lo be Laken care o laLer
can also be converLed inLo Lasks, as described earlier, and you can use color agging Lo
group Lhem and have cerLain messages always aL Lhe Lop o Lhe respecLive olders (or
example, imporLanL basic inormaLion in projecL olders).
RighL-click in Lhe CaLegories column Lo assign a caLegory Lo an email by using Lhe shorL-
cuL menu (or Lo remove previously seL caLegories). 8y clicking in Lhe CaLegories column,
you can seL or remove a caLegory you have specied or quick clicking (seL Lhis Lo Lhe
caLegory LhaL you use mosL oLen). ln ChapLer 3, we will examine caLegories and exam-
ples or caLegory sysLems in more deLail.
8ecause one message can have mulLiple caLegories assigned Lo iL (and a red ag or Lhe
due daLe), you can now use dierenL colors aL Lhe same Lime Lo quickly nd your message
again by searching in Lhe appropriaLe caLegory. 1his is an improvemenL rom Lhe colored
ags in OuLlook 2003. ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, you can now, or example, have a
red ag or Due Loday and also a blue square or ProducL specs aL Lhe same Lime.
how to assign a colored fag to a message in outlook 2003
1. SelecL Lhe message in Lhe message lisL.
2. Click Lhe Flag Status column (Lhe ag icon) Lo assign Lhe deaulL ag Lo Lhe mes-
sage, or righL-click Lhe column, selecL Lhe Flag for Follow-up command, and Lhen
conrm iL by clicking OK.
ALer you have processed a agged message, you can use Lhe shorLcuL menu Lo
mark iL as compleLed.
ou can also use Lhe shorLcuL menu Lo remove Lhe ag compleLely, or use Lhe
appropriaLe commands Lo selecL a dierenL color or agging, as shown in Figure
-8. ln Lhe submenu o Lhe SeL DeaulL Flag command, you can change Lhe deaulL
color (which you can assign by clicking Lhe ag column).
FIGURE 1-8 1he shorLcuL menu conLains opLions or colorul lagging o messages in OuLlook 2003.
8y Lhe way, sLarLing wiLh 8lack8erry OS 5, you can use dierenL colored ags or mes-
sage agging on your 8lack8erry. lL geLs compleLely and muLually synchronized wiLh
OuLlook 2003 and can even display alarms.
1ry Lo develop a sysLem or yoursel wiLh up Lo six colors. For example, red could mean
lmporLanL and musL be Laken care o as quickly as possible, green Lasks can waiL unLil
Lhe end o Lhe week, and blue Lasks can waiL unLil Lhe end o Lhe monLh. ellow mighL
mean LhaL iL is LheoreLically due by Lhe end o Lhe week, buL LhaL iL's jusL someLhing
LhaLs nice Lo have and could be deleLed i you donL have Lime, and you only look aL
purple iLems i you have some exLra Lime, buL oLherwise Lhey will be deleLed aL Lhe end
o Lhe monLh.
Flag the Messages You Still Need to Work On Chapter 1 23
Dont Force alarms on Yourself: The reminder Functions of
outlook 2007 and outlook 2010
ln previous versions o OuLlook, you were also able Lo ag email messages or ollow-up
and add a reminder Lo open a message window aL a cerLain preseL Lime. However, Lhe
older versions o OuLlook show reminders only i Lhe message is locaLed in Lhe Inbox
older aL Lhe Lime o Lhe reminder. WiLh OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, you (or Lhe recipi-
enL o your message) will also receive a reminder i Lhe message is locaLed in a dierenL
older. ou can now also seL a ag wiLh an alarm individually or yoursel and a dierenL
alarm (or no alarm) separaLely or Lhe recipienLs, as shown in Figure -9. For example, i
you have senL an email message Lo Robin Wood, you can seL a reminder Lo yoursel or
Lwo weeks laLer, and poliLely check in wiLh him i he hasnL senL you a reply yeLwiLhouL
an auLomaLic reminder appearing in his OuLlook lnbox.
FIGURE 1-9 Flag an email message separaLely or yoursel and Lhe recipienL Lo ollow up wiLh a reminder.
When wriLing an email message, on Lhe Message Lab, in Lhe 1ags group (OuLlook 200)
or OpLions group (OuLlook 2007), click Follow Up, and in Lhe drop-down menu, click Add
Reminder (OuLlook 200) or Flag For RecipienLs (OuLlook 2007). ou can now ag Lhe
message or yoursel and Lhe recipienLs separaLely so LhaL OuLlook displays a reminder aL
Lhe seL Lime. l you ag Lhe message or yoursel, iL is auLomaLically agged as a Lask and
is displayed in your 1o-Do LisL as well as in Lhe Lask lisL.
8eore you geL all gung-ho abouL using Lhis uncLion or each message you send, please
Lhink Lwice. lmagine LhaL you add a reminder Lo each message Lo your manager, who
will now have unwelcome reminder windows popping up on her screen aL inconvenienL
Limes, possibly even accompanied by an annoying sound.
ln any case, Lhis new separaLe agging remains pracLical and discreeL, i you ag a mes-
sage jusL Lo yoursel as a Lask while you wriLe iLor example, Lo check a week laLer
wheLher a reply wiLh Lhe requesLed daLa has arrived, or wheLher you need Lo ollow up
on iL.
l you come Lo clear agreemenLs wiLh your Leam and Lake a reasonable approach when
dealing wiLh ollow-ups and reminders or recipienLs, Lhis uncLion can be more useul
Lhan disrupLive. For example, you could add a Lask ag or yoursel or Lomorrow Lo Lake
care o imporLanL daLa or Lrade show preparaLion (so you will remember Lo work on iL
Lomorrow), and you can seL a reminder or Wednesday o Lhe ollowing week or a col-
league who appreciaLes geLLing reminders and is ouL o Lhe oce unLil Monday. 1his way
you boLh have a Lask or a reminder, so you will boLh remember Lo prepare yourselves in
Lime or Lhe Leam meeLing on Friday.
l some senders begin bombarding you wiLh alarm messages LhaL open an unwanLed
reminder window, you have a means Lo deend yoursel. Lhe Rules Wizard, as shown in
Figure -0 (see How Lo seL up and change rules wiLh Lhe Rules Wizard, laLer in Lhis
chapLer). CreaLe a new rule (CreaLe Rule WiLhouL 1emplaLe, Apply Rule 1o lncoming
Messages, or Check Messages Upon Arrival) LhaL removes message agging or incom-
ing messages. (See Figure -0. while creaLing a rule rom a blank rule or messages you
receive, selecL Flagged WiLh AcLion, click Lhe blue underlined LexL AcLion, and click OK
Lo conrm Lhe Any AcLion LemplaLe, in Lhe nexL sLep, selecL Lhe Clear 1he Message Flag
acLion. l necessary, dene an excepLion as Lhe lasL sLepor example, i Lhe sender is a
colleague on your Leam who uses agging or oLher recipienLs in a reasonable ashion.)
FIGURE 1-10 Use Lhe Rules Wizard Lo deend yoursel againsL sender-conLrolled reminders in your
OuLlook inbox.
how to add short notes and reminders to a message in outlook 2003
1. ln Lhe shorLcuL menu o Lhe Flag Status column o Lhe message (see Figure -8,
earlier in Lhis chapLer), selecL Add Reminder.
2. ln Lhe Flag for Follow Up dialog box (see Figure -), assign a due daLe and Lime
or an alarm, so LhaL OuLlook will remind you aL LhaL Lime.
FIGURE 1-11 l necessary, add a noLe in Lhe header area o Lhe email message Lo idenLiy iL.
3. ln Lhe Flag to LexL box, you can enLer any LexL you wanL. lL will be displayed in Lhe
preview and, when you open Lhe message, in grey or yellow below Lhe ino bar in
Lhe message header.
4. Close Lhe Flag for Follow Up dialog box by clicking OK.
Unlike in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, in OuLlook 2003 Lhe reminder will open a window
only i Lhe message is locaLed in Lhe inbox aL Lhe Lime o Lhe reminder. 1hereore, only
use Lhis uncLion or messages LhaL you canL assign Lo a older and Lhus have Lo keep in
Lhe inbox. Or you may wanL Lo avoid Lhe reminder uncLion alLogeLher and insLead copy
or move messages inLo appoinLmenLs or Lasks Lo which you Lhen add a reminder (see Lhe
secLion ConverL Fmail Messages inLo 1asks and AppoinLmenLs earlier in Lhis chapLer).
Keep all items That are Flagged for Processing
in a Single View
WiLh Lhe help o search olders, you can search your compleLe mailbox (all olders in
your Fxchange accounL) or a compleLe personal older le wiLh all subolders or email
messages LhaL have cerLain criLeria, as shown in Figure -2. For example, you can see
all messages LhaL are agged or processing in one vieweven Lhough Lhey are locaLed
in dierenL olders or dierenL projecLs. ALer you have seL up a search older, you can
open iL wiLh one click o Lhe mouse, jusL like a regular email older.
1he search older iLsel does noL conLain any messages, jusL links Lo Lhemyou always
see Lhe messages LhaL maLch Lhe criLeria in all searched olders. For example, i you
open (in a search older or messages LhaL are agged or ollow up) a message LhaL is
locaLed in Lhe Project C - Inquiries older, perorm Lhe sLill-pending processing sLep, and
Lhen mark iL as compleLed, Lhe message is removed rom Lhe search older. However, iL
remains in Lhe Project C - Inquiries older, buL iL now has Lhe CompleLed sLaLus. l you had
deleLed Lhe message in Lhe search older, iL would also have been removed rom Project
C - Inquiries. 1hereore, even when working rom Lhe search older, you are always work-
ing wiLh Lhe original message.
FIGURE 1-12 Use search olders Lo keep an eye on Lhe olders conLaining email messages LhaL sLill need Lo
be processed.
how to create your own search folders
1. ln Lhe older lisL (Lo Lhe leL o Lhe navigaLion pane), righL-click Search Folders
(below Lhe lasL older in your mailbox in OuLlook 2007, buL sorLed alphabeLically
wiLh Lhe oLher olders in OuLlook 200) and Lhen selecL New Search Folder in Lhe
shorLcuL menu.
2. ln Lhe New Search Folder dialog box, in Lhe Select a search folder lisL, selecL
one o Lhe predened search criLeria. For example, selecL Categorized email
(under Organize messages) or Messages fagged for follow-up Lo geL a resulL
similar Lo whaLs shown in Figure -2.
3. ln Lhe Search mail in lisL, you can selecL Lhe personal or public older you wanL Lo
search.
4. Close Lhe New Search Folder dialog box by clicking OK Lo seL up Lhe new search
older. 1he older will Lhen be lled wiLh Lhe appropriaLe messages.
Now you can open your search older like any oLher email older by clicking iL. l you
donL see iL in Lhe older lisL, you need Lo expand Lhe search older lisL. Click Lhe small
Lriangle or Lhe plus sign nexL Lo Search Folders in Lhe navigaLion pane. (1o laLer close Lhe
lisL, click Lhe minus-sign or click Lhe Lriangle again.)
ou can urLher rene your searchor insLance, Lo display only messages rom a cerLain
sender LhaL also have a red caLegory or ag. 1o do so, in Lhe SelecL A Search Folder lisL,
selecL Lhe CreaLe A CusLom Search Folder enLry and Lhen speciy Lhe desired criLeria wiLh
Lhe Choose buLLon. (1his works similar Lo Lhe creaLion o lLers or work views, more
abouL Lhis in ChapLer 3). ou can cusLomize and rename your newly creaLed search older
wiLh Lhe commands in Lhe shorLcuL menu and add iL Lo your FavoriLes (see Figure -6,
shown earlier).
Let outlook Presort Your inbox for You
WiLh iLs auLomaLic lLer uncLions, OuLlook does some o Lhe email processing or
you. For example, you need Lhe Movie NewsleLLer when you wanL Lo selecL a movie Lo
waLchnoL on 1hursday morning, when iL arrives in your inbox and you have someLhing
else Lo do. 8y using Lhe correcL rule, you can make sure iL geLs auLomaLically moved inLo
Lhe appropriaLe older as soon as iL arrives. ou no longer need Lo move iL manually,
and you don'L see iL unless you eel like going Lo Lhe movie LheaLer and you open your
Private events/Movie news older.
how to set up rules directly from a message
lL is quiLe simple Lo seL up a rule direcLly rom a message Lo which Lhe rule applies.
1. RighL-click Lhe message on which Lhe rule should be based, and in Lhe shorLcuL
menu, click Rules/Create Rule (in OuLlook 200) or (in OuLlook 2007/OuLlook
2003) click Create Rule direcLly.
2. OuLlook will open a dialog box LhaL provides a preselecLion based on Lhe clicked
message, conLaining Lhe subjecL, sender, or recipienL you may wanL Lo lLer or. l
you agree wiLh Lhese seLLings, selecL Lhe acLion you wanL Lo execuLe in Lhe Exe-
cute the following group box.
3. Close Lhe Create Rule dialog box by clicking OK Lo apply Lhe rule, or click Lhe
Advanced Options buLLon Lo make urLher adjusLmenLs. OuLlook opens Lhe Rules
Wizard and oers you a large number o opLions LhaL are already adjusLed Lo Lhe
selecLed message.
how to set up and change rules with the rules wizard
l you wanL Lo seL up a rule and donL happen Lo have Lhe righL kind o message Lo use
as a LemplaLe, or i you wanL Lo change an exisLing rule, open an email older and do Lhe
ollowing.
1. OuLlook 200. On Lhe Home Lab, in Lhe Move group, click Rules/Manage Rules
and Alerts.
ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003. On Lhe Tools menu, click Rules Wizard or Rules
and Alerts.
2. ln Lhe dialog box LhaL now opens, you will see all Lhe rules LhaL have been dened
so ar (see Figure -3). ou can add new rules LhaL will change Lhe process order,
deleLe rules, and change or copy exisLing rules, Lo use Lhem as a basis or creaLing
new rules.
Let Outlook Presort Your Inbox for You Chapter 1 29
FIGURE 1-13 Deine rules or auLomaLic presorLing o your inbox.
1he Rules Wizard is quiLe sel-explanaLory as iL leads you Lhrough Lhe rule seLup. 8asi-
cally you jusL enable Lhe individual acLions or condiLions (as shown in Figure -3) as you
go Lhrough Lhe individual sLeps. ln Lhe descripLion box, you speciy Lhe deLails abouL Lhe
selecLed condiLion/acLions by clicking Lhe blue underlined Lerms.
WiLh Lhe Rules Wizard, you can auLomaLically ag messages rom your managers in
color and move messages, or example, wiLh Lhe words Project B and FYI in Lhe subjecL
line inLo Lhe Project B read older. For each message you send Lo your colleague Robin
Wood, you can move a copy wiLh ToDo in Lhe subjecL line inLo Lhe Check back by end of
week older. 1ake 5 minuLes Lo look aL your inbox, look aL all Lhe available opLions in Lhe
Rules Wizard, and Lhink abouL which oLher rules will make your workday easier.
CAUTION Using rules Loo hasLily can lead Lo losL or overlooked messages. 1ake
your Lime and Lhink Lwice beore dening a rule LhaL deleLes messages
auLomaLically or moves Lhem unread inLo a older LhaL you don'L check
regularly.
Think Before You Communicate
l you keep a ew guidelines or wriLing beLLer messages in mind, you help oLhers, be-
cause your messages can be processed beLLer and more quickly. On Lhe oLher hand, i
you compose and send each message aL lighLning speed wiLhouL Lhinking, you end up
losing Lhe mosL Lime by Lrying Lo win Lime. lL pays Lo invesL a liLLle biL more Lime inLo
choosing your words wisely. ln Lhe end, you will nd yoursel coming up wiLh more con-
creLe and Lo-Lhe-poinL answers, which lead Lo ewer inquiries and Lhus Lo noLiceable Lime
savings on boLh sides.
Make Your Text Easier to Understand: always adjust it to
the recipients
When you are wriLing a message, Lry Lo puL yoursel in Lhe posiLion o Lhe recipienL.
ls Lhis message relevanL Lo Lhe recipienL ls he required Lo respond, or are you
jusL providing imporLanL inormaLion or him Are you sure he needs Lo be on Lhe
recipienL lisL Keep Lhe number o recipienLs as large as necessary, buL as small
as possible. Nobody is happy abouL 30 addiLional email messages per day LhaL
mighL jusL possibly inLeresL her someday under cerLain circumsLances.
WhaL is clear Lo you, buL noL clear Lo Lhe recipienL Where do you need Lo explain
backgrounds or circumsLances
Did you add all Lhe required inormaLion For example, i you ask a colleague Lo
conLacL Mr. SmiLh, make sure Lo add Lhe corresponding conLacL daLa.
WhaL kind o sLyle does Lhe recipienL preer Will you receive an incompleLe re-
sponse i Lhe message is longer Lhan 0 lines Or will he send you several inquiries
i you donL send him a comprehensive message wiLh all Lhe deLails
8e careul wiLh H1ML ormaLLing. 1oo much colored LexL and Loo many blinking
backgrounds will disLracL more Lhan Lhey help. lLll also look sLrange i you play
wiLh onL sLyles and sizes Loo much (especially on mobile devices).
Keep Your Phrasing Short, Precise, and Crystal Clear
1ry Lo keep your LexL as shorL and clear as possible, and use blank lines beLween para-
graphs as a design elemenL. 1his will save Lime on Lhe recipienLs side and increases Lhe
chance LhaL your mosL imporLanL poinLs wonL geL losL in Lhe LexL. Keep in mind. 1he
longer your email LexL, Lhe higher Lhe probabiliLy LhaL iL wonL be read enLirely or LhaL
someLhing will be misundersLood. l you are abouL Lo explain complicaLed or unexpecLed
circumsLances, announce briey whaL Lhe nexL secLion will be abouL (rsL Lhe heading,
Lhen Lhe arLicle). Some recipienLs reply Lo messages by paragraphespecially because
Think Before You Communicate Chapter 1 31
more and more people Lend Lo read and answer a Lhird o Lheir email messages on
smarLphonesand Lhus mighL assume a dierenL inLenL on your parL.
SLaLe your expecLaLions clearly. For example, include FYI in Lhe subjecL line or indicaLe
wheLher you are expecLing a response, and when. (Please make sure you are poliLe,
Lhough.) lnsLead o l wonder i Lhis will work Lhis way. Maybe we can do iL dierenLly,
wriLe Lhe ollowing. l suggesL LhaL we do Lhe ollowing. WhaL do you Lhink lnsLead
o wriLing WouldnL iL be nice Lo evenLually nd ouL whaLs going on, ormulaLe clearly
whaL you are reerring Lo. l you need resulLs, make sure Lhe recipienL knows whaL exacLly
you need and in which ormaL, i necessary, give him an example. Using a senLence such
as Please send me a sLaLus reporL every Friday by noon, see aLLached LemplaLe (one
page only, please) noL only avoids 20 superuous pages and some wasLed hours or Lhe
oLher people, iL also saves you rom receiving a loL more daLa or answers and quesLions
Lhan you need.
1here is noLhing wrong wiLh adding ToDo: in ronL o each iLem, or maybe Please answer.,
or FYI., as long as you donL come across as bossy. Avoid (or explain) abbreviaLions i you
are noL sure LhaL Lhe recipienL knows Lhem. (Oh, by Lhe way. FYI means or your inor-
maLion (only)so Lhe recipienL will know LhaL you do noL expecL him Lo answer.)
l you are dealing wiLh Lwo compleLely dierenL Lopics, iL's besL Lo wriLe Lwo separaLe
email messages. 1his way Lhe recipienL can reply Lo one and save Lhe oLher as inormaLion.
Use well-written Subject Lines to Make
Everyones Life Easier
Always add a shorL buL very clear subjecL. 1his helps Lhe recipienL assess Lhe conLenL,
imporLance, and urgency o your message beore opening iL, and helps Lo nd iL again
more easily when searching or iL laLer. 1his will pay o or you as wellrecipienLs will
answer asLer and Lhe response will L your needs beLLer.
1o wriLe a good subjecL line.
1. SLarL wiLh Lhe due daLe.
2. ConLinue wiLh Lhe projecL/cusLomer/Lopic.
3. Add some keywords LhaL summarize Lhe Lopic.
4. Finish wiLh whaL Lhe recipienL should do (Lake acLion jusL send a shorL answer jusL
read or le Lhe message and discuss Lhe Lopic wiLh you during Lhe nexL meeLing).
Depending on your work siLuaLion, iL mighL be useul Lo change Lhe order. For example,
consider wheLher iL is beLLer Lo puL Lhe due daLe rsL or lasL. For people who Lravel a loL
on airplanes or spend a ew days aL a summiL/conerence, so Lhey can only check Lheir
email Lwice a day, iLs greaL Lo have Lhe due daLe rsL. 1haL way Lhey can Lell immediaLely
i some messages require a response on Lhe same day while oLhers can be rescheduled
or nexL week. 8uL i mosL messages need Lo be answered during Lhe nexL 24 hours, and
none o Lhem is more urgenL Lhan any oLher, Lhe end o Lhe subjecL line is a beLLer place
Lo puL Lhe due daLe.
You Try it
1. Check your response Lo email messages. How oLen do you check or new mes-
sages Do you really need Lo do iL LhaL oLen Disable Lhe noLicaLion abouL
incoming messages, i you donL have Lo answer everyLhing righL away.
2. Make an appoinLmenL or yoursel Lo creaLe your own older sLrucLure Lo clean
up your inbox, and le Lhe rsL messages immediaLely. Depending on how ull
your inbox is, you mighL wanL Lo make a second appoinLmenL or yoursel Lo go
Lhrough all Lhe remaining messages and deleLe or le Lhem as necessary.
3. Find Lhree messages in your inbox LhaL are noLhing buL Lasks or appoinLmenLs (or
do Lhis exercise when Lhe nexL appropriaLe message arrives) and converL Lhem Lo
Lasks/appoinLmenLs accordingly. Find an email message LhaL includes Lhe conLacL
daLa o a person as a signaLure LhaL mighL become relevanL or you and LhaL you
havenL enLered yeL. Use Lhis email message Lo seL up a new conLacL by using Lhe
drag-and-drop meLhod, and conLinue Lo do Lhe same or all relevanL new conLacL
daLa.
4. Mark all messages LhaL you canL (or donL wanL Lo) process immediaLely, buL need
Lo Lake care o by Lomorrow aL noon, wiLh a red ag as Lheir ag sLaLus.
l you are working wiLh OuLlook 2003. CreaLe a search older LhaL lisLs all agged
messages. 8eore noon Lomorrow, Lake Lhe Lime Lo open Lhis search older and
process Lhose messages. 1hen mark Lhe ones LhaL are due aL noon Lhe nexL day
wiLh a red ag, and so on.
AlLernaLively, i you are working wiLh a dierenL version o OuLlook, use Lhe
CaLegorize uncLion Lo auLomaLically color-code Lhe messages rom aL leasL Lhree
senders rom who you requenLly receive imporLanL messages. CreaLe a search
older Lo show all messages wiLh Lhe same color code (caLegory), no maLLer which
older Lhey are led in.
You Try It Chapter 1 33
5. WaiL hal a day and donL check or newly arrived email messages during LhaL Lime.
(l Lhis is noL possible righL now, waiL unLil aLer Lhe nexL long meeLing or do iL on
Monday morning.) WriLe down how many new email messages you have received.
Use a sLopwaLch as you process all Lhose messages, one by one, as quickly as pos-
sible according Lo Lhe DANF SysLem. (Measure Lhe Lime again aLer you have used
Lhe DANF SysLem or Lwo weeks and have goLLen used Lo iL.) DeLermine a value
or your mail processing by blocksuch as Lhree Limes a day or 30 minuLesand,
i possible, seL xed Limes in which you process your inbox by block (insLead o
whenever a new message arrives).
6. Check Lhe messages in your inbox. Which subjecL lines leave you in Lhe dark as
ar as conLenL and imporLance, and are unclear abouL whaL response is expecLed
o you How would you have phrased Lhe subjecL Lo make Lhese aspecLs clearer
1hen look Lhrough your Sent Items older and check Lhe subjecL lines o Lhe mes-
sages you senL in Lhe pasL monLh Lo see how you handled such issues.
7. RepeaL sLep 6, buL Lhis Lime check Lhe message body or sLyle, (un)ambiguous
phrasing, clear ormulaLion o Lhe expecLed response, and lengLh o Lhe LexL. Keep
your conclusions in mind when wriLing uLure messages. ou may even wanL Lo
wriLe a shorL summary abouL whaL you will change, and prinL iL ouL.
35
CHAPTER 2
DO YOU HAvE so much Lo do LhaL a loL remains undone So much LhaL
you orgeL someLhing once in a while So much LhaL ulLimaLely Lime runs
shorL, because you jusL couldnL geL sLarLed earlier Do you someLimes
geL Lhe eeling Lhere jusL arenL enough hours in Lhe day, and Lhere is no
way LhaL you will geL everyLhing done
People who scamper rom one crisis inLo Lhe nexL and sLill man-
age Lo keep Lhings more or less under conLrol eel as i Lhey have
accomplished a whole loL. Wannabe acLion heroes measure
Lheir producLiviLy according Lo Lhe amounL o overLime Lhey puL
in, Lhe sLress Lhey are under, and Lhe number o Lasks Lhey geL
done (quanLiLy, noL qualiLy)aLer all, people who are under
so much sLress musL be especially imporLanL. AL rsL glance,
iL acLually does look like Lhey really apply Lhemselves and are
enormously producLive. And LhaLs aLal, because Lhey requenLly
geL admired and applauded or Lheir perormance. ln Lhe long
run, Lhey donL achieve big resulLsbuL in Lhe long run, you can
always blame Lhe bad economy, changing Lrends in cusLomer
behavior, or oLher lame excuses.
how to work More
Effectively with Tasks
and Priorities
Everything is important!
Discover how to set priorities.
Use task lists.
Defne your own customized
views.
Use flters.
Fine-tune your priorities.
Use a To-Do List.
36 Chapter 2 How to Work More Effectively with Tasks and Priorities
WHY WANNABE ACTION HEROES MANAGE TO GET EvERYTHING DONE
LAST-MINUTEOR JUST FAIL
Putting Out Fires
1his morning, Robin Wood was supposed Lo Lurn in Lhe markeLing plan or nexL year.
Four weeks ago, he suddenly remembered LhaL iL needed Lo be compleLed beore Lhe
beginning o Lhe new scal year. He could have conLinued working on iL Lhis morn-
ing, buL he spenL Lhe pasL one and a hal hours conrming ve Facebook riendship
requesLs and Laking care o 40 email messageshey, aL leasL LhaL gives you Lhe eeling
you goL someLhing done! 1he markeLing plan is already 70 percenL compleLe anyway.
1here will probably be a biL o Lrouble wiLh his managers, and Lhe enLire budgeL will be
delayed. 8uL somehow Robin will manage Lhis. ALer all, LhaLs whaL hes so admired or.
LhaL he always geLs everyLhing done aL Lhe lasL momenLwell, maybe noL everyLhing,
and maybe noL always.
Like Lhe oLher day, when he jusL didnL manage Lo nish LhaL sales presenLaLion or
Lhis years mosL promising new corporaLe clienL, which had been due or quiLe a while.
l work besL under pressure, he had LhoughL, and leL everyLhing or Lhe nal week.
And Lhen he had goLLen sick LhaL week and wasnL able Lo use LhaL Lime Lo work on Lhe
presenLaLion. 1he compeLiLion, however, had been ully prepared, and Robin losL Lhe
conLracLbuL such Lhings jusL happen.
ou could call Lhis modus operandi Lhe un o puLLing ouL res. How boring iL is Lo
implemenL re prevenLion measures beorehand insLead.... ou seldom geL accolades
or LhaL. Nobody noLices LhaL Lhere is no re! 1haLs noL exciLing, because you are noL
prevenLing a crisis aL Lhe lasL possible momenL. 8uL Lhere are some advanLages. l you
make your plans in Lime, and work on large pending Lasks early on and geL Lhem done
beore Lhe small sLu, you will noL run inLo Lime Lrouble. And you will be under very liLLle
sLress. ou can usually leave work aL a reasonable hour, and when someLhing goes wrong
you sLill have Lime Lo caLch iL.
We requenLly geL ourselves losL in all Lhose liLLle issues LhaL grab our aLLenLion by seem-
ing urgenL. 1omorrow iL could be Loo laLe Lo do Lhem. Or perhaps somebody keeps nag-
ging us abouL an issue. l you can'L say No, you will soon have no Lime leL or impor-
LanL Lasks LhaL donL have a voice Lo keep pressuring you wiLhno Lime or preparing
imporLanL projecLs or presenLaLions well, no Lime Lo Lake command and acL. All you will
do is reacL.
ln Lhis chapLer, you will Lake your rsL sLeps Loward more eecLive Lime managemenL, Lhe
basics o weekly and daily planning.
WriLe down your plans Lo gain a beLLer overview o all pending Lasks.
DeLermine whaL Lasks will geL you ahead and how ar.
SLarL Lo ocus on whaL has Lhe greaLesL impacL on your success.
8egin Lo work early on long-Lerm Lasks wiLh high leverageeven i Lhey are noL
due immediaLely and nobody is pushing you Lo compleLe Lhem.
Find ouL whaLs more urgenL and more imporLanL Lhan Lhe resL, Lo separaLe Lhe
wheaL rom Lhe cha.
Say No Lo Lhings LhaL keep you rom whaLs more imporLanL.
Use Lask lisLs or exible planning.
how to run a Country Like the United States in
the 24 hours a Day has to offerSet Priorities!
How does Lhe saying go For everyLhing we do, we miss someLhing else, and or ev-
eryLhing we miss, we gain Lime or someLhing else. (Now all we need Lo do is perorm
Lhe more valuable and imporLanL Lasks, and miss Lhe resL.) FecLive Lime managemenL
means Lo make conscious decisions.
NOTE l you eel LhaL you jusL donL have enough Lime Lo geL everyLhing done,
you are righLand you have recognized one o Lhe mosL imporLanL
basic principles o Lime managemenL. NexL you need Lo conLinue making
yoursel aware o Lhis acL and base your decisions on iL. WhaL is valuable
enough or you Lo devoLe your precious Lime Lo
Fven i your place o work Ls your sLrengLhs and personaliLy, and you are moLivaLed,
Lhere is no magic bulleL LhaL gives you more Lime. Fvery person has exacLly 24 hours o
Lime each day. WheLher dishwasher or millionaire, head o sLaLe or universiLy sLudenL,
deparLmenL manager or engineereach day Lhey all have Lhe same amounL o Lime
available Lo Lhem. And in all occupaLional groups, some donL geL Lheir work done and
complain abouL a chronic lack o Lime, while oLhers wiLh Lhe same responsibiliLies and
How to Run a Country Like the United States in the 24 Hours a Day Has to OfferSet Priorities! Chapter 2 37
workload are noL only successul in Lheir proession, buL also nd Lime or amily, riends,
hobbies, and social engagemenLs. 1he amounL o Lime somebody Lakes Lo compleLe his
Lasks depends on his responsibiliLies or his occupaLion only Lo a small degree (30 percenL
aL mosL). WhaLs mosL imporLanL is his abiliLy Lo idenLiy Lhe Lasks LhaL have Lhe largesL
posiLive inuence and Lo consisLenLly Lake care o Lhemand Lo be disciplined enough
Lo Lake care o Lhem, even when iLs no un aL all, Lo sLick wiLh Lhem consisLenLly, no maL-
Ler whaL is Lrying Lo disLracL you, inLerrupL you, or urgenLly squeeze in.
The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.
Stephen Covey
Focus on what Matters Most (the Pareto Principle)
1oward Lhe end o Lhe 9Lh cenLury, vilredo PareLo discovered a recurring maLhemaLical
behavior or Lhe disLribuLion o riches among Lhe populaLion o his counLry. lL was calcu-
lably unbalanced. 20 percenL o Lhe people owned 80 percenL o Lhe money.
1his phenomenon also appears in oLher areas o lie and was laLer applied Lo process
opLimizaLion and Lime managemenL (see Figure 2-). A Lypical disLribuLion paLLern may
look like Lhis.
20 percenL o Lhe cusLomers creaLe 80 percenL o Lhe revenue.
20 percenL o Lhe producL line yields 80 percenL o Lhe proLs.
We wear 20 percenL o our cloLhes 80 percenL o Lhe Lime.
Cenerally speaking,
80 percenL o Lhe eecLs are caused by 20 percenL o Lhe causes.
80 percenL o Lhe resulLs are caused by 20 percenL o Lhe eorLs.
And so on. O course, Lhis rule can also be applied Lo Lhe disLribuLion o our Lime and Lhe
achieved resulLs. Usually, 80 percenL o Lhe value creaLes resulLs rom 20 percenL o Lhe
eorL, and Lhe remaining 20 percenL o Lhe value comes rom Lhe remaining 80 percenL
o Lhe eorL.
Your tasks
20%
80%
Your success
20%
80%
Pareto principle
FIGURE 2-1 1he PareLo principle. WiLh 20 percenL o Lhe eorL, you can requenLly achieve 80 percenL o
Lhe eecL.
IMPORTANT ConcenLraLe on Lhe ew crucial iLems. 1o geL ahead in lie, you donL
need Lo do absoluLely everyLhing or Lackle all Lasks. FilLer ouL Lhe mosL
imporLanL Lhings. 1ake Lhe Lime you need by consisLenLly saying No Lo
oLher issues. OLherwise, youre in danger o geLLing disLracLed by Lhe 80
percenL o Lasks LhaL donL creaLe much value buL only keep you busy so
LhaL you miss Lhe Lhings LhaL really maLLer. 8y ocusing on Lhe 20 percenL
insLead, youll acLually achieve more by doing less.
Decide whats Most importantUse the Eisenhower
Matrix to Set rough Priorities
Ceneral DwighL D. Fisenhower, who laLer became presidenL o Lhe UniLed SLaLes, knew
how imporLanL iL is Lo seL prioriLies. He developed a relaLively simple buL very helpul
model LhaL helped him run Lhe UniLed SLaLes. And jusL like us, he only had 24 hours avail-
able each day. His maLrix has sLood Lhe LesL o Lime and has been used over and over or
Lask planning. 1hese days, iL is even proving useul or processing email messages.
Find ouL which Lasks inuence your successes Lhe mosL. 1o do so, iL helps Lo seL prioriLies.
1he Fisenhower MaLrix combines Lhe Lwo criLeria imporLanL and urgenL, creaLing our
prioriLy classes (see Figure 2-2). For your planning, you musL analyze all pending Lasks,
compare Lhem, and le Lhem. O course, much o whaL you are doing is imporLanL. 8uL
ask yoursel. which Lasks are more imporLanL Lhan oLhers 1his way you can creaLe a rsL
rough ranking.
I
m
p
o
r
t
a
n
t
Urgent
Eisenhower Matrix
C
A B
FIGURE 2-2 1he irsL sLep is Lo seL prioriLies wiLh Lhe Fisenhower MaLrix.
1asks LhaL are boLh imporLanL and urgenL receive PrioriLy A. ou mighL call Lhem
crises. l you don'L Lake care o Lhem righL away (depending on Lhe Lime horizon
and Lhe complexiLy o Lhe Lask, Lhis can mean minuLes, Loday, or Lhis week), you
end up wiLh a bigger problem. (Fxamples are aLLending Lo imporLanL conLracL
negoLiaLions, dealing wiLh Lhe breakdown o a producLion machine, and nishing a
projecL Lask LhaL your colleagues need so Lhey can conLinue working on Lhe oLher
Lasks Lomorrow.)
8-1asks are imporLanL, buL noL urgenL. 1hey are Lhe key Lo eecLive Lime manage-
menLbuL unorLunaLely Lhey are oLen neglecLed. 1asks LhaL are noL urgenL buL
very imporLanL (8) receive a higher prioriLy Lhan purely urgenL Lasks because Lhey
are requenLly responsible or producing imporLanL resulLs or have a large inu-
ence on Lhe enLire perormance. A good example is learning how Lo Lype wiLh all
0 ngers in order Lo wriLe your uLure email messages wiLh Lwice Lhe speed. One
segmenL o Lhe 8-1asks consisLs o Lhe so-called wandering Lasks (or example, a
complex reporL or Lhe board meeLing or an elaboraLe proposal presenLaLion or
a large projecL), which become increasingly urgenL i you donL look aL Lhem or a
while and Lhereore evenLually slide inLo Lhe quadranL or A-1asks.
FxLremely urgenL Lasks LhaL, when compared Lo A-1asks and 8-1asks are less im-
porLanL, geL PrioriLy C. FiLher Lhey have Lo be Laken care o soon (oLherwise iLs Loo
laLe) or Lhey need Lo be discarded righL away Lo gain Lime or A-1asks and 8-1asks.
C-1asks are also iLems LhaL can be delegaLed easily buL LhaL you do yoursel any-
way, Lhus wasLing Lime (you could have iL done or you by someone else and have
done someLhing more imporLanL insLead).
D-1asks are Lhose LhaL can be discarded mosL easily. O all Lasks, Lhey are Lhe
leasL urgenL and Lhe leasL imporLanL. 1hey are useless escape Lasks, and include
Lhe usual email messages wiLh ve people more Lhan necessary on Lhe Cc line,
Lhrough which we oLen scroll aimlessly.
NOTE MicrosoL OuLlook only recognizes Lhree prioriLy levels. high, normal, and
low. ou have Lhree ways or dealing wiLh Lhem.
ou can discard D-1asks alLogeLher wiLhouL making noLes.
ou can combine C-1asks and D-1asks under Lhe low prioriLy.
ou use an addiLional eld or seLLing prioriLies. For example, some
users divide Lhe Fisenhower MaLrix urLher inLo A Lo A4, and so on,
up Lo D4, and simply add Lhese leLLers Lo Lhe subjecL line o Lhe Lask.
OLhers creaLe caLegories and lLer Lhe view or Lhem when neces-
sary. We will use a new eld or more deLailed prioriLizing o Lasks
in Lhe day planner (see Fine-1une our PrioriLies wiLh Lhe 25,000 S
MeLhod, laLer in Lhis chapLer).
Say No! More oftenand Therefore Yes! to whats
important to You
8ecome aware LhaL you will never have enough Lime Lo do everyLhing you could do and
everyLhing oLhers expecL o you. Make sure you use your Lime or whaLs mosL imporLanL
Lo you and geLs you closer Lo your goals. ou can only gain Lhe Lime Lo do Lhis by saying
No Lo Lhe less imporLanL iLems and omiLLing Lhem.
Learn Lo give precedence Lo 8-1asks beore C-1asks and D-1asks, and Lo sacrice or
discard Lhose in avor o 8-1asks. ou can save yoursel a loL o sLress and will generally
produce beLLer resulLs. ou will also eel LhaL you have beLLer conLrol over your own Lime.
Remember. lmporLance and urgency are Lwo compleLely dierenL issues. lmpor-
LanL iLems geL you closer Lo your goal, whereas urgenL iLems require your immedi-
aLe aLLenLionbuL are Lhey really worLh iL
Keep Lhe righL-o-way rule in mind. lmporLance beore urgency. NoL everyLhing
LhaLs urgenL musL Lruly be done. Only Lhis way will you avoid alling prey Lo Lhe
dicLaLorship o urgency. 1he danger is LhaL you mighL geL bogged down in Loo
many urgenL buL relaLively unimporLanL acLiviLies.
write Down Your Plans
He who plans a loL alls under Lhe Lyranny o his own schedule. SomeLimes iLs Loo
much hassle Lo wriLe everyLhing down. Why noL jusL do iL righL away And besides, l
donL wanL Lo be Lied down. WriLLen plans kill any kind o sponLaneiLy. Such argumenLs
are common, buL Lhey are noL Lrue. l you plan well, you acLually make Lime or un-
planned iLems and creaLiviLy.
IMPORTANT Planning is Lhe besL way Lo escape rom Lhe behavior paLLern o jusL
reacLing, and Lo geL Lhe mosL imporLanL Lhings done in Lime so LhaL you
can avoid a crisis. ou can divide your Lime more reely and gain back
conLrol over your day.
WriLing down your plans pays o.
ou will always remember Lhe imporLanL Lhings and wonL orgeL Lhem any longer.
JusL look aL your plan and Lheyll be Lhere.
Planning gives you Lhe reedom Lo use your brain power or concenLraLing on Lhe
currenL Lask or or being creaLive insLead o always Lrying Lo remember Lhings you
musL noL orgeL.
WriLLen plans acL as conLracLs wiLh yoursel and creaLe obligaLions.
ou are more likely Lo Lake care o Lhings.
Planning makes you more accounLable Lo parLners who work as a Leam wiLh you
(see ChapLer 5, How Lo Schedule MeeLings So 1hey Are ConvenienL, FecLive, and
Fun).
8eing accounLable is a big sLep Loward nishing Lasks, Lo sLop posLponing and
sLarLing Lo do Lhe sLu LhaL geLs you resulLs.
Only a wriLLen plan gives you Lhe possibiliLy Lo look back and check whaL you did.
ou can nd ouL why you goL a loL less done Lhan you had inLended. Did you give
preerence Lo iLems wiLh lower prioriLy Did you Lake noLiceably longer Lhan you
had imagined (is Lhere anyLhing you can improve in order Lo compleLe such Lasks
more quickly, or is iL more realisLic Lo allow or more Lime in Lhe uLure) 1his is Lhe
basis or opLimizing your way o working. realiLy checks, improvemenL poLenLial,
and learning abouL problems and Lheir causes and geLLing rid o Lhem.
TIP WriLe down all Lasks, appoinLmenLs, and phone numbers/conLacL ad-
dresses immediaLely in OuLlook or your smarLphone. 1his way you sLay
on Lop o any siLuaLion and can ocus on Lhe essenLial. our menLal
capaciLy is much Loo precious Lo wasLe on issues your compuLer can Lake
care o. WriLe your plans down. 1his way, you can use your brain power
or Lhe mosL imporLanL Lhings!
Use Task Lists to Plan Flexibly and Effectively
OuLlook has greaL ways o helping you wiLh your wriLLen plans or appoinLmenLs and
Lasks. ou can enLer Lasks even weeks beore Lhey are due. WiLh Lhe sorLing and lLering
uncLions o OuLlook, you can reduce Lhe displayed Lasks Lo show only Lhose LhaL are due
Loday or Lhose LhaL are pending or a cerLain projecL, and you can arrange Lhem accord-
ing Lo prioriLy so you can geL a quick overview.
However, working wiLh Lasks successully requires a biL more sLraLegy and consideraLion
Lhan jusL wriLing everyLhing inLo a calendar, and o course iL Lakes a liLLle work and prac-
Lice. ln Lhis chapLer and Lhe nexL Lwo chapLers, we will Lake Lhe required sLeps LogeLher.
we will cover Lhe basics o working wiLh Lasks, prioriLies, seLLing up views, lLers, weekly
planners, caLegories and groups, daily planners, block building, ProducLiviLy Hours, Lhe
25,000 S MeLhod, and Lhe processing o Lask lisLs. 1his will provide you wiLh a Lime-LesLed
and (once you geL used Lo iL) relaLively simple, exible, and aL Lhe same Lime highly eec-
Live sysLem or arranging your Lask lisLs according Lo your prioriLies and Lhus giving you a
way Lo Lake conLrol over Lhe Lime available Lo you.
Use Task Lists to Plan Flexibly and Effectively Chapter 2 43
Tasks vs. appointments
Make sure you dierenLiaLe beLween appoinLmenLs and Lasks.
An appoinLmenL is bound Lo a xed Lime window. lL answers Lhe quesLion When
exacLly will iL happen
A Lask, on Lhe oLher hand, answers Lo Lhe quesLion WhaL exacLly will l do (or
How imporLanL is iL), someLimes wiLh a due daLe, someLimes even wiLhouL any
Lime aspecL aL all.
1hereore, an appointment (or example, a phone conerence wiLh ve people or a denLisL
appoinLmenL) Lakes place exacLly aL Lhe Lime or which iL was planned. However, iL makes
no dierence when you compleLe a task, as long as you do so beore Lhe due daLe. 1his
makes you more exible when planning Lasks, and you can selecL Lhem according Lo im-
porLance and projecL. ln cerLain cases, iL mighL make sense Lo seL an appoinLmenL wiLh
yoursel Lo compleLe a Lask. (ln Lhe nexL chapLers, you will nd ouL when Lhis is a good
opLion.)
Tasks in outlook
ou can creaLe a new Lask very simply and quickly wiLhouL having Lo click Lhrough a loL
o menus. Press CLrl-ShiL-K and Lhen enLer Lhe daLa inLo Lhe 1ask orm.
WORKING SYSTEMATICALLY
Robin Wood Leaches classes or inLerns. 1his Lime he decides Lo approach everyLhing
more sysLemaLically. A monLh ago he had seL up a Lask or planning his Leaching uniLs,
which is due Loday and which he has compleLed on Lime. He has divided Lhe Lopic inLo
Lhree Leaching uniLs and seL up a separaLe Lask or Lhe preparaLion o each uniL (dura-
Lion. approximaLely 20 Lo 45 minuLes).
O course, or Lhis week he only needs Lo prepare Lhis weeks uniL. 1hereore, each
week geLs iLs own Lask wiLh iLs own parL o Lhe Lopic. Classes Lake place on Wednesday
mornings. He needs Lo prepare Lhem Lhe day beore, which means Lhe Lask is due each
1uesday. l 1uesday is booked up wiLh appoinLmenLs or he has some exLra Lime earlier
during Lhe week, he can do Lhe preparaLion earlier, or example on Monday.
1his secLion provides a shorL inLroducLion Lo Lhe mosL imporLanL elemenLs o Lhe 1ask
orm. (Figure 2-3 shows Lhe MicrosoL OuLlook 200 orm, which looks dierenL Lhan Lhe
one in MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2003, buL Lhe imporLanL uncLions, commands, and daLa
elds are almosL idenLical.)
FirsL o all, you need Lo selecL a meaningul subjecL, donL jusL Lype call Mike, buL
also indicaLe Lhe goal o Lhe call. Keep Lhe subjecL line shorL, no more Lhan one
line. ou can add more deLails in Lhe large noLe eld in Lhe lower parL o Lhe Lask
orm. Choose Lhe rsL Lwo or Lhree words o Lhe subjecL in such a way LhaL you can
immediaLely Lell whaL iL is abouL (and also judge iLs imporLance), how long iL will
Lake, and how much eorL is required (or example Prepare hr class).
ou can use Lhe SLarL DaLe eld i you canL sLarL a Lask unLil a cerLain daLe or Lo
seL Lhe beginning or larger Lasks LhaL lasL several days. However, donL overdo iL
aL Lhe beginning and sLarL using Lhe Lask lisL only or Lhings you can Lake care o in
one or Lwo hours, i someLhing Lakes longer, spliL iL inLo several Lasks. l you need
Lo creaLe complex projecL plans wiLh dependencies beLween subLasks, iLs beLLer Lo
use a specialized soLware, such as MicrosoL ProjecL.
8ecause Lhe SLarL DaLe and Due DaLe elds are connecLed, changing Lhe sLarL daLe
auLomaLically changes Lhe due daLe as welland Lhis can be aLal, i iL makes you
miss an imporLanL hando daLe simply because you decided Lo prepare every-
Lhing one week beore Lhe due daLe insLead o Lhe originally planned Lwo weeks
and OuLlook auLomaLically moved your due daLe ouL by one week.
CAUTION 1he SLarL DaLe eld requenLly leads Lo more work and problems
Lhan beneLs. lLs besL Lo leave iL empLy and jusL work wiLh Lhe
Due DaLe eld. l you wanL Lo sLarL working on a projecL one
week beore Lhe hando daLe, enLer Lhis day (one week beore)
inLo Due DaLeLhe day on which you wanL Lo have Lhe Lask in
ronL o you and begin working on iL.
FIGURE 2-3 Robin Leaches Lhree classes Lhis monLh or inLerns. ln preparaLion, he has seL up one
Lask or each. 1he nexL class (which will Lake place on Wednesday) is due on Monday.
FnLer a due daLe inLo Lhe Due DaLe eld (in OuLlook 2003, Lhe Due DaLe eld is
locaLed above Lhe SLarL DaLe eld, in MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2007 and OuLlook
200, iLs Lhe oLher way around). JusL Lake a guess i youre noL compleLely sure
iL Lakes a while Lo geL a eeling or seLLing a daLe, and you can sLill change iL laLer.
Feel ree Lo seL an earlier due daLe or a 8-1ask LhaL isnL due unLil a ew monLhs
rom now or isnL due aL all, i you wanL Lo Lake care o Lhis Lask earlier. l nexL
week is already ully booked, Lhis week is sLill relaLively open, and you can sLarL
on a Lask early, simply move Lhe due daLe inLo Lhis week. As parL o Lhe weekly
planning process (ChapLer 3, How Lo Cain More 1ime or WhaLs FssenLial wiLh an
FecLive Week Planner) and Lhe daily planning process (ChapLer 4, How Lo Make
our Daily Planning Work in Real Lie), we will rene whaL exacLly you Lake care o
and when. For example, you mighL seL Lomorrow as a due daLe or an A-1ask (high
prioriLy) as well as or a 8-1ask (normal prioriLy). 1his means LhaL Lhe A-1ask isnL
only as imporLanL as Lhe 8-1ask, buL iL is also more urgenL (making iL A insLead o
anoLher 8). So i you only have Lime or one Lask Lomorrow, you will Lake care o
Lhe A-1ask and posLpone Lhe 8-1ask.
1ry Lo esLimaLe Lhe priority according Lo Lhe Fisenhower MaLrix rom Lhe begin-
ning. SLarL by always seLLing iL Lo low. l Lhe Lask is parL o your mosL imporLanL
Lasks, seL iL Lo normal. l iL is also very urgenL, seL iL Lo high.
For a larger Lask LhaL you can'L work on in one go, you can use Lhe % CompleLe
eld Lo record how ar you have goLLen. However, iLs easy Lo geL conused Lhis
way or Lo drag ouL hal-nished Lasks (Lhough Lhe eld is useul or Lracking Lhe
sLaLus o larger Lasks you have delegaLed). ou should Lhereore iniLially divide big-
ger Lasks inLo parLial Lasks o one Lo Lwo hours. FnLer Lhem as individual Lasks and
compleLe Lhem one aL a Lime. ou can also (or alLernaLively) add inormaLion inLo
Lhe SLaLus eld, such as WaiLing or someone else or Deerred (or now). 1hese
elds are connecLed wiLh each oLher and connecLed Lo a small check box in Lhe
Lask lisL. l you selecL Lhe check box, OuLlook seLs % CompleLe Lo 00 and SLaLus Lo
CompleLed.
TIP ou can lLer or group your Lask lisL according Lo any o Lhese
elds, or example Lo display all Lasks LhaL conLain Lhe value Wait-
ing for someone else in Lhe SLaLus eld and start next month. (ou
will learn more abouL lLering laLer in Lhis chapLer, in Use FilLers
Lo Clean Up our views, and in ChapLer 3.)
Categories (assigned via Lhe CaLegorize buLLon) are a very useul eaLure. Well
explain Lhem in deLail in ChapLer 3. (ln OuLlook 2003, you can nd Lhe correspond-
ing buLLon as well as Lhe caLegories LexL box in Lhe lower-righL corner below Lhe
large noLe eld.)
ln Lhe large noLe eld in Lhe boLLom parL o Lhe 1ask orm, you can enLer addiLional
deLails, such as bulleL poinLs or perorming Lhe Lask. ou can also inserL copies o
documenLs here LhaL are relaLed Lo Lhe Lask. (ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, go
Lo Lhe lnserL Lab and selecL ALLach File rom Lhe lnclude group. ln OuLlook 2003,
go Lo Lhe lnserL menu and selecL File.) ou can add anoLher OuLlook elemenL
or example, a copy o an email message relaLed Lo Lhe LaskdirecLly by using
Lhe OuLlook lLem command buLLon rom Lhe lnclude group on Lhe lnserL Lab (in
OuLlook 2003, you need Lo go Lo Lhe lnserL menu and selecL lLem). l you open
Lhe Lask again laLer, you can direcLly view Lhe associaLed inserLed les and email
messages simply by double-clicking Lhe le name in Lhe noLe eld. ln OuLlook
200 and OuLlook 2007, Lhe LexL ediLor uncLions you know rom MicrosoL Word
are available as a LexL ediLor in Lhe noLe eld. 1he FormaL 1exL Lab allows you quick
access Lo numberings, lisLs wiLh mulLiple levels, quick ormaL LemplaLes, and colorul
highlighLing Lo creaLe clear and easy-Lo-read noLes. ou can use Lhe Review Lab Lo
access proong Lools, or SLarL lnking Lo inserL handwriLLen noLes and skeLches on
LableL PCs.
how to insert links to fles instead of copies
l you wanL Lo inserL a very large le wiLhouL Laking up Loo much space in your OuLlook
lnbox, or i you always wanL Lo make Lhe laLesL version o a le available rom Lhe OuLlook
Lask (or example, a MicrosoL PowerPoinL le you have sLored on your local le sysLem,
which you will ediL a ew more Limes beore sLarLing Lhe Lask), you can simply inserL a link
Lo Lhe le insLead o Lhe le iLsel.
1. Open Lhe Lask.
2. Co Lo Lhe Insert Lab and click Attach File in Lhe Include group (OuLlook 2003. Lhe
File command on Lhe Insert menu).
3. Find and selecL Lhe le you wanL in Lhe Insert File dialog box.
4. Click Lhe arrow Lo Lhe righL o Lhe Insert buLLon.
5. ln Lhe menu LhaL now opens, selecL Insert as Hyperlink (see Figure 2-4).
FIGURE 2-4 1o save space, inserL a link insLead o a ile.
ou can also inserL email messages and les inLo appoinLmenLs (or example, a PDF le
wiLh an e-LickeL and ighL daLa) and inLo conLacL enLries (or insLance, driving direcLions).
The Text Editor in outlook 2010/outlook 2007
l you open a Lask (or email message, appoinLmenL, or conLacL enLry) in iLs own window
by double-clicking or using CLrl-ShiL-K, Lhe ediLor in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 will be
displayed. lL oers you various advanced uncLions.
The insert Tab
AparL rom inserLing les, elemenLs (in Lhe lnclude group), and hyperlinks (in Lhe Links
group), you can now Lake advanLage o many addiLional uncLions rom Word 200/
MicrosoL Oce Word 2007 by simply clicking Lhe lnserL Lab in OuLlook. 1he uick ParLs
(in Lhe 1exL group) and Lhe Lables are especially useul. l you are looking or Lhe PasLe
command rom Lhe old FdiL menu (Lo inserL Lhe MicrosoL Oce Clipboard conLenL), iL is
now locaLed on Lhe FormaL 1exL Lab, in Lhe Clipboard group. (1he CLrl-v key combina-
Lion sLill works.)
SelecL requenLly used long words, senLences, and paragraphs (or example, by dragging
over Lhe LexL or Lriple-clicking Lhe paragraph). ln Lhe 1exL group on Lhe lnserL Lab, click
uick ParLs and, on Lhe menu LhaL appears, selecL Save SelecLion 1o uick ParLs Cal-
lery. ou can now enLer a name or Lhe uick ParL and selecL several oLher opLions (or
example, or dividing your uick ParLs inLo caLegories such as promo email messages,
meeLing inviLaLions, and more). From now on, you can inserL Lhe LexL LhaL has been saved
in Lhis manner by clicking uick ParLs (in Lhe 1exL group on Lhe lnserL Lab) in Lhe currenL
message or in Lhe noLe eld o Lhe Lask, appoinLmenL, or conLacL.
1he ediLor also works or Lables and uick 1ables (like Lhe uick ParLs jusL described,
excepL LhaL you inserL a compleLe Lable wiLh all iLs conLenL, insLead o LexL). When pre-
paring a meeLing, you can seL up a sLandard checklisL as a uick 1able (one column wiLh
preparaLion sLeps, such as review documenLaLion, order lunch, and similar, and nexL
Lo iL a column in which you enLer an x or a compleLed sLep). Whenever you are prepar-
ing a meeLing, seminar, cusLomer visiL, inLerview, and so on, you can simply click lnserL/
1able/uick 1ables and selecL Lhe enLry you have jusL creaLed Lo inserL your compleLe
checklisL.
The Format Text Tab
1he FormaL 1exL Lab allows you Lo remove all LexL ormaLLing in Lhe noLe eld o a Lask,
an appoinLmenL, a conLacL, or an email message (DeleLe FormaLLingLhe eraser icon in
Lhe FonL group), Lo highlighL LexL in color (as wiLh a marker pen), Lo change Lhe LexL color
or onL size, and much more wiLh one quick click. Some o Lhese eaLures have already
been around in Lhe FormaL menu and on Lhe FormaL Loolbar, buL many new eaLures
have been added, or example, sLyles and ouLlines (lisLs wiLh mulLiple elemenLs).
LisLing all Lhe uncLions o Lhe OuLlook ediLor would Lake much more space Lhan we have
available in Lhis book. Well Lhereore conclude Lhis ediLor overview wiLh Lwo uncLions
LhaL help you when enLering LexL in mulLiple languages and save you many mouse clicks
i you work inLensively wiLh LexL ormaLLing.
Format Text with Fewer Mouse Clicks: Take advantage of the Mini Toolbar
l you selecL LexL in an email message or in Lhe noLe eld o an elemenL by using Lhe leL
mouse buLLon (or by double-clicking or Lriple-clicking), a barely visible (almosL compleLely
LransparenL) bar wiLh buLLons on iL appears Lo Lhe righL or leL above Lhe selecLed LexL.
Move Lhe mouse poinLer a biL Lo Lhe leL or righL Loward Lhis bar Lo make iL compleLely
visible. ou now have Lhe mosL requenLly used LexL ormaLLing commands aL your dis-
posal, righL nexL Lo your selecLed LexL, and can access Lhem wiLh jusL one click.
ln OuLlook 2007, you may need Lo enable Lhis Mini 1oolbar rsL (unless your l1 deparL-
menL has done so or you). Click Lhe Oce buLLon (Lhe round buLLon wiLh Lhe Oce
logo in Lhe upper-leL corner o Lhe deaulL 1ask orm) and Lhen on Lhe FdiLor OpLions
buLLon in Lhe lower-righL corner. 1his geLs you Lo Lhe FdiLor OpLions dialog box in Lhe
Popular caLegory. SelecL Lhe Show Mini 1oolbar On SelecLion check box and click OK.
Take advantage of the Multilingual Spelling Checker and the Foreign Language
Dictionary in outlook 2010
Here OuLlook 200 looks very dierenL rom OuLlook 2007. l you are using OuLlook
2007, see Lhe nexL secLion.
On Lhe Review Lab o a Lask (or an appoinLmenL, conLacL, or email message) LhaL is open
in iLs own window, you geL access Lo Lhe Lhesaurus and Lhe oreign language dicLionaries.
ln OuLlook 200, you are working wiLh Word as your (seamlessly inLegraLed) ediLor or
Lhe individual OuLlook elemenLs. ou can Lake advanLage o Words mulLilingual spell-
checker noL only when wriLing email messages, buL also when you have inserLed a large
amounL o LexL inLo Lhe noLe eld o an elemenL (or example, or LexL LhaL conLains boLh
Fnglish and Cerman secLions). l you wanL, while you are wriLing, OuLlook can underline
LexL LhaL was noL ound in Lhe dicLionary. l you wanL Lo swiLch Lhe spelling checker on
or o or cusLomize Lhe AuLoCorrecL opLions LhaL operaLe while you are wriLing LexL, click
Lhe File Lab and selecL OpLions. ln Lhe OuLlook OpLions dialog box LhaL opens, click Lhe
Mail caLegory on Lhe leL and Lhen Lhe FdiLor OpLions buLLon (very close Lo Lhe upper-
righL corner). On Lhe leL side, you can now choose beLween Display (opLions), Proong
(opLions), and Advanced (opLions) or Lhe ediLor. DonL geL conused, because rom Lhe
menu paLh iL sounds like you only change Lhe opLion or email messagesLhe seLLings
you speciy here also apply Lo Lask noLe elds, appoinLmenLs, and conLacLs.
ln older versions o OuLlook, Lhe 1ools/Research command leads (aLer several clicks)
Lo LranslaLion and ormaLLing supporL or selecLing a oreign language dicLionary or
Lhesaurus. ln OuLlook 200, you can perorm a lookup much more easily and quickly.
SelecL a word (or example, by double-clicking iL) in Lhe noLe eld o an elemenL (a Lask,
appoinLmenL, or conLacL opened in iLs own window) or in Lhe LexL o an email message.
Co Lo Lhe Review Lab and reLrieve Lhe respecLive dicLionary eiLher in Lhe Proong group
via 1hesaurus or in Lhe Language group via 1ranslaLe. WiLh Language/1ranslaLe/Choose
1ranslaLion Language, you can selecL Lhe LargeL language wiLh jusL one click (or disable
Lhe uncLion), and rom LhaL momenL on always display a LranslaLion when you poinL Lo
a word or more Lhan one second. ALer a while, Lhe LranslaLion disappearsi you need
iL again, simply poinL Lo a dierenL word and Lhen back Lo Lhe original word. 1he Lransla-
Lion is only shown i you have mapped Lhe LexL Lo a language dierenL Lhan Lhe specied
LargeL language. (For example, i you are wriLing in Fnglish, and Lhe language or Lhe
Lrans laLion is seL Lo Fnglish as Lhe LargeL language, you wonL see a LranslaLion.)
Take advantage of the Multilingual Spelling Checker and the Foreign Language
Dictionary in outlook 2007
OuLlook 2007 looks very dierenL rom OuLlook 200 here. l you are using OuLlook
200, please read Lhe previous secLion.
ln a Lask (or appoinLmenL, conLacL, or email message) LhaL you have opened in iLs own
window, you will see a raLher SparLan-looking group called Proong wiLh Lhe Spelling
(Spelling & Crammar) command aL Lhe righL end o Lhe 1ask Lab. l you click Lhe Spell-
ing buLLon arrow , you geL access Lo Lhe Lhesaurus and oreign language dicLionaries.
ln OuLlook 2007, you are working wiLh Word as your (seamlessly inLegraLed) ediLor or
Lhe individual OuLlook elemenLs. ou can Lake advanLage o Words mulLilingual spelling
checker noL only when wriLing email messages, buL also when you have inserLed a large
amounL o LexL inLo Lhe noLe eld o an elemenL (or example, or LexL LhaL conLains boLh
Fnglish and Cerman secLions). l you wanL, while you are wriLing, OuLlook can underline
LexL LhaL was noL ound in Lhe dicLionary. l you wanL Lo swiLch Lhe spelling checker on
or o or cusLomize Lhe AuLoCorrecL opLions LhaL operaLe while you are wriLing LexL, click
Lhe Oce buLLon (in Lhe upper-leL corner o Lhe deaulL 1ask orm), click Lhe FdiLor Op-
Lions buLLon on Lhe lower-righL, and Lhen selecL Lhe Proong caLegory on Lhe leL side.
DonL geL conused because Lhe FdiLor OpLions dialog box only menLions Lhe conLenL
o OuLlook email messagesLhe seLLings you speciy here also apply Lo Lask noLe elds,
appoinLmenLs, and conLacLs.
ln older versions o OuLlook, Lhe 1ools/Research command leads (aLer several clicks)
Lo LranslaLion and ormaLLing supporL or selecLing a oreign language dicLionary or
Lhesaurus. ln OuLlook 2007, you can perorm a lookup much more easily and quickly.
SelecL a word (or example, by double-clicking iL) in Lhe noLe eld o an elemenL or in
Lhe LexL o an email message. Co Lo Lhe 1ask Lab, click Lhe Spelling buLLon arrow, and
reLrieve Lhe dicLionary you wanL by using 1hesaurus or 1ranslaLe rom Lhe shorLcuL menu.
WiLh Lhe 1ranslaLion uick1ip command (rom Lhe same menu), you can selecL Lhe LargeL
language wiLh jusL one click (or disable Lhe uncLion), and rom LhaL momenL on always
display a LranslaLion when you poinL Lo a word or more Lhan one second. ALer a while,
Lhe LranslaLion disappearsi you need iL again, simply poinL Lo a dierenL word and
Lhen back Lo Lhe original word. 1he LranslaLion is only shown i you have mapped Lhe LexL
Lo a language dierenL Lhan Lhe specied LargeL language. (For example, i you are wriL-
ing in Fnglish, and Lhe uicklno or 1ranslaLion is seL Lo Fnglish as Lhe LargeL language,
you will noL see a LranslaLion.)
Defne Your own Views (outlook 2003,
outlook 2007, and outlook 2010)
8eing able Lo dene your own views in OuLlook is very helpul when you are working
wiLh Lasks. ou only enLer each Lask once buL are virLually dening dierenL Lask lisLs or
which OuLlook selecLs Lhe enLries you wanL and hides Lhe oLhers. For example, you can
choose Lo only display Lasks LhaL are due Lhis week or Loday. WiLh jusL one click, you can
swiLch Lo only Lhose Lasks LhaL are due or a parLicular producL Lhis monLh (see also FilLer
and Croup by CaLegory in ChapLer 3). 1his way you can keep an overview o a large
number o Lasks, even i you have enLered Lhem weeks beore Lheir due daLe.
how to set up a new view
ALer you have dened a new view, you can display iL wiLh exacLly Lhe same criLeria any
Lime wiLh one or jusL a ew mouse clicks (see Figure 2-5).
1. From any Lask view in Lhe main window o OuLlook 200, go Lo Lhe view Lab, click
Change view (in Lhe Current view group), and selecL Manage views. ln OuLlook
2007, go Lo Lhe view menu and choose Current view/Defne views. ln OuLlook
2003, go Lo Lhe view menu and click Arrange by/Current view/Defne views.
2. ln Lhe dialog box LhaL appears, you can use an exisLing view as a LemplaLe by click-
ing Lhe Copy buLLon and Lhen ediLing Lhis view Lo your liking. l you donL wanL Lo
use an exisLing view as a LemplaLe, click New.
3. Cive Lhe view a new name (or example, Due this weekunfnished), keep Lhe
deaulL seLLing or Lhe Type of view as Table, and Lhen click OK.
4. ou can conrm Lhe seLLings in Lhe nexL dialog box by clicking OK, and choose
Apply view Lo creaLe Lhe new view.
ou can also keep Lhe dialog box open and dene Lhe lLers nexL (see Lhe nexL secLion,
Use FilLers Lo Clean Up our views).
OuLlook 200 enables Lhe reading pane in Lhe righL parL o Lhe window by deaulL or
new views. lL also shows comprehensive noLes abouL a Lask as a preview wiLhouL you
having Lo open Lhe Lask by double-clicking iLbuL Lhis Lakes up a loL o space, which
limiLs Lhe space or displaying your enLire Lask lisL. When working wiLh email messages,
Lhe reading pane is useul or reading Lhe whole message wiLhouL opening iL in a sepa-
raLe window. For Lasks, however, Lhe subjecL line should be enough Lo help you decide
whaL Lo do. lLs beLLer Lo use Lhe space or a larger view o your Lask lisL. Disable Lhe
reading pane on Lhe view Lab, in Lhe LayouL group, in Lhe submenu o Lhe Reading Pane
buLLon, by choosing O (see Figure 2-6).
FIGURE 2-5 CreaLe your own views Lo geL a quick overview.
FIGURE 2-6 OuLlook 200 enables Lhe reading pane in new viewshide iL or Lhe Lasks.
Use Filters to Clean Up Your Views
FilLer can help you clean up your views so LhaL only cerLain Lasks are shown. Only Lhe
Lasks LhaL meeL Lhe criLeria esLablished by you can pass Lhrough Lhe lLers.
how to set up a simple flter for your view
1. l Lhe dialog box or cusLomizing Lhe view (rom Lhe lasL sLep or creaLing new
views) is no longer open, or i you wanL Lo change a view some Lime aLer creaL-
ing iL, click view Settings in Lhe Current view group on Lhe view Lab in OuLlook
200. ln OuLlook 2003 and 2007, simply click Lhe Customize Current view link in
Lhe leL parL o Lhe navigaLion pane Lo open Lhe same dialog box.
2. Click Lhe Filter buLLon in Lhe Advanced view Settings dialog box Lo open Lhe
FilLer dialog box (see Figure 2-7).
3. Now you can speciy Lhe criLeria. For Lasks due Lhis week, seL Lhe Due value in Lhe
Time lisL and Lhe This Week value in Lhe lisL nexL Lo iL.
4. Close all open dialog boxes by clicking OK.
FIGURE 2-7 ou can clean up your views wiLh ilLers.
how to hide all completed tasks
1. RepeaL sLeps and 2 in Lhe previous procedure or seLLing up a lLer.
2. Click Lhe Advanced Lab (in Lhe Filter dialog box, as shown in Figure 2-8).
3. Click Lhe Field buLLon. ln Lhe lisL o requenLly used elds, selecL Complete.
4. ln Lhe now-acLivaLed Condition and value lisLs, selecL Lhe condiLion equals and
Lhe value No, and Lhen click Add to List.
Now OuLlook only displays Lasks LhaL are noL compleLed yeL. As soon as you seL a Lask
Lo 00 percenL compleLed (or seL Lhe sLaLus Lo CompleLed or selecL Lhe small CompleLe
check box), Lhe Lask is no longer visible in Lhis view.
FIGURE 2-8 ou can hide compleLed Lasks wiLh a ilLer.
ln ChapLer 3, you will learn abouL addiLional lLer opLions, as well as Lhe grouping o
views as an alLernaLive or supplemenL Lo lLers, and you will also see how Lo remove
lLers.
Fine-Tune Your Priorities with the 25,000 $ Method
1he 25,000 S MeLhod is opLimally suiLed Lo urLher rening your planning aLer seLLing
raw prioriLies wiLh Lhe Fisenhower MaLrix rsL. lL is an old Lime-managemenL Lechnique
LhaL is sLill as eecLive as iL was 00 years agoiL jusL works!
THE 25,000 $ METHOD
ALer having been presidenL o one o Lhe largesL corporaLions in Lhe worldLhe UniLed
SLaLes SLeel CorporaLionCharles Michael Schwab Look over 8eLhlehem SLeel, which
he Look Lo Lhe sLock markeL in December o 904. 8eLhlehem SLeel laLer became Lhe
second largesL sLeel corporaLion in Lhe world. Charles Schwab hired lvy Lee, a manage-
menL consulLanL, as his personal coach. 1he ee agreemenL sounded air. Show me how
l can make beLLer use o my Lime. l your Lips work, lll pay you any ee you like wiLhin
reasonable boundaries.
lvy Lee gave him a piece o paperunorLunaLely OuLlook wasnL yeL available back
Lhenand Lold him. Simply wriLe down everyLhing you need Lo geL done Lomorrow.
ALer you have lisLed all Lhe Lasks, compare Lhem according Lo prioriLy. l Lomorrow
suddenly some machines became deecLive, bringing Lhe whole producLion Lo a sLand-
sLill, and you needed Lo Lake care o Lhe problem immediaLely and would Lhereore only
have Lime leL or one single Lask rom your lisL, which one would you choose Which
Lask would you decide on, i you could only do one Lask rom Lhe enLire lisL WriLe Lhe
number in ronL o LhaL Lask.
Which one o Lhe remaining Lasks would you choose i you would sLill have enough
Lime leL Lo L in jusL one more Cive Lhis Lask Lhe number 2. And so on unLil you have
esLablished a prioriLy ranking or Lhe enLire lisL. 1omorrow, sLarL wiLh Lask number
as soon as you begin your work day. Do noLhing else unLil you have nished Lhis Lask.
1hen check your lisL again. Has anyLhing changed in Lhe meanLime LhaL caused your
number 2 Lo move down in prioriLy Did someLhing happen LhaLs so imporLanL LhaL
you should Lake care o iL immediaLely, Lhus making iL your new number 2 l necessary,
adjusL your lisL and conLinue wiLh number 2. Do noLhing else unLil you have compleLed
Lhis Lask. 1hen Lake a shorL break and aLerwards conLinue wiLh number 3, and so on.
Fven i you didnL geL everyLhing done by Lhe end o Lhe day, iLs no big deal. Such
is lie. 8uL wiLh Lhis meLhod, you have aL leasL compleLed Lhe mosL imporLanL Lasks
insLead o leaving Lhem siLLing aroundLhaLs whaL really counLs. 1he key Lo success iL
Lo do Lhis daily. LisL your Lasks and rank Lhem according Lo Lheir relaLive imporLance as
you compare Lhem wiLh each oLher. CreaLe a daily plan by deciding prioriLies, and sLick
wiLh iL. WriLLen prioriLizaLion is also a very imporLanL sLep Lowards more sel-discipline
when iL is implemenLed consisLenLly. 1ake care o Lhe mosL imporLanL Lasks rsL and
keep doing iL as long as Lhe prioriLies don'L shiL. Make Lhis your daily habiL. 1ry iL or as
long as you wanL. Once you are convinced o Lhe eecLiveness o Lhis sysLem, send me
a check and decide or yoursel how much Lhis Lip is worLh Lo you.
A ew weeks laLer, Charles Schwab senL a check or S25,000 Lo lvy Lee. LaLer he said LhaL
Lhis was Lhe mosL proLable lesson he had learned in his enLire managemenL career.
(From The Time Trap by Alec Mackenzie, Amacom, 972)
how to defne a 25,000 $ view
ALer you have seL up a view (as explained earlier in Dene our Own views), you can
use iL or planning wiLh Lhe 25,000 S MeLhod. lnserL a cusLom eld called, or example,
25,000 S (see Figure 2-9).
1. SwiLch Lo Lhe new Lask view in OuLlook 200 by going Lo Lhe view Lab. ln Lhe Cur-
rent view group, click Lhe Change view buLLon and click Lhe name o Lhe new
view (or example, 25,000 S) in Lhe submenu. ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, click
Lhe name o Lhe view in Lhe leL parL o Lhe navigaLion pane (below Lhe Current
view headline).
2. RighL-click one o Lhe column headers o Lhe view, such as Due, and selecL Field
Chooser rom Lhe shorLcuL menu.
3. ln Lhe Field Chooser window, click Lhe New buLLon.
4. 1ype 25,000 $ inLo Lhe Name eld, selecL Number in Lhe Type lisL, and click OK.
TIP When creaLing Lhe new eld, make sure Lo selecL Lhe Number op-
Lion rom Lhe 1ype lisLoLherwise Lhe Lask wiLh Lhe enLry 2, or
example, will laLer be sorLed beLween and 2 (or you would need
Lo enLer 0, 02 and so on each Lime). 1he Number Lype makes sure
Lhe sorLing is correcL.
5. Drag Lhe 25,000 $ eld rom Lhe Field Chooser window nexL Lo one o Lhe oLher
column headers in Lhe Lask view, or example, nexL Lo Task Subject or Subject
(see Figure 2-9).
FIGURE 2-9 SelecL Lhe Number Lype or Lhe ield, and inserL Lhe ield inLo Lhe view as a new
column.
TIP ou can very easily geL rid o any elds shown in your view i you
donL need Lhem. Drag any superuous elds such as SLarL DaLe
and Reminder 1ime rom Lhe view inLo Lhe Field Chooser window.
Now Lhe elds are no longer showni necessary you can drag
Lhem back rom Lhe eld chooser inLo Lhe view any Lime in order
Lo show Lhem again.
6. Close Lhe Field Chooser by clicking Lhe Close buLLon.
7. Finally, sorL Lhe view in ascending order according Lo Lhe newly inserLed column.
Click once on Lhe 25,000 $ column header.
how to use your 25,000 $ view for refning your priorities
ou can now work wiLh your new view and begin rening your iniLial rough Fisenhower
MaLrix classicaLion Lo creaLe an absoluLe Lask order (see Figure 2-0).
1. lmagine. l noLhing wenL according Lo plan and you only had Lime or one o your
Lasks Loday, which one would you deniLely wanL Lo geL done For Lhis Lask, enLer
Lhe number 1 inLo Lhe 25,000 $ eld.
As soon as you click a dierenL Lask, Lhe Lask you jusL marked wiLh is moved
down. OuLlook will laLer sorL Lask number 2 behind iL (one posiLion below). All
Lasks wiLhouL a number are displayed aL Lhe Lop o Lhe lisL.
2. Which o Lhe remaining unnumbered Lasks is now Lhe mosL imporLanL 1his Lask
geLs Lhe number 2, and so on.
NOTE 8y Lhe way, your oLher Lask views will noL be changed by your
25,000 S eld and will behave jusL as beore, independenL o Lhe
values you have enLered inLo Lhe eld.
3. Maybe you are now wondering which Lask mighL be Lhe nexL mosL imporLanL one.
DonL wasLe Loo much Lime on guesswork. JusL make a decision. 1here is no 00
percenL correcL soluLion. ou are jusL Lrying Lo esLablish an approximaLe Lask
ranking by comparing imporLance. PracLice makes perecL. Maybe you will noLice
a Lask and immediaLely realize LhaL iL is Lhe leasL imporLanL o all Lhe remaining
unnumbered Lasks, and you wanL Lo puL iL aL Lhe lasL posiLion righL away. Which
number should iL geL ln Lhis case, you donL even have Lo care abouL Lhe LoLal
number o Lasks, simply give Lhe Lask Lhe number 99 (assuming you donL have
50 Lasks lisLed or Loday). 1he nexL, slighLly less unimporLanL Lask geLs Lhe num-
ber 98, and so on. Fven i you only have 7 Lasks or Loday, OuLlook will sLill sorL
Lhem correcLly Lhis way.
FIGURE 2-10 CreaLe a 25,000 S view Lo decide which Lask comes nexL.
We will urLher rene Lhe 25,000 S MeLhod as parL o Lhe daily planning process (see
ChapLer 4), buL beore we geL Lhere, we will rsL Lackle weekly planning (see ChapLer 3).
OTHER WAYS TO USE THE 25,000 $ METHOD
l you like deLailed planning, Lhis meLhod is also well suiLed Lo an exLensive priori-
LizaLion o your Lask lisL or Lhe whole week or or a parLicularly large projecL, or
example. As previously explained, you can creaLe addiLional views (or example,
25,000 S ProjecL A) and reLrieve Lhem wiLh jusL one click. lnserL a 25,000 S eld
inLo Lhese views as well, wiLh a correspondingly deLailed name (or example,
Proj. A 25,000 S Prio). 1his way you reLain an overview even wiLh complex siLu-
aLions. One Lask can be number regarding Lhe projecL, number 5 regarding Lhe
week, and number 2 regarding Lhe currenL day. 1his Lip is or Lhose readers who
wanL Lo delve deeper inLo Lhe deLails o planning, aLer having learned abouL Lhe
Lips and simple meLhods jusL described. All oLhers should remember noL Lo go
overboard wiLh Lhe planning, oLherwise Lhe posiLive eecL mighL reverse iLsel.
Fspecially in Lhe beginning, one 25,000 S view is enough (preerably jusL or Lhe
day). Keep iL simple.
The To-Do ListView Tasks from Multiple Folders and
Email Messages at the Same Time
OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 helps you eliminaLe Lhe Lwo biggesL hurdles when you are
working wiLh mulLiple Lask olders. OuLlook now displays reminders/alarms or Lasks
regardless o which older Lhey are locaLed in. (ln previous versions, alarms were only
displayed or Lasks in Lhe deaulL Task older.) ou can nally view all Lasks in all Lask
olders simulLaneously, and noL jusL Lhe Lasks in a parLicular older. 1his really helps you
keep Lrack.
l you go Lo Lhe 1asks module in OuLlook and, or example, work wiLh dierenL views (see
Dene our Own views, earlier in Lhis chapLer), you only see Lhe Lasks o Lhe currenL
Lask older you have selecLed righL now (Lhe 1o-Do LisL will show all Lasks rom all olders
insLead). JusL like or email messages, you can creaLe new and Lhereore mulLiple old-
ers or Lasks (see ChapLer , How NoL Lo Drown in Lhe Fmail Flood)or example, Lo
individually adjusL access righLs Lo your Lasks or your Leam or each older and Lhus or
all Lasks Lherein (one older jusL or you, one wiLh read permissions or your whole Leam,
and a Lhird Lask older you only share wiLh your adminisLraLive assisLanL). Or you could use
olders Lo have an addiLional level or sorLing and dividing your Lasks (oLher Lhan Lhe caLe-
gories)or example, privaLe and proessional Lasks LhaL perLain Lo a parLicular projecL/
producL and are Lhen grouped by caLegory wiLhin Lhe older. However, working wiLh sev-
eral Lask olders can easily lead Lo conusion, and Lhereore conLinues Lo be a mere maLLer
o LasLeonly occasionally iL can be quiLe useul. ln general, we recommend LhaL you work
wiLh one Lask older only (and hide Lhe Lasks you donL need by using lLers).
l you go Lo Lhe My 1asks pane in Lhe OuLlook Lasks and click Lhe red ag wiLh Lhe word
1o-Do LisL nexL Lo iL (direcLly above Lhe lisL o possible views in Lhe navigaLion pane in
OuLlook 2007, or direcLly below Lhe ribbon in OuLlook 200), OuLlook displays all Lasks
rom Lhe olders lisLed below. ou will also see all email messages you have agged or
ollow-up as Lask elemenLs (wiLh a more or less red ag depending on Lhe due daLe, see
ChapLer ). 1he 1o-Do 8ar on Lhe righL side o Lhe screen (see ChapLers and 4) also
displays email messages marked as Lasks and Lhe Lasks rom all o your Lask olders, jusL
like Lhe 1o-Do LisL.
NOTE ou can only see Lhe marked email messages in Lhe currenL Lask view i you
have selecLed Lhe 1o-Do LisL insLead o an individual Lask older. l you
only wanL Lo see Lhe Lasks rom a cerLain older, go Lo Lhe My 1asks pane
and click Lhe name o Lhe older.
You Try it
1. 1hink abouL which Lasks really geL you ahead. Which Lasks would Lurn ouL Lo be
exLremely proLable because Lhey save Lime and money or increase eciency in
oLher areas (or example, creaLing email olders, cleaning up Lhe inbox, markeLing/
websiLe improvemenLs, or conLinued educaLion)
2. CreaLe a 8-1ask or aL leasL one such acLiviLy (someLhing youve been meaning Lo
do or a long Limeor example, cleaning up your email inbox) and seL a realisLic
due daLe or iL wiLhin Lhe nexL Lhree weeks.
3. l you are noL working wiLh OuLlook Lasks yeL, sLarL managing your Lask lisLs in
OuLlook. FnLer 20 Lasks (each wiLh a meaningul subjecL) LhaL you wanL Lo or have
Lo geL done nexL week. (l you are already using Lasks, display Lhe ones due nexL
week.)
4. SeL Lhe PrioriLy or all Lo Low. Look or no more Lhan Lhree A-1asks and change
Lheir PrioriLy Lo High. Look or no more Lhan ve 8-1asks and change Lheir Prior-
iLy Lo Normal. CompleLe Lhese Lasks beore all oLhers (on Lhe due day aL Lhe very
laLesL). 1he ewer Lasks you raLe as more imporLanL or more imporLanL and urgenL
Lhan oLhers, Lhe higher Lhe probabiliLy LhaL you will acLually compleLe Lhem all
during Lhe week.
5. SorL Lhe Lask lisL by prioriLy, display only Lhe Lasks due Lhis week (by using a lLer),
and hide all compleLed Lasks.
6. CreaLe Lhe 25,000 S view or 1oday LhaL only shows Lasks due Loday, inserL Lhe
25,000 S eld, and sorL by Lhis column.
63
CHAPTER 3
UNLIKE NExT monLh, Lhe nexL week is close enough already Lo plan
appoinLmenLs and Lasks specically and realisLically. AL Lhe same Lime, a
week is long enough Lo allow you Lo keep your balance by including Lasks
or all areas o lie. A day can geL much Loo shorL very soon i someLhing
goes wrong (more abouL LhaL in ChapLer 4, How Lo Make our Daily
Planning Work in Real Lie). A week, in conLrasL, is long enough Lo make
up or a day plan LhaL has goLLen ouL o conLrol or was jusL Loo ull. ou
can use Lhe week as a period or comprehensive planning. And you can
eecLively accomplish Lhis Lask by planning in MicrosoL OuLlook.
Did you seL your prioriLies, buL have cerLain 8-1asks LhaL sLill donL
have a due daLe and Lhereore conLinue Lo remain undone Does
your day-Lo-day business leave hardly any room or Lhe Lask lisL
how to gain More
Time for whats
Essential with an
Effective week
Planner
i Dont have Time for That!
Use categories.
Track important categories.
Filter and group by category.
Apply the Kiesel Principle.
Prepare a task list for a week.
Plan tasks and appointments in
Outlook.
64 Chapter 3 How to Gain More Time for Whats Essential with an Effective Week Planner
ROBIN HAS NO TIME AGAIN
Robin Wood has no energy and eels LoLally exhausLed. 1he persisLenL summer heaL
and all Lhe Lraveling.... When he was younger, he had a much easier Lime dealing wiLh
all LhaL. He used Lo go running regularly and played baskeLball. His colleague, Holly
HolL, is on a wellness Lrip Lhese days and mainLains LhaL all is connecLed. He should sLarL
doing exercise, she says. 1haL way he'd become LLer again and would also be able Lo
work beLLer. lL would make jusL as much sense or you as Laking a Lyping class, consid-
ering how much you Lype, she quips. Fasy or Holly Lo say! ln any case, he has no Lime
leL or LhaL righL now. Maybe nexL year.
His deparLmenL has 52 cusLomers0 o whom make up 56 percenL o Lhe revenue
and Lhey are very saLised. 8ack in February, he resolved Lo look or ways Lo supporL
Lhose 0 even beLLer and Lo provide addiLional individual soluLions. ALer all, Lhis noL
only means progress or his cusLomers, buL also more revenue and proL or his deparL-
menL. 8uL none o LhaL has Lo happen Loday, and during daily business Lhere jusL isnL
any Lime leL or iL righL now.
He really likes Lelephone conerencing, Lhough, which is easy Lo do rom Lhe conerence
room nexL door wiLh his wireless headseLless Lraveling, plus such Lalks are usually
beLLer organized and more quickly ended Lhan old-ashioned meeLings. His wie, on
Lhe oLher hand, recenLly complained LhaL conerence calls are obviously becoming his
preerred and soon-Lo-be only mode o communicaLion wiLh her, Loo.
what really Mattersand why Does it Continue
to remain Undone?
Unlike when Lackling your daily email or your daily planning, where someLhing always
remains undone in Lhe evening, Lhe problems wiLh weekly planning are noL immediaLely
obvious. Many people donL do any weekly planning aL all. 1hey use plans or Lhe year
or Lhe quarLer (i any), and only or Lheir proessional lie. WhaLever you enLer weeks or
monLhs in advance will show up in OuLlook in Lhe monLh, week, and day view anyway. So
why plan Lhe week separaLely
Weekly planning is Lhe key Lo achieving long-Lerm goals, a balanced lie, and Lhe com-
pleLion o your 8-1asks, even i Lhey donL have a due daLe. l Lhey remain undone or
an indeniLe period o Lime, eecLive weekly planning is Lhe besL way Lo counLeracL Lhis
problem. l, or example, you conLinue Lo neglecL your privaLe lie or your healLh because
o your proession, or i you only pursue shorL-Lerm plans and goals, use weekly planning
Lo also include privaLe and long-Lerm goals.
Fven Lo workaholics who have decided Lo make Lheir career Lheir purpose in lie, Lhe
resulLs o Lhe scienLic sLudies in Lhis area sLill apply. People who exercises (run, swim,
dance, and Lhe like) Lhree Limes a week and have a balanced personal lie wiLh Lime or
riends and amily noL only achieve more per hour buL also more in Lhe long run. 1his
means LhaL Lhey acLually geL more done in a 55-hour week Lhan an ouL-o-balance work-
aholic geLs done in a 70-hour week. 1hese people are also more creaLive, work more
reliably, and have an easier Lime dealing wiLh crises.
ln Lhis chapLer, youll discover.
How Lo use OuLlook caLegories Lo sorL all your Lasks by projecL or work/lie area.
How Lo come up wiLh your own caLegory sysLem and Lhus keep an overview o Lhe
week.
How Lo balance Lhe dierenL areas o your lie.
How Lo plan your proessional and privaLe lie LogeLher.
How Lo use key Lasks Lo geL ahead in all areas on a conLinuous and long-Lerm
basis.
How Lo block Limes in your calendar or Lhese key Lasks so LhaL you will regularly
nd Lime or Lhings LhaL are imporLanL Lo you, even wiLhouL an urgenL due daLe
and during sLressul Limes.
TIP SeL aside approximaLely 20 Lo 30 minuLes each week Lo do your weekly
planning. ou will noLice LhaL iL will pay o wiLh more balance, conLenL-
menL, improved perormance, and long-Lerm successes (noL jusL proes-
sionally) aLer a ew monLhs.
Lets Get Started and Change This! Chapter 3 65
Take advantage of Categories to Combine Tasks
8eore showing you how Lo plan your week wiLh Lhe help o caLegories and Lhe Kiesel
Principle, we will cover Lhe basics o caLegories rsL. CaLegories are very useul or keep-
ing Lrack o mulLiple Lasks in dierenL areas and Lo reLain a balance and an overview.
1hey help you assign Lhemes or keywords Lo Lasks. 1his is where Lhey are Lhe mosL
helpul. ALer you are comorLable wiLh Lhem, you can also use Lhem or oLher OuLlook
enLries, such as appoinLmenLs. ou will nd examples or caLegories laLer in Lhis chapLer,
in SeL Up our Own CaLegory SysLem.
gain Perspective with Categories
8eore we begin lLering and grouping by caLegory, leLs Lake a look aL how Lo as-
sign and selecL caLegories wiLh Lhe help o a ew examples. ln MicrosoL Oce OuLlook
2007, Lhe caLegory sysLem was exLended wiLh new uncLions, and in many insLances Lhe
handling (or example, Lhe Lechniques or assigning caLegories) was changed. 8uL Lhe
sLraLegies or working wiLh caLegories remain Lhe same in all OuLlook versions. How-
ever, Lhe sLeps shown or MicrosoL OuLlook 200 and OuLlook 2007 on Lhe nexL pages
are dierenL or MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2003. Also, in OuLlook 2003 noL all addiLional
uncLions are available (such as uick Click and cusLomizable shorLcuL keys or assigning
individual caLegories). We will Lhereore show you Lhe caLegory sysLem or OuLlook 200/
OuLlook 2007 rsL, and laLer Lhe caLegory sysLem or OuLlook 2003 (see 1he CaLegory
SysLem in OuLlook 2003. How Lo Assign CaLegories laLer in Lhis chapLer). From Lhe SeL
Up our Own CaLegory SysLem secLion onward, we will explain pracLical sLraLegies or
working wiLh caLegories LhaL are Lhe same in all versions. l you are working wiLh OuLlook
2003, please skip Lhe nexL ew pages and conLinue reading wiLh 1he CaLegory SysLem in
OuLlook 2003. How Lo Assign CaLegories.
ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, you can no longer click in a Lable view or jusL sLarL Lyping
in Lhe CaLegories eld o a Lask (or appoinLmenL or conLacL) in iLs open window or in Lhe
corresponding column o a Lable view Lo assign a caLegory as you used Lo be able Lo do
in previous versions. 8uL in newer versions o OuLlook, Lhe use o cusLomized caLegory
lisLs has become a loL easier.
how to assign Categories to Tasks
1he caLegories are no longer locaLed in Lhe lower-righL corner o Lhe deaulL 1ask orm
Lhe corresponding command is now represenLed by a square wiLh our colors (CaLego-
rize), which is locaLed in Lhe 1ags group (OuLlook 200) or OpLions group (OuLlook 2007)
on Lhe 1ask Lab (see Figure 3-2, laLer in Lhis secLion). 8y clicking Lhis command buLLon,
you can assign new caLegories and change Lhe currenLly assigned ones. (All CaLegories
aL Lhe end o Lhe lisL o names Lakes you Lo Lhe caLegory lisL, which we will cover in more
deLail laLer in Lhis chapLer.)
All assigned caLegories are now displayed direcLly above Lhe Lask subjecL in Lhe bar,
which is colored according Lo Lhe caLegory.
ln a lisL view o Lhe Lasks, righL-click Lhe CaLegories column in Lhe row LhaL belongs Lo a
Lask Lo direcLly assign a new caLegory rom Lhe lisL wiLh jusL one click on Lhe correspond-
ing caLegory name, or Lo remove a previously assigned caLegory rom Lhe Lask.
QUICK CLICKING WITH THE MOUSE
l you righL-click Lhe CaLegories column, Lhe SeL uick Click command is dis-
played in Lhe shorLcuL menu (see Figure 3-). Use Lhis command Lo selecL your
mosL requenLly used caLegory. ou can Lhen seL Lhis caLegory direcLly by clicking
Lhe CaLegories column o Lhe clicked Lask, or click again Lo remove iL.
FIGURE 3-1 Assign caLegories Lo Lasks wiLh Lhe righL mouse buLLon, or use uick Click Lo do iL
wiLh jusL one click in Lhe CaLegories column.
Take Advantage of Categories to Combine Tasks Chapter 3 67
how to assign Categories in the Calendar
ALer you have opened an appoinLmenL (or insLance, by double-clicking iL) in iLs own
window, click CaLegorize on Lhe AppoinLmenL Lab, in Lhe 1ags group (OuLlook 200, see
Figure 3-2) or in Lhe OpLions group (OuLlook 2007), and selecL Lhe caLegory you wanL
rom Lhe menu. All o Lhe oLher sLeps (accessing Lhe caLegory lisL and viewing Lhe as-
signed caLegories direcLly via Lhe subjecL line, or example) are Lhe same as or Lasks.
ln Lhe Day/Week/MonLh view o your calendar, righL-click an appoinLmenL and selecL
CaLegorize rom Lhe shorLcuL menu.
FIGURE 3-2 Assign a caLegory Lo appoinLmenLs by using Lhe CaLegorize command in Lhe 1ags group.
how to assign Categories to Email Messages
ln your OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 inbox (and oLher email olders), you can now assign
caLegories Lo email messages quickly and easily via Lhe corresponding columnjusL like
or Lasks, as described previously.
ALer you have opened an exisLing email message (or insLance, by double-clicking iL)
in iLs own window or ediLing, you can nd CaLegorize (or received email messages)
direcLly on Lhe Message Lab, in Lhe 1ags group (OuLlook 200) or in Lhe OpLions group
(OuLlook 2007). However, i you are in Lhe process o wriLing a new email message, go
Lo Lhe Message Lab and click Lhe small arrow (Lhe so-called dialog box launcher) Lo Lhe
righL o Lhe 1ags or OpLions group name Lo open Lhe ProperLies dialog box (OuLlook
200) or Message OpLions dialog box (OuLlook 2007).
ou can nd Lhe CaLegories buLLon in Lhe lower-leL corner o Lhis dialog box (and a lisL
o currenLly assigned caLegories nexL Lo iL).
The Master Category List in outlook 2010/outlook 2007
Unlike in Lhe previous versions o OuLlook, Lhe lisL is only iniLialized wiLh Lhe names o
a ew primary colors (8lue CaLegory, ellow CaLegory, and so on). 1o assign a caLegory,
open Lhe shorLcuL menu (jusL like previously described or Lasks, appoinLmenLs, and email
messages) and selecL All CaLegories Lo open Lhe masLer caLegory lisL in Lhe Color CaL-
egories dialog box. ln Lhis dialog box, you can selecL or clear Lhe appropriaLe check box
Lo add Lhe caLegory Lo Lhe currenL enLry or Lo remove iL again. ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook
2007, you can direcLly ediL Lhe masLer caLegory lisL by using Lhe New buLLon (see Figure
3-3) or, aLer selecLing an already lisLed caLegory name, by using Lhe Rename and DeleLe
buLLons as well as Lhe Color and ShorLcuL Key lisLs.
FIGURE 3-3 1he masLer caLegory lisL in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 allows you Lo assign colors and
shorLcuL keys.
how to use shortcut keys to quickly assign your most important categories
ou can assign shorLcuL keys rom CLrl-F2 Lhrough CLrl-F2 Lo an exisLing caLegory in
Lhe lisL by using Lhe ShorLcuL Key lisL.
ALer you do so, you can use Lhese key combinaLions Lo assign caLegories Lo a Lask you
clicked in Lhe lisL, a selecLed appoinLmenL, or an elemenL opened in iLs own window.
Pressing a shorLcuL key again removes Lhe caLegory rom Lhe elemenL. 1he shorLcuL keys
donL work when you are wriLing a new email message (only when opening a received
mail), because Lhey are caughL by Lhe ediLor and inLerpreLed dierenLly (or example,
CLrl-F2 would open Lhe page view).
how to fll the list with your own categories
1. ln Lhe Color Categories dialog box, click Lhe New buLLon.
2. 1ype Lhe name o Lhe caLegory you wanL inLo Lhe Name eld in Lhe Add New
Category dialog box.
3. l necessary, selecL a color and a shorLcuL key or your new caLegory by clicking Lhe
lisLs, and Lhen close Lhe dialog box by clicking OK.
4. RepeaL Lhese sLeps or all addiLional caLegories you wanL Lo add.
5. Close Lhe masLer caLegory lisL by clicking OK. ou can nd examples or some o
Lhe caLegories in SeL Up our Own CaLegory SysLem laLer in Lhis chapLer.
how to revise the master category list
lLs worLhwhile Lo cusLomize Lhe displayed caLegory lisL. 1his way you can laLer assign
your own caLegories wiLh jusL one click and don'L need Lo scroll Lhrough long lisLs wiLh
loLs o caLegories you don'L need. l you wanL Lo keep Lhe 8lue, ellow, Creen, Purple,
Orange, and Red deaulL caLegories or coloring your appoinLmenLs (see Lhe nexL sec-
Lion), jusL leave Lhem in Lhe lisL. l you donL need Lhose caLegories, iLs besL Lo deleLe
Lhem.
1. ln your Lask lisL, righL-click Lhe row belonging Lo Lhe Lask (iL does noL maLLer
wheLher Lhe mouse poinLer is on Lhe Categories column or anoLher column),
and Lhen selecL Categorize/All Categories rom Lhe shorLcuL menu. l you have
opened a Lask in iLs corresponding orm (or insLance, by double-clicking Lo open
iL), replace Lhis sLep wiLh a click on Lhe Categorize buLLon (in Lhe Tags group in
OuLlook 200 or Lhe Options group in OuLlook 2007) and selecL All Categories in
Lhe menu LhaL appears.
2. Click Lhe rsL caLegory you don'L need, unless iL is already selecLed (or example,
Purple Category), Lhen click Delete (see Figure 3-4).
3. RepeaL sLep 2 or all caLegories you donL need, and Lhen close Lhe masLer caLegory
lisL by clicking OK.
FIGURE 3-4 DeleLe enLries you donL need rom Lhe masLer caLegory lisL and add your own.
Keep Track of Your Most important Categories
by Using Colors
ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, enLries LhaL belong Lo a caLegory auLomaLically receive
colors. JusL a quick glance leLs you know which caLegory an enLry belongs Lo wiLhouL
having Lo read Lhe name, when you are skimming Lhrough Lask lisLs or email lisLs, you
can gain a quicker overview Lhis way.
how outlook 2010/outlook 2007 Displays Category Colors
l you have opened an elemenL in iLs own window, Lhe caLegories and Lhe colored bars
are displayed direcLly above Lhe subjecL (or Lhe headers o a new email message or Lhe
name o a conLacL). When you are wriLing a new email message, Lhe caLegories are hid-
den in Lhe ProperLies dialog box (OuLlook 200) or Message OpLions dialog box (OuLlook
2007, see How Lo Assign CaLegories Lo Fmail Messages earlier in Lhis chapLer).
ln Lable/lisL views (such as your Lask lisL or Lhe email messages in your inbox), a colored
square is displayed in Lhe CaLegories column, ollowed by Lhe caLegory name. l an enLry
belongs Lo mulLiple caLegories, you will see all colored squares nexL Lo each oLher and, Lo
Lhe righL o Lhem, Lhe caLegory names. l Lhe CaLegories column isn'L wide enough, Lhe
inormaLion is LruncaLed aL Lhe righL border. FirsL Lhe names disappear, and i Lhe col-
umn is quiLe small buL has many caLegories, Lhe squares urLhesL Lo Lhe righL disappear
as well. 1he order is noL alphabeLical or hierarchicalwhenever you assign a caLegory,
Lhe caLegory you assigned lasL is added on Lhe leL. ln order Lo make a cerLain caLegory
appear on Lhe very leL (and Lhereore ensure iLs visibiliLy in narrow columns), you need
Lo remove iL and assign iL again, so LhaL iL geLs displayed Lo Lhe leL o Lhe previously as-
signed caLegory.
ln Lhe 1o-Do bar (see ChapLer , How NoL Lo Drown in Lhe Fmail Flood and ChapLer 4)
and in Lhe Daily 1ask LisL, which is displayed below Lhe appoinLmenLs o Lhe day in Lhe
calendar views (see ChapLer 4), Lhere is very limiLed space, and Lhereore Lhe CaLegories
column is so narrow LhaL Lhere is only enough space or one colored square. Unlike or an
exLremely narrow CaLegories column in oLher views, OuLlook now doesnL resLricL iLsel
Lo Lhe color LhaL is urLhesL Lo Lhe leL, buL insLead condenses Lhe color icons. lnsLead o
squares, OuLlook now shows Lwo or Lhree smaller bars nexL Lo each oLher. l Lhere are
our or more caLegories, you sLill only see Lhe Lhree mosL recenLly assigned colors.
how outlook 2010/outlook 2007 Colors appointments
according to Category
ln Lhe Day/Week/MonLh view o your calendar, an appoinLmenL has as a background Lhe
color o Lhe caLegory LhaL was assigned Lo iL lasL. Any addiLional caLegories assigned Lo iL
are displayed as small colored recLangles in Lhe lower-righL corner (only in Lhe Day and
Week view, noL in Lhe MonLh view). As soon as an appoinLmenL is assigned Lo any caL-
egoryeven i Lhis caLegory has Lhe color NoneLhe color belonging Lo Lhe caLegory
overrides Lhe resulLs o all condiLional ormaLLing rules (OuLlook 200) or auLomaLic or-
maLLing (OuLlook 2007) rules or Lhe Day/Week/MonLh view (see How Lo auLomaLically
color your appoinLmenLs by caLegory, laLer in Lhis chapLer).
how to avoid Problems with the Category Colors
ln order Lo work wiLh caLegories in a meaningul way, you need Lo Lhink abouL a color
sysLem. Simply assigning a color Lo each caLegory can easily lead Lo chaos, because
Lhe caLegory assigned lasL deLermines Lhe color. 1his makes iL a pure game o chance
wheLher you will be able Lo see Lhe caLegories imporLanL Lo you in Lhe currenLly seL col-
umn widLh.
JusL one LhoughLlessly assigned caLegory can be enough Lo ruin Lhe resulL o condiLional/
auLomaLic ormaLLing or appoinLmenLs. ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, you can use any
criLeria Lo auLomaLically speciy Lhe color o an appoinLmenL in Lhe Day/Week/MonLh
view (see How Lo AuLomaLically Color our AppoinLmenLs laLer in Lhis chapLer). For
example, i you are consLanLly Lraveling beLween our dierenL ciLies, you may wanL Lo
color your exLernal appoinLmenLs according Lo Lhe value enLered in Lhe LocaLion eld.
green or SeaLLle, yellow or San Diego, red or Los Angeles, and purple or Denver. Or
you can book meeLing rooms while planning many meeLings aL shorL noLice and Lhere-
ore color all appoinLmenLs red or which you have enLered Lhe LocaLion value o Still to
book a room for, and orange i you have used Lhe abbreviaLion ConfCa or conerence
calls. As soon as you accidenLally assign a caLegory Lo such an appoinLmenL (even i Lhis
caLegory does noL have a color), Lhe resulL o Lhe condiLional/auLomaLic ormaLLing is
overridden, i you are jusL Laking a quick glance, you mighL overlook Lhe acL LhaL you
sLill need Lo book a room or LhaL Lhe appoinLmenL is an exLernal appoinLmenL in a ciLy ar
away rom your oce.
NOTE OuLlook is noL consisLenL wiLh colorless caLegories (seL wiLh Lhe None
color). For example, i you are coloring an appoinLmenL red via a caLegory
and add a green caLegory, Lhe appoinLmenL is displayed in green. l you
Lhen add a caLegory wiLhouL a color, Lhe appoinLmenL color sLays green.
However, i you add a caLegory wiLhouL color Lo an appoinLmenL LhaL was
colored yellow via condiLional/auLomaLic ormaLLing, OuLlook displays Lhe
appoinLmenL wiLhouL a color (in Lhe background color o Lhe calendar)
insLead o yellow unLil you remove all caLegories rom Lhis appoinLmenL.
Here is how Lo avoid shooLing yoursel in Lhe ooL. l you wanL Lo color according Lo cri-
Leria LhaL are noL coded in caLegories buL seL Lhe color via auLomaLic/condiLional ormaL-
Ling insLead (see previous examples), your only opLion is Lo not assign any caLegory Lo
any o your appoinLmenLs. As soon as jusL a ew o your appoinLmenLs have only a single
(colorless) caLegory, iL will desLroy Lhe resulL o Lhe condiLional/auLomaLic ormaLLing.
ln order Lo Lake advanLage o Lhe auLomaLic ormaLLing, you musL Lhereore do wiLhouL
caLegories or appoinLmenLs. However, coloring via a caLegory is usually easier Lo un-
dersLand and quicker Lo seL up Lhan condiLional/auLomaLic coloring. For example, i you
wanL Lo color according Lo projecLs, record Lhe projecL or an appoinLmenL by caLegory,
and require each appoinLmenL Lo belong Lo only one projecL, simply remove Lhe color
o all your caLegories (assign Lhe None color) and assign a color only Lo Lhe individual
projecL names. 1his way you will reliably recognize Lhe associaLed projecL by iLs color, and
anoLher color canL accidenLally override Lhe projecL color.
1he nal opLion is manual coloring (or example, i LhaL is whaL you are used Lo rom
Lhe obsoleLe Label eld in MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2002 and OuLlook 2003). Assign
Lhe None color Lo all caLegories in your masLer caLegory lisL. ln addiLion Lo your already
exisLing caLegories, now add Lhe Red caLegory, 8lue caLegory, and so on, each wiLh Lhe
correcL color (some color names are already available as caLegories by deaulL i you
havenL deleLed Lhem, see Figure 3-4 shown earlier in Lhis chapLer). 1his way you can use
Lhe caLegories Lo color-mark your appoinLmenLs, Lasks, and more, quickly and simply,
wiLhouL creaLing color chaos by accidenLally assigning oLher caLegories or projecLs and
oLher areas o your lie.
KEEP YOUR COLORS ON TOP
l you are working wiLh an exLensive masLer caLegory lisL, add a prex Lo your
color caLegories so LhaL a parLicular caLegory always appears aL Lhe Lop or aL Lhe
boLLom o Lhe lisL and Lhere aren'L dozens o oLher caLegories beLween all o your
color caLegories (see SeL Up our Own CaLegory SysLem, laLer in Lhis chapLer).
l you are ediLing Lhe masLer caLegory lisL in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, newly
creaLed caLegories usually appear aL Lhe end o Lhe lisL iniLially. As soon as you
close Lhe lisL aLer ediLing, Lhe lisL geLs sorLed alphabeLically again.
l you are using OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, you can skip Lhe nexL ew pages and con-
Linue reading wiLh SeL Up our Own CaLegory SysLem. 1he resL o Lhis secLion ocuses
on Lhe caLegory sysLem in OuLlook 2003.
The Category System in outlook 2003: how to assign Categories
1. ln Lhe Lask lisL, nd Lhe Lask Lo which you wanL Lo assign new/dierenL caLegories.
2. Click in Lhe Categories eld belonging Lo Lhis Lask (in Lhe Categories column, see
Figure 3-5).
FIGURE 3-5 1he CaLegory ield o a Lask allows direcL ediLing.
3. 1he blinking cursor is now locaLed in Lhe Category eld o Lhe selecLed Lask enLry,
so you can sLarL ediLing direcLly. l you wanL Lo assign mulLiple caLegories aL Lhe
same Lime, separaLe Lhem wiLh a semicolon.
4. Click a dierenL Lask or swiLch Lo a dierenL view (such as Lhe calendar) Lo have
your changes saved auLomaLically.
NOTE l you have opened a Lask in iLs 1ask orm by double-clicking iL, you will
see Lhe CaLegories eld in Lhe lower-righL corner nexL Lo a buLLon o Lhe
same name. Here you can also direcLly enLer and ediL caLegories.
1he Lasks subjecL, due daLe, and so on, can be changed in Lhe same manner. Also, indi-
vidual elds or appoinLmenLs shown in Lhe lisL view (more abouL Lhese in ChapLer 4) can
be quickly updaLed Lhis way.
However, Lhis manner o changing and assigning caLegories also has iLs disadvanLages.
WiLh longer caLegory names (such as Supplier conLracL design LemplaLe), iL can
be a biL cumbersome Lo always enLer Lhe enLire name.
l you make a Lypo when enLering a caLegory name, Lhe associaLed lLers can no
longer nd Lhe Lask, and when you laLer group by caLegory, Lhis enLry appears in a
separaLe group.
As you begin working wiLh caLegories, iL will Lake you some Lime Lo geL used Lo
uniorm names. ou mighL enLer MeeLing one Lime and MeeLings Lhe nexL
Lime, or Conerence or Conerences, which could lead Lo problems wiLh lLering
or grouping.
AlLernaLively, you can use Lhe masLer caLegory lisL Lo avoid Lhese problemsand Lo as-
sign caLegories more comorLably.
how to assign categories using the outlook 2003 master category list
1. RighL-click Lhe row LhaL belongs Lo Lhe Lask (iL doesnL maLLer wheLher Lhe mouse
poinLer is in Lhe Categories column or in anoLher column), and Lhen selecL Cat-
egories rom Lhe shorLcuL menu.
l you have opened a Lask in Lhe associaLed 1ask orm insLead, replace Lhis sLep
wiLh a click on Lhe Categories buLLon (in Lhe lower-righL corner o Lhe orm).
2. Assign Lhe caLegory in Lhe Categories dialog box by selecLing Lhe appropriaLe
check box (see Figure 3-6), clear Lhe check box Lo remove Lhe assigned caLegory.
FIGURE 3-6 Assign caLegories by clickingLhis avoids Lypos or mix-ups beLween singular and
plural.
3. l a caLegory is noL in Lhe lisL, you can add iL in Lhe Item(s) belong to these cat-
egories eld. Any caLegory you have added here can be inserLed inLo Lhe masLer
caLegory lisL by clicking Add to list.
4. Close Lhe Categories dialog box by clicking OK.
how to clean up the outlook 2003 master category list
lL is worLhwhile Lo cusLomize Lhe displayed lisL o caLegories. 1his way you will be able
Lo assign your own caLegories laLer on wiLh jusL one click and no longer need Lo scroll
Lhrough a long lisL wiLh loLs o caLegories you don'L really need.
1. RighL-click Lhe row LhaL belongs Lo Lhe Lask (iL doesnL maLLer wheLher Lhe mouse
poinLer is in Lhe Categories column or in anoLher column), and Lhen selecL Cat-
egories in Lhe shorLcuL menu. l you have opened a Lask in Lhe associaLed 1ask
orm, replace Lhis sLep wiLh a click on Lhe Categories buLLon (in Lhe lower-righL
corner o Lhe orm).
2. ln Lhe Categories dialog box, click Lhe Master Category List buLLon.
l you havenL yeL cusLomized Lhe masLer caLegory lisL or your company hasnL pre-
allocaLed Lhe enLries or you, you should rsL deleLe Lhe deaulL enLries so LhaL you
can replace Lhem laLer on wiLh your own enLries LhaL beLLer L your way o working.
3. Click Lhe rsL enLry in Lhe lisL.
4. While keeping Lhe ShiL key pressed, click Lhe lasL enLry in Lhe lisL.
Now all enLries are selecLed and are displayed wiLh a blue background (see
Figure 3-7).
FIGURE 3-7 DeleLe unneeded enLries rom Lhe masLer caLegory lisL and add your own.
5. Click Lhe Delete buLLon.
how to fll the outlook 2003 master category list with your own categories
1. ln Lhe Master Category List dialog box, Lype Lhe name o Lhe caLegory you wanL
inLo Lhe New Category eld.
2. Click Lhe Add buLLon.
3. l you have made a Lypo, selecL Lhe enLry and Lhen click Delete.
4. RepeaL Lhese sLeps or all addiLional caLegories you would like Lo add.
ou will nd some examples or whaL your own caLegories could look like in Lhe nexL
secLion.
Set Up Your own Category System
1ake a quieL hal an hour (ideally LogeLher wiLh a colleague who has similar Lasks and
a similar way o working) Lo Lhink abouL which caLegories work besL or you. SeL up a
cusLomized masLer caLegory lisL, as described earlier. 1ry Lo dene Lhe caLegories in such
a way LhaL you can assign all your Lasks wiLhouL Lrouble.
ln Lhis secLion, you will nd a ew examples, apply any ideas LhaL work or you, and add
urLher caLegories o your own.
lL almosL always makes sense Lo creaLe caLegories or your mosL imporLanL projecLs, unc-
Lions in your company, and areas in your lie (see Figure 3-8, and also Seven Days, Seven
HaLs... laLer in Lhis chapLer).
FIGURE 3-8 CreaLe caLegories or your mosL imporLanL projecLs and areas o lie.
NOTE DonL allow Lhe number o caLegories Lo geL Loo large, so you can sLill
keep Lrack. 1ry Lo creaLe no more Lhan ve Lo nine enLries per area (or
example, per projecL or uncLion in your company). 1he ewer Lhe beLLer.
Maybe you can Lake care o cerLain Lasks only aL cerLain Limes o Lhe day (such as calling
colleagues in araway Lime zones), seL up Lhe corresponding criLeria or Lhem.
ou could also consider seLLing caLegories based on locaLion. For example, i you work
rom dierenL oces, are responsible or various consLrucLion siLes or Lechnical insLalla-
Lions in buildings, usually purchase rom several warehouses, are a weekend commuLer,
or due Lo a loL o business Lrips spend 0 Lo 20 hours per week on airplanes, iL makes
sense Lo add addiLional caLegories or cerLain locaLions (see Figure 3-9). Which Lasks can
you only Lake care o in Lhe oce, which ones jusL as well on Lhe plane (1his mighL be
even beLLer or some Lasks, because Lhere are ewer opporLuniLies or disLracLion and
ewer people walking by Lhan in your oce.)
FIGURE 3-9 1ake advanLage o caLegories or Limes and places i iL helps or your area o work and work-
ing meLhod.
GROUP YOUR CATEGORIES
l you are working inLensively wiLh Lhis locaLion principle and assign a locaLion Lo mosL
o your Lasks, you should also seL up an Fverywhere caLegory, so you donL conuse or
overlook Lasks Lo which you have orgoLLen Lo assign a locaLion and Lhose LhaL do noL
belong Lo any parLicular locaLion.
1o make sure Limes and locaLions donL geL sorLed alphabeLically in beLween Lhe oLher
caLegories, you can use an order sign aL Lhe beginning (see Figure 3-9). OuLlook lisLs
caLegories wiLh Lhe same signs and leLLers sequenLially and sorLs Lhem direcLly Lo Lhe
beginning or Lhe end o Lhe lisL. When your caLegory lisL becomes more exLensive, you
can use Lhese characLers Lo sorL LhemaLically relaLed caLegories you need Lo access
requenLly, Lo move Lhem Lo Lhe Lop o Lhe lisL. 1he @ sign is displayed beore numbers
and leLLers. ou can also use numbers Lo move several LhemaLic groups in a parLicular
order Lo a specic posiLion in your lisL (or example, mark projecLs wiLh a in ronL,
amily obligaLions wiLh a 2, and so on) OuLlook sorLs Lhe exclamaLion poinL beore Lhe
period, and Lhe period beore Lhe @ sign. FnLries wiLh a z are moved Lo Lhe boLLom o
Lhe lisLand Lhose wiLh Lwo or more leading z characLers even urLher down.
Are you managing several colleagues and keep Laking care o Lasks belonging Lo one
parLicular colleague Fven Lhough you can delegaLe Lasks Lo Lhis person, iL mighL make
sense Lo creaLe corresponding caLegories (see Figure 3-0). Maybe you donL wanL Lo dis-
play Lhem in a view grouped by delegaLed Lo buL insLead LogeLher wiLh oLher caLego-
ries, or maybe you wanL Lo see Lhe delegaLed Lasks LogeLher wiLh Lhose you Lake care o
yoursel and LhaL belong Lo a parLicular colleague, his projecLs, or cerLain clienLs. Or you
mighL be Laking care o Lasks or several o your managers wiLhouL Lhem sending you
Lhese Lasks as delegaLed OuLlook Lasks.
FIGURE 3-10 CreaLe caLegories or your Leam members and Lhe mosL imporLanL mid-year goals.
lL also makes sense Lo creaLe caLegories or your mosL imporLanL long-Lerm and medium-
Lerm goals, i Lhey have a loL o subLasks and you wanL Lo keep Lhe goal in view. Leave
oLher goals ouL o Lhe caLegory lisL and limiL yoursel Lo no more Lhan ve so LhaL Lhe lisL
does noL geL Loo ull. (Or you may decide noL Lo add goals as caLegories. ou will learn
more abouL goals in ChapLer 6, How Lo Use OneNoLe or WriLing Coals, JoLLing Down
ldeas, and Keeping NoLes.)
CAUTION 8e careul wiLh separaLor characLers such as Lhe comma (,) or semicolon
(,) in caLegory names, even Lhough Lhey seem pracLical, especially or
goals as caLegory names. Commas and semicolons Lrigger a separaLion
in OuLlook 2003, creaLing Lwo caLegories (one wiLh Lhe rsL parL o Lhe
name and Lhe oLher wiLh Lhe second parL). ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook
2007, commas and semicolons in caLegory names are Lhereore no longer
allowed. PermiLLed separaLors are periods (.), colons (.), and hyphens (-).
Fspecially or reelancers, a caLegory separaLion inLo acLiviLies oLen makes sense (see
Figure 3-).
FIGURE 3-11 AcLiviLy-relaLed caLegories, such as Lhis one or a reelance journalisL can be useul or
reelancers.
1ake Lhe suggesLions you jusL read and combine Lhem wiLh your own ideas Lo build a
caLegory lisL LhaL works or you. DonL use Loo many caLegories in Lhe beginning. l you
are working wiLh caLegories or Lhe rsL Lime, you shouldn'L use more Lhan 5. ALer you
become accusLomed Lo working wiLh Lhem and have ideas or urLher caLegories LhaL
would be pracLical or you, you can gradually add Lhose over Lime.
Filter and group by Category
FilLering and grouping helps you view only cerLain enLries rom your enLire Lask lisL. 8y
combining lLers and groups, you can creaLe more deLailed views LhaL allow you Lo geL a
quicker and beLLer overview o Lhe Lasks LhaL are relevanL aL Lhe momenL.
Filter Your Views
WiLh lLers, you only display enLries LhaL meeL Lhe lLer criLeria. ou can choose beLween
caLegory conLains and caLegory doesnL conLain, which creaLes Lwo pracLical lLer
Lypes. PosiLive lLers (which show only cerLain enLries) and negaLive lLers (which show
everyLhing buL cerLain enLries, in oLher words, iL hides Lhem).
WiLh negaLive lLers you can, or example, hide all Lasks in Lhe A.M. view LhaL have Lhe
caLegory @PM assigned Lo Lhem.
l you are working in Los Angeles, iL makes liLLle sense Lo call your business parL-
ners in Singapore beLween 8.00 A.M. and 2.00 P.M., because iLs Lhe middle o Lhe
nighL Lhere. 1hereore, such enLries should be hidden.
1asks wiLhouL a specic Lime caLegory,or example, Lhe nexL insLallmenL o your
slide show preparaLion, which you can work on aL any Limeshould conLinue Lo
be displayed. 1hereore, a posiLive lLer or Lhe @AM caLegory would make liLLle
sensenoL only would iL remove Lhe Lasks planned or laLer, buL also all Lhose LhaL
have no Lime assigned Lo Lhem, such as a Lask LhaL you can Lake care o aL any Lime.
how to defne positive flters for categories
1. Open any Lask view, righL-click one o Lhe column headers (such as Due date),
and selecL view Settings (or Customize Current view, in Lhe versions beore
OuLlook 200) in Lhe shorLcuL menu. AlLernaLively, you can click view Settings
in Lhe Current view group on Lhe view Lab in OuLlook 200. ln OuLlook 2007/
OuLlook 2003, you can also click Lhe Customize Current view link in Lhe navi-
gaLion pane on Lhe leL.
2. Click Lhe Filter buLLon in Lhe Advanced view Settings dialog box.
3. Click Lhe More Choices Lab, and Lhen click Lhe Categories buLLon in Lhe Filter
dialog box (see Figure 3-2).
FIGURE 3-12 SeL a ilLer Lo see only Lhose Lasks LhaL are assigned Lo a projecL.
4. SelecL Lhe check boxes o Lhe caLegories you wanL Lo display (or example, all o
your projecLs).
our view now only shows Lhose Lasks LhaL are mapped Lo a cerLain caLegory (in Lhe
example, all o your Lasks LhaL belong Lo one o your mosL imporLanL projecLs).
HOW TO REMOvE A FILTER
l you made a misLake when dening a lLer (especially i iL conLains oLher criLeria in ad-
diLion Lo Lhe caLegories) and have losL Lrack, or i iL sLarLs geLLing a biL scary because
you suspecL LhaL Lhe Lasks you acLually wanLed Lo see were lLered ouL as well, you can
jusL remove Lhe lLers specied or Lhe currenL view.
1. Co Lo any Lask view, righL-click one o Lhe column headers, and selecL view Set-
tings (or Customize Current view, in Lhe versions beore OuLlook 200) in Lhe
shorLcuL menu. AlLernaLively, you can click view Settings in Lhe Current view
group on Lhe view Lab in OuLlook 200. ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, you can
also click on Lhe Customize Current view link in Lhe navigaLion pane on Lhe leL.
2. Click Lhe Filter buLLon.
3. AL Lhe boLLom o Lhe dialog box, click Clear All. (DonL worry, Lhis jusL clears [deleLes]
Lhe lLer criLeria, noLhing else.)
4. Close all open dialog boxes by clicking OK. Now you can build Lhe lLer based on
Lhe iniLial sLaLe (or leave Lhe view unlLered).
how to create negative flters
NegaLive lLers or hiding cerLain enLries (showing all enLries LhaL do noL meeL cerLain
criLeria) are dened slighLly dierenLly.
1. Open any Lask view, righL-click one o Lhe column headers, and selecL view Set-
tings (or Customize Current view, in Lhe versions beore OuLlook 200) in Lhe
shorLcuL menu. AlLernaLively, you can click view Settings in Lhe Current view
group on Lhe view Lab in OuLlook 200. ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, you can
also click on Lhe Customize Current view link in Lhe navigaLion pane on Lhe leL.
2. Click Lhe Filter buLLon.
3. Click Lhe Advanced Lab.
4. Click Lhe Field buLLon, and rom Lhe shorLcuL menu, selecL Frequently-used
Fields. Finally, selecL Categories (or a dierenL eld or which you wanL Lo lLer, i
LhaL eld is noL conLained in Lhe lisL, you can locaLe iL in Lhe All Task Fields lisL).
5. ln Lhe Condition lisL, selecL doesnt contain.
6. FnLer a value in Lhe value eld. For example, enLer Project (or @AM) inLo Lhe
eld.
NOTE All caLegories LhaL conLain Lhis word as parL o Lheir name are hid-
den. 1yping Project in Lhe value eld Lhereore hides Project A and
Project B, buL also Projectmanagement software, Book Project, and
Theater Project (even Lhough you mighL only wanL Lo hide your
work projecLs righL now).
7. Click Add to List Lo add Lhis criLerion Lo Lhe lLer (see Figure 3-3).
FIGURE 3-13 DonL orgeL Lo add Lhe ilLer criLeria Lo Lhe lisL aLer deining Lhem.
8. Close all open dialog boxes by clicking OK. All Lasks are now hidden in Lhis view i
Lhey have a caLegory assigned Lo Lhem LhaL has a name conLaining Lhe word you
dened.
ADvANCED FILTERING WITH SQL
l you dene mulLiple criLeria wiLhin Lhe same lLer LhaL checks Lhe caLegories, OuLlook
uses or Lo link Lhe condiLions. (1he same goes or applying mulLiple criLeria Lo Lhe same
eld, or example i you are using boLh NoL SLarLed and ln Progress or SLaLus Fquals, in
Lhe same lLer.) OuLlook links dierenL elds wiLh and (or example, Due 1his Week and
SLaLus NoL CompleLe).
Advanced users who know Lheir way around daLabases or query languages can also
dene deLailed criLeria by direcLly ediLing Lhe SL sLaLemenL.
1. ln Lhe Filter dialog box, click Lhe SQL Lab (see Figure 3-4).
2. SelecL Lhe Edit these criteria directly check box.
3. FdiL Lhe SL sLaLemenL Lo which you now have access (or example, when linking
mulLiple caLegory criLeria, you can replace OR wiLh AND).
FIGURE 3-14 For advanced users, Lhere are sLill more opLions available by direcLly ediLing Lhe SL
sLaLemenL o Lhe ilLer.
l you wanL Lo use Lhe oLher Labs again or Lhis lLer insLead o Lhe SL sLaLemenL, clear
Lhe FdiL 1hese CriLeria DirecLly check box.
work with grouped Views
8y grouping views you can, or example, pool enLries LhemaLically, show or hide Lhem
quickly, and sorL Lhem by caLegory. Crouping is very useul i.
ou wanL Lo sorL your Lasks by prioriLy, buL aL Lhe same Lime you would like Lo
see Lasks wiLh normal prioriLy or an especially imporLanL projecL beore all oLher
Lasks o a comparaLively less imporLanL projecL. Or maybe you jusL wanL Lo keep a
LhemaLic overview. For Lhis purpose, you sorL by prioriLy and group by caLegory.
1his way each caLegory orms a group LhaL displays all associaLed Lasks wiLhin Lhis
group, sorLed by prioriLy.
ou wanL Lo quickly check which Lasks are pending or your 0 currenL projecLs
(dened as single caLegories). lL would be Loo much work Lo dene 0 dierenL
lLered views or Loggle beLween lLers each Lime. lnsLead, you can group by caL-
egory, collapse all groups (LhaL is, hide Lhe group enLries), and Lhen show or hide
all Lasks belonging Lo a cerLain projecL wiLh jusL one click (expand or collapse Lhe
group).
ou wanL Lo sorL your enLire Lask lisL by caLegories. However, Lhis is noL possible
wiLh Lhe sorL uncLion in OuLlook, because one enLry mighL belong Lo mulLiple
caLegories (and iLs noL even possible i you map each enLry Lo only one caLegory).
l you group by caLegory insLead, a Lask appears in all groups/caLegories iL belongs
Lo. 8ecause group names are sorLed alphabeLically, you have now sorLed your Lasks
alphabeLically by caLegory.
how to group your tasks by category
Open a Lask view, righL-click Lhe Categories column header, and selecL Group By
This Field in Lhe shorLcuL menu (see Figure 3-5).
FIGURE 3-15 Croup your Lask lisL wiLh Lhe help o Lhe corresponding shorLcuL menu command.
Or you can use a drag-and-drop Lechnique.
1. l necessary, show Lhe Group By Box (see How Lo Show or Hide Lhe Croup 8y
8ox, jusL aLer Lhis secLion).
2. Click Lhe Categories column header and drag Lhe eld inLo Lhe Group By Box
(see Figure 3-6).
FIGURE 3-16 Drag Lhe column header inLo Lhe Croup 8y 8ox Lo group by Lhe desired ield.
TIP 1o undo Lhe grouping o Lhe Lask lisL, all you need Lo do is drag Lhe eld
(in our example, CaLegories) ouL o Lhe Croup 8y 8oxLhe eld will ap-
pear Lo be crossed ouL wiLh an X.
how to Show or hide the group By Box
DonL worryexisLing groupings will noL be removed i you do Lhis.
Open a Lask view, righL-click any column header, and Lhen selecL Group by Box in
Lhe shorLcuL menu (see Figure 3-7).
FIGURE 3-17 1o group wiLh Lhe drag-and-drop Lechnique, show Lhe Croup 8y 8ox. ou can laLer
hide iL or more space in your view.
NOTE Some predened views are auLomaLically grouped according Lo arrange-
menL. 1o change Lhe Croup 8y seLLings or such a view, you rsL have Lo
choose view SeLLings (OuLlook 200) or CusLomize CurrenL view (OuLlook
2007/OuLlook 2003) rom Lhe shorLcuL menu (see Figure 3-7, Lhe menu
iLem below Croup 8y 8ox). ln Lhe dialog box LhaL opens, click Lhe Croup
8y buLLon and clear Lhe AuLomaLically Croup According 1o ArrangemenL
check box.
how to Expand or Collapse Your groups
Click Lhe small Lriangle (Lhe plus/minus symbol in OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003)
in ronL o Lhe group name in Lhe group header (or example, Lhe graphic shown
below). OuLlook Lhen expands Lhe group (LhaL is, shows all iLs enLries) i Lhe group
had previously been collapsed, or collapses iL (LhaL is, hides all iLs elemenLs) i Lhe
group had previously been expanded.
1o expand or collapse all groups aL once, righL-click Lhe small Lriangle (in OuLlook
2007/OuLlook 2003, Lhe plus/minus symbol) or direcLly on a group label and selecL
Lhe corresponding command rom Lhe shorLcuL menu (see Figure 3-8).
FIGURE 3-18 Collapse all groups aL once so you can ocus on only one group aLerward.
l you combine Lhese sLeps, you can, or example, rsL expand all groups and Lhen col-
lapse some groups in order Lo quickly hide Lhem (see Figure 3-9). Or you can collapse all
groups and Lhen expand one or several in order Lo ocus on Lhe enLries Lherein, wiLhouL
being disLracLed by any oLher groups.
FIGURE 3-19 Fxpand individual groups while keeping Lhe oLhers collapsed Lo geL an overview o all Lhe
Lasks or a speciic projecL.
NOTE 8ecause you can assign mulLiple caLegories Lo one Lask, an individual
Lask LhaL has mulLiple caLegories assigned Lo iL appears in each group
separaLely (Lhe oLher caLegories o Lhis group are no longer displayed in
Lhe CaLegories eld). For example, you may see Lhe Sample 1ask Lask LhaL
is assigned Lo Lhe DeparLmenL Manager and ProjecL A caLegories once in
each o Lhese groups, buL iL is Lhe same Lask. 1hereore, i you seL Lhe due
daLe or Sample 1ask in Lhe DeparLmenL Manager group Lo nexL Wednes-
day, Lhe Sample 1ask displayed in Lhe ProjecL A group also geLs Lhe new
due daLe (because iLs Lhe same Lask, which is jusL separaLely displayed in
each group).
The Kiesel Principlegain More Time for what
Matters Most Each week
1ake abouL 30 minuLes Lo plan your week. lniLially iL mighL Lake you longer, buL aLer a
ew weeks, you will geL used Lo iL and iL will become a rouLine. 1his will really sLarL Lo pay
o soon, because youll assign Lime sloLs Lo whaL maLLers mosL Lo you while sLill having
some Lime leL in your calendar, Lhus prevenLing Lhe urgenL small sLu rom disLracLing
you rom Lhe more imporLanL sLu LhaL sLill has some Lime unLil iLs due, buL LhaL will
remain undone orever i you donL make iL due in Lhe near uLure by assigning a Lime
sloL Lo iL.
Keep Your Life in Balance
Do you know whaL iLs like Lo eel like you have hardly any Lime leL or your riends, your
signicanL oLher, your amily, and yoursel Fven i examined purely rom a work per-
ormance perspecLive, iL makes sense Lo keep ones lie in balance. O course, you can
LoLally concenLraLe on your work or a ew weeks and neglecL everyLhing else. However,
aLer a ew monLhs aL Lhe laLesL, your perormance will decline signicanLly. l you preer
Lo spend a ew hours less in Lhe oce, you acLually geL more done in less Lime due Lo
higher moLivaLion, beLLer menLal balance, and resisLance Lo sLress. 1he speed and qualiLy
o your work increase and you make beLLer decisions.
IMPORTANT Make sure Lo regularly devoLe Lime Lo all areas o your lie.
Plan Your Professional Life and Private Life Together
Plan your work, your privaLe lie, all oLher areas o lie, and your acLiviLies LogeLher so LhaL
you avoid conicLing appoinLmenLs, donL geL conused, and donL orgeL anyLhing.
KEEP EvERYTHING IN ONE PLACE
l you are planning in OuLlook, plan everyLhing Lhereunless privaLe planning
is prohibiLed on your oce compuLer or you donL have access Lo iL on Lhe
weekend or in Lhe evening. l you donL have a smarLphone LhaL syncs wiLh
OuLlook, and access Lo a deskLop PC wiLhouL a possibiliLy or mobile daLa
reLrieval or synchronizaLion is Lhe problem, you can prinL ouL day planners, a
currenL monLh planner, and Lask lisLs or Lhe weekend, so you can make noLes o
Lasks and appoinLmenLs or LhaL Lime. On Monday morning, Lranser all newly
planned appoinLmenLs and Lasks consisLenLly Lo OuLlook and Lhen immediaLely
desLroy all handwriLLen noLes Lo avoid geLLing conused on whaL is Lhe laLesL,
up-Lo-daLe version. 1his approach requires a loL o discipline, however. ou
musL make very sure noL Lo plan appoinLmenLs mulLiple Limes and noL Lo orgeL
Lhem alLogeLher (i Lhey are enLered in a calendar you are noL looking aL while
using anoLher one). AlLernaLively, you can keep a privaLe or amily calendar
online and Lhen synchronize iL wiLh OuLlook (assuming Lhis is permiLLed by your
company and noL prohibiLed by securiLy guidelines).
1he Limes when people worked in Lheir oces every day exacLly rom 9 Lo 5 are over, jusL
like Lhe Limes when average ciLizens goL married in Lheir mid-LwenLies and one o Lhe
spouses Look care o job and nances while Lhe oLher sLayed home wiLh Lhe kids, Look
care o Lhe household, and organized privaLe acLiviLies. Proessional and privaLe Lime
no longer have Lhe same xed Lime sloLs every day buL are (aL leasL parLially) mixed and
disLribuLed dierenLly.
Suddenly you need Lo Lake over a ew Lasks or a colleague who will geL in a ew
hours laLe due Lo a snowsLorm, and Lhereore youll need Lo sLay Lhree hours lon-
ger in Lhe evening. 1his acLually works ouL greaL or you, because you had prom-
ised your daughLer or Lhe day aLer Lomorrow LhaL you would waLch her school
LheaLer perormance aL 3 P.M., and can Lhereore compensaLe or Lhe exLra Lime by
leaving Lhe oce early.
A denLisL visiL, dropping o your car aL Lhe auLo repair shop, or picking iL up does
noL require a whole day o, buL iL inLerrupLs your work Lime.
The Kiesel PrincipleGain More Time for What Matters Most Each Week Chapter 3 91
ln Lhe nexL week, you will be Lraveling on business or our days and have a ew
appoinLmenLs laLe in Lhe evening. ou Lhereore plan a phone call home or Lhe
laLe aLernoon. And iL works ouL well LhaL you will nally be in Chicago again, be-
cause iL gives you a chance Lo meeL up wiLh your old riend Mark. So you make a
Lwo-hour appoinLmenL wiLh him beore your rsL meeLing and his ighL Lo Frank-
urL, Cermany.
PLAN YOUR PRIvATE LIFE, TOO!
1his mighL seem sLrange iniLially, buL iL doesnL mean LhaL you should only Lalk Lo riends
i such a conversaLion is in your schedule. For busy people, Lhe problem is acLually quiLe
Lhe opposiLe. l you are orced Lo end a welcome buL unexpecLed phone call or visiL
early, or example, because Lhere is sLill so much else you need Lo geL done, immediaLely
plan an appoinLmenL in Lhe near uLure Lo conLinue Lhis call or visiL and make sure you
have enough Lime.
ou should Lake a daLe wiLh your signicanL oLher and leisure acLiviLies wiLh your children
jusL as seriously as a projecL meeLing wiLh your Leam. Reserve Lime or iL in your schedule
early on, and keep iL ree, LogeLher wiLh Lhe necessary buer Lime beorehand. SeLLing
up regular hours jusL or a conversaLion wiLhouL any special acLiviLies has done won-
ders or many exLremely busy spouses and improved Lhe qualiLy o Lheir relaLionships
immensely.
Farly and binding planning does noL devalue your privaLe lie, on Lhe conLrary, iL enhances
iL. ou avoid orgeLLing or posLponing Lime wiLh loved ones or riends, and you donL
keep cuLLing Lhis Lime shorL or end up canceling iL due Lo your job or oLher acLiviLies.
SeparaLe your acLiviLies inLo various lie haLs, dierenL subareas o your lie (see Seven
Days, Seven HaLs... laLer in Lhis chapLer) insLead o dividing Lhem jusL inLo proessional
and privaLe, and make sure Lo keep a balance beLween Lhe our areas o lie.
The Four areas of Life for a Life in Balance
1he our areas o lie (see Figure 3-20) are.
Work
ConLacL (loved ones, riends)
Purpose (Why am l doing whaL lm doing ls Lhere a higher power or a Cod, and
whaL does LhaL mean or me WhaL can l do or Lhe good o my ellow humans, so
LhaL Lhis world becomes a liLLle biL beLLer and a liLLle biL more beauLiul)
Mysel (sporLs, recreaLional acLiviLies, hobbies, sel-improvemenL ouLside o Lhe
work environmenL)
l shorL-Lerm heavy pressure in one area o lie is driving you crazy, you are able Lo
counLer balance iL wiLh Lhe energy derived rom oLher areas. 1he correcL balance beLween
all areas o lie noL only makes you eel beLLer, buL you also become more producLive in all
areas. lL isnL necessary (and requenLly noL even possible) Lo divide your Lime exacLly inLo
equal parLs or all areas. 1he qualiLy o Lime is experienced dierenLlya quieL 45-minuLe
walk aL dusk around a lake, or a dance class wiLh your spouse can easily balance ouL a
our-hour nerve-wracking conLracL negoLiaLion in Lhe oce.
The four areas of life
Balance
Purpose
meaning
life goal
mission statement
religion
society
Myself
self-development
time to relax
health
sports
Work
job
career
money
success
Contact
friends
people who like you
love
family
FIGURE 3-20 WiLh a balanced week planner, you can keep all our areas o lie in balance. 1his is noL only
more comorLable buL also is Lhe basis or long-Lerm (proessional) success.
Seven Days, Seven hats
1he concepL o lie haLs helps you reLain enough Lime and energy or all areas o lie in
your hecLic day and Lo concenLraLe on your key Lasks. ln Lhe long run, iL pays Lo Lake care
o each area regularly. OLherwise, large deciLs in one area will evenLually aecL your
happiness and producLiviLy in Lhe oLher areas as well.
A lie haL is simply a name or a subarea LhaL is imporLanL Lo you. Find your imporLanL
lie haLs, buL choose no more Lhan seven, so you can wear each o Lhem equally well.
Fach lie haL describes (Lechnically speaking) a cerLain uncLion you ulll, kind o like a
haL you are wearing.
1o keep a balance, Lake all areas o lie inLo accounL. Lie haLs could be, or example.
DeparLmenL manager, employee organizaLion, specialisL or your chosen area,
supervisor, colleague
8oyriend/girlriend, spouse, moLher/aLher, daughLer/son, broLher/sisLer
volunLeer aL a drug prevenLion projecL, driver or Meals on Wheels, helper wiLh
Lhe Red Cross
Hobby phoLographer, goler, cook, ouLdoor sporLs enLhusiasL (or example, climber,
Lrekker Lhrough Lhe Rocky MounLains, or mounLain biker Lhrough Lhe Alps)
Remember noL Lo leL privaLe acLiviLies (especially sporLs) become an addiLional source
o perormance pressure (unless you need Lhis kind o challenge and can handle iL well).
Above all, Lake care o your relaxaLion and your psychological balance. Also keep your
long-Lerm proessional developmenL and your personal nances in mind.
1he lie haLs help you keep Lhese areas in view ( jusL like a projecL) and allow you Lo
devoLe Lime Lo Lhem, even i no urgenL Lask is pending righL now. LeLs assume you
made Lhe ollowing resoluLion (and are immediaLely implemenLing iL). l my kids have
problems in school, l will always be Lhere or Lhem, supporL Lhem, and i necessary
posLpone job-relaLed Lasks. WhaL i your children never have any problems in school
l you speciy in such a way when you will be Lhere, you may noLice monLhs or even
years laLer LhaL Lhese urgenL and special cases never happened and LhaL you were never
Lhere. So iLs beLLer Lo devoLe Lime regularly Lo each area. l you are behind schedule
wiLh an imporLanL work projecL, soon a cusLomer, a colleague in your Leam, or a manager
will complain. ln your privaLe lie, however, you requenLly noLice Loo laLe LhaL you have
deeply neglecLed one areawiLh Lime iL becomes more and more diculL Lo compen-
saLe or iL and, unorLunaLely, rom a cerLain momenL on iL someLimes even becomes
impossible. Fspecially or Lhe relaLionships wiLh your loved ones and your riends, as well
as your relaxaLion and your healLh (exercise and eaLing righL) iLs imporLanL Lo regularly
invesL Lime.
1he lie haLs help you Lo pay aLLenLion Lo all areas o lie even in hecLic Limes. ou should
also dene Lwo proessional haLs, or example, or your own conLinuing educaLion and
career planning, and i you are a manager, Lo regularly give yoursel Lime or personal
inLeracLion wiLh your employees and Lheir advancemenL (even i neiLher evaluaLions nor
Lhe delegaLion o Lasks, a reprimand wiLh a change o direcLion, a special recogniLion, nor
a promoLion are pending).
regularly Take Time for what really Counts
Fvery day you have 24 hours available Lo you LhaL you can ll similarly or compleLely di-
erenLly. 1he various lie haLs/areas will swiLch, merge, and use parLially or dierenL ac-
LiviLies. For example, i you play soccer wiLh your son and have a long Lalk over ice cream,
you havenL jusL enjoyed Lime wiLh your son in your FaLher or MoLher lie haL, buL aL
Lhe same Lime you have also done someLhing or your healLh and relaxaLion. When you
are Lrying Lo regularly devoLe Lime Lo all lie haLs, Lhe Kiesel Principle (see sidebar LhaL
ollows) is helpul.
ou can use Lhe Kiesel principle or all kinds o plans, or example, or a rsL rough
division o long-Lerm projecLs. lL has been especially successul or weekly planning,
or which we will use iL nexL. l you are amiliar wiLh SLeven Coveys approach Lo Lime
managemenL (as deLailed in First Things First by SLephen R. Covey, A. Roger Merrill, and
Rebecca R. Merrill, Fireside, 995), you mighL have noLiced LhaL our approach is similar Lo
his, so you can easily apply Lhe Lhings youve learned rom him Lo OuLlook wiLh Lhis book
youre reading. He calls Lhis LacLic big rocks rsL, his roles are similar Lo your lie haLs,
and our whole approach goes well wiLh his.
Use Lhe Kiesel Principle Lo sLay in balance. Dene seven lie haLs. Fach day, devoLe abouL
one or Lwo hours Lo one o your haLs or one or Lwo 8-1asks. Plan one 8-1ask per lie
haLyour so-called key Lasks or Lhis week and Lhis parLicular haL. Using Lhe Kiesel Prin-
ciple, you can Lhus make sure LhaL you Lake care o each lie haL aL leasL once per week.
l a day is much Loo ull (and Lhere is no way LhaL you can spare an hour), make up or
LhaL hour on anoLher day in Lhe same week. 1he week is long enough Lo even ouL such
eecLs.
O course, iLs much beLLer and nicer or you i you can devoLe more Lhan jusL one hour
per week Lo each lie haL. 1he Kiesel Principle is noL meanL Lo represenL an upper resLric-
Lion. lLs jusL meanL Lo help you geL aL leasL one hours Lime a day, even i your schedule is
very ull and you have a loL Lo geL done in Lhe oce.
One hour per week and per lie haLseven hours per week or Lhe Lhings LhaL are mosL
imporLanL Lo you. ou can always Lake Lhis much Lime, i you really wanL Lo. lL pays o in
Lhe long run.
THE KIESEL PRINCIPLE
MeLaphorically speaking, a Lypical day or our hero, Robin Wood, goes someLhing like
Lhis.
lmagine a very large glass jugabouL Lhe size o a buckeL. 1his is whaL Robin does.
1. He pours a loL o waLer inLo iL.
2. NexL he pours a bunch o sand inLo Lhe waLer.
3. 1hen he adds a ew handuls o gravel (Kiesel in Cerman).
4. ln Lhe end, he sLill wanLs Lo add Lwo large bricksbuL Lhe jug is almosL compleLely
ull. SomeLimes he manages Lo add one brick halway, i hes really careul, buL oLher
Limes Lhe muddy mixLure he has creaLed so ar runs over. 1he second brick doesnL
L aL all.
So how can we improve Lhis siLuaLion Whenever Robin doesnL know how Lo go on, he
asks his assisLanL, Melissa Mac8eLh, who has Lhe ollowing Lip or him.
1. When Lhe jug is sLill empLy, jusL go ahead and add Lwo or Lhree bricks wiLhouL wor-
rying abouL iLi Lhere is noLhing else in Lhe jug, Lheyll L jusL ne.
2. 1hen add Lhe gravel, which will ll Lhe gaps.
3. 1hen add Lhe sand.
4. And nally add Lhe waLer. 1his way around is much cleaner and creaLes a loL less
sLress.
Fven Lhough Lhis way noL everyLhing always Ls, whaLever is leL ouLside is jusL a biL o
sand and parL o Lhe waLer. 1he bricks (Lhe big chunks) are compleLely accommodaLed.
ou are probably guessing whaL Lhis image illusLraLes. simply going wiLh Lhe ow
compared Lo a planned approach, where you accommodaLe and compleLe Lhe mosL
imporLanL Lasks wiLh Lhe highesL leverage. 1he Kiesel Principle helps illusLraLe an impor-
LanL maxim. The largest chunks frst, because that way theyll ft! (1his means Lhe most
important Lasks, noL Lhose LhaL Lake Lhe mosL Lime.)
So why is iL called Lhe Kiesel Principle and noL Lhe 8rick Principle Simply because
we Lhink Lhe Kiesel Principle sounds beLLer and youll have learned a new Cerman
word now, Loo.
how to Plan Your week with outlook
WiLh Lhese basics, iLs now easy Lo creaLe a rough weekly plan in OuLlook, rom which we
will build more granular daily plans in Lhe nexL chapLer.
When exacLly you siL down Lo plan your week depends on your personal LasLe and work
rhyLhm or your work environmenL. Some people have a biL o quieL Lime in Lhe oce
on Monday mornings and nd iL easy Lo Lake Lhis Lime Lo plan Lhe upcoming week righL
aL Lhe beginning o iL, oLhers may preer Lo Lake care o Lhe weekly planning on Friday
aLernoon Lhe week beore, or aL noon on SaLurday rom home (and maybe Lake Lhis op-
porLuniLy Lo plan Lhe week LogeLher wiLh Lheir parLner).
WhaLs imporLanL is LhaL you plan your week beore iL sLarLs, or aL Lhe very laLesL on
Monday morning. When you are Lrying Lo nd Lhe ideal Lime, keep Lhe ollowing in mind.
l you wanL Lo align privaLe or business appoinLmenLs as parL o your weekly planning
(and havenL done so beore), Lhe people concerned should o course be available aL
your chosen Lime, you may need Lo swap ouL Lhe appoinLmenL planningor example,
coordinaLe business appoinLmenLs during business hours on Friday in Lhe oce beore
you plan your week on SaLurday, or align privaLe appoinLmenLs you havenL yeL specied
or Lhe week aL home Lhe preceding evening, beore you plan Lhe resL on Friday morning
in Lhe oce.
Prepare Your Task List for the week
For Lhe ollowing sLeps, we will assume LhaL youve already read and undersLood Lhe in-
sLrucLions or lLering and grouping rom Lhe earlier secLions, as well as all o ChapLer 2,
How Lo Work More FecLively wiLh 1asks and PrioriLies (how Lo dene views, work wiLh
Lasks, and seL prioriLies) and Lhus will provide you wiLh shorLer insLrucLions insLead o
deLailed sLep-by-sLep direcLions.
Start Your weekly Planning by Evaluating the Previous week
l you jusL wanL Lo check how much you already goL done (normally we hide Lhis im-
mediaLely in our cusLomized Lask views, so we can concenLraLe on whaLs ahead), do Lhe
ollowing.
Dene a view called Completed This Week LhaL only shows Lhe Lasks you com-
pleLed Lhis week or Lhe previous week, i you are planning your week on Mondays
(see Figure 3-2). (OuLlook auLomaLically records Lhe compleLion daLe o a Lask in
Lhe Date Completed eld. l Lhe Lask is open in iLs 1ask orm, you can nd Lhis
eld aLer clicking Details in Lhe Show group on Lhe Task Lab or, in OuLlook 2003,
aLer a click on Lhe Details Lab.)
How to Plan Your Week with Outlook Chapter 3 97
FIGURE 3-21 Deine a view LhaL shows you all Lhe Lasks you compleLed Lhis week.
l you also group Lhis view by caLegory, you can quickly see wheLher you have neglecLed
a cerLain area or have compleLed an especially large number o Lasks or anoLher area.
NOTE 1he ollowing inormaLion also applies Lo Lhe resL o Lhis secLion. When-
ever we Lalk abouL Lhis week as a lLer criLeria or OuLlook, we mean
LhaL you are planning Lhe ollowing week aL Lhe end o Lhe currenL week.
So nexL week shows Lhe Lasks or Lhe week you are planning and Lhis
week shows Lasks or Lhe week LhaLs almosL over. l you are planning
your week aL iLs beginning on a Monday, please replace lLers or Lhis
week wiLh lasL week or Lhe enLire secLion LhaL ollows, because on
Monday Lhe new week has already sLarLed. (1he same goes or nexL
week, which you Lhen need Lo replace wiLh Lhis week.)
Plan the incomplete Tasks from the Previous week again
Dene a view or Lhe Lasks due Lhis week or swiLch Lo iL i you have already creaLed iL.
ALer all, Lhis week is almosL over. Look Lhrough Lhe lisL or Lasks you didn'L manage Lo
geL done yeL (and wonL be able Lo geL done in Lhe Lime leL unLil Lhe weekend).
ls Lhis Lask so imporLanL LhaL you musL or wanL Lo geL iL done no maLLer whaL
l es. SeL a new realisLic due daLe.
l No. Remove iL.
1here are Lasks LhaL mighL be imporLanL buL LhaL donL need Lo be compleLed soon
or donL belong Lo your key Lasks. Maybe you had originally planned such a Lask
as due Lhis week, buL Lhen iL became Loo much. l Lhe compleLion o Lhis Lask is
noL due or a long Lime, Lhere is no specic due daLe, and Lhe coming weeks are
compleLely booked.
Assign iL Lhe MasLer 1ask LisL caLegory. (l necessary, seL iL up in Lhe masLer
caLegory lisL.)
DeleLe Lhe due daLe (Lhis also hides Lhe Lask in all views or daily and weekly
planning, which lLer or due Loday, due Lhis week, and so on).
SeL up a view LhaL only shows your masLer Lask lisL, and look Lhrough iL once
a monLh, or example (add iL as an appoinLmenL in your calendar), i checking
iL once a week as parL o your weekly planning is becoming Loo much. 1hink
abouL which Lasks o Lhe masLer Lask lisL you wanL Lo speciy an upcoming due
daLe or.
Plan your tasks for the next week
1. SwiLch Lo a view or Lhe Lasks due nexL week.
2. 1hink abouL which Lasks you havenL enLered yeL, and add Lhem. (lLs besL Lo enLer
everyLhing as soon as you Lhink o iL!)
3. 1he nexL sLep is Lo dene and plan your key Lasks (see Plan AppoinLmenLs wiLh
oursel Lo ConcenLraLe on Lhe FssenLial 1asks, laLer in Lhis chapLer). Perorm Lhis
sLep aL Lhis poinL Lo avoid posLponing Lhe key Lasks in Lhe nexL sLep.
4. Co Lhrough Lhe lisL and check Lhe calendar as well, Lo gain an overview o your ap-
poinLmenLs. 1hen Lhink abouL wheLher Lhe number o Lasks is realisLic.
Which Lasks can you remove because Lheir imporLance has changed
Which Lasks can you remove (or posLpone) because Lhere are jusL Loo many ln
Lhe rsL sLep, cuL less imporLanL Lasks, and in Lhe second sLep, check how many
Lasks you can posLponenoL all o Lhem, oLherwise you may end up procrasLi-
naLing.
Or maybe iLs Lhe oLher way around. 1here are very ew Lasks pending or sud-
denly some Lasks and appoinLmenLs have been canceled. 1ake a look aL your
masLer Lask lisL and swiLch Lo a view or Lhe Lasks due Lhis monLh or nexL monLh.
WhaL is especially imporLanL WhaL can you geL done Lhis week already 1his
makes room in Lhe coming weeks Lo caLch any changes, or maybe you wonL
have Lo deleLe so many Lasks. SeL Lhe due daLe o Lhe selecLed Lasks Lo Lhe ap-
propriaLe day nexL week. 1here is noLhing wrong wiLh Laking care o a Lask LhaL
is neiLher imporLanL nor urgenL, buL LhaL is jusL simply un.
5. ln Lhe nal sLep, prioriLize your Lasks or Lhe ollowing week again. (ALer all, some
o Lhem were enLered a ew weeks ago, and Lhe prioriLy is always assessed againsL
all your oLher Lasks, many o which you didnL know abouL back Lhen.) Look
Lhrough all Lasks and use Lhe Fisenhower MaLrix (see ChapLer 2) Lo decide which
ones geL high, normal, or low prioriLy. 1he more Lasks geL a low prioriLy, Lhe ewer
geL a normal or high prioriLy, and Lhe beLLer Lhe chance LhaL you will geL all your
Lasks wiLh high and normal prioriLy done Lhis week, no maLLer whaL goes wrong.
Plan Tasks and appointments Together in Balance
ln Lhe Daily 1ask LisL in your calendar, OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 displays Lhe Lasks due
(or, i you preer, compleLed) or LhaL parLicular day below Lhe day and week view. 1his
new view uses Lhe available space beLLer Lhan Lhe Lask block o older OuLlook versions
and is especially pracLical or week planning.
ou can see or Lhe whole week wheLher Lhe Lasks are disLribuLed well and i Lhere
is enough Lime beLween Lhe xed appoinLmenLs or Lhe Lasks, or wheLher you
need Lo redisLribuLe (or example, i Monday is ull o appoinLmenLs and has 30
Lasks, while 1uesday and Wednesday only have Lwo shorL appoinLmenLs and only
ve Lasks).
l you wanL Lo even ouL an imbalance, you can use Lhe drag-and-drop Lechnique
Lo direcLly move individual Lasks (or mulLiple Lasks selecLed LogeLher) rom one
packed day Lo a more open day.
ln OuLlook 200, Lhe Daily 1ask LisL 1ools Lab opens as soon as you click a Lask in
Lhe lisL. Now you can use Lhe buLLons, or example Lo mark Lhe Lask as CompleLed
or change Lhe prioriLy.
DO YOU HAvE AN EYE ON EvERYTHING?
Depending on Lhe screen resoluLion, OuLlook window size, and heighL and widLh
o Lhe area or Lhe Daily 1ask LisL you are working wiLh, you mighL only see Lhe
rsL one or Lwo words o Lhe Lask subjecL and, or example, only Lhe rsL 5 o 5
Lasks pending or Lhe day (see Figure 3-22). l Lhe rsL parL o Lhe Lask subjecL is
noL enough Lo remind you whaL iL means, poinL Lo Lhe corresponding Lask and
waiL briey. OuLlook will show a kind o sLicky noLe wiLh Lhe enLire subjecL o
Lhe Lask or a ew seconds. l you wanL Lo see Lhis inormaLion again laLer on,
poinL away rom Lhe Lask and Lhen back Lo iL. A scroll bar Lo Lhe righL o Lhe Daily
1ask LisL Lells you wheLher Lhere are addiLional Lasks in Lhe lisL below Lhe ones
shown. l Lhere is a scroll bar, you know LhaL Lhere are urLher Lasks LhaL didnL L
on Lhe screen. Scroll down Lo view Lhose Lasks. l Lhere is no scroll bar Lo Lhe righL
o Lhe Daily 1ask LisL, all Lasks due Lhis week are shown. 1he same applies Lo Lhe
Lasks displayed in Lhe Lask bar.
FIGURE 3-22 1he Daily 1ask LisL helps you disLribuLe Lasks evenly over Lhe week.
how to Show or hide the Daily Task List
SwiLch Lo Lhe week view o your calendar. Click Lhe small arrow in Lhe upper-righL corner
o Lhe Daily 1asks LisL Lo minimize iL, or in Lhe minimized lisL on Lhe arrow aL iLs righL bor-
der Lo expand iL back Lo Lhe size you used lasL Lime (see Figure 3-23). On Lhe view Lab in
Lhe LayouL group, click Daily 1ask LisL and Lhen selecL O in Lhe expanded menu Lo hide
Lhe lisL permanenLly (which gives you abouL one more line o space or appoinLmenLs). ln
OuLlook 2007, go Lo Lhe view menu and selecL Daily 1ask LisL/O.
l you donL see Lhe Lask lisL below Lhe appoinLmenLs, swiLch iL back on by choosing view
/LayouL/Daily 1ask LisL/Normal in OuLlook 200 or view/Daily 1ask LisL/Normal in OuLlook
2007.
FIGURE 3-23 1he minimized Lask lisL saves space and can be expanded Lo iLs ull size wiLh one click.
how to Customize Your Daily Task List
PoinL Lo Lhe upper margin o Lhe area LhaL conLains Lhe Daily 1ask LisL (Lhe dividing line
beLween Lhe calendar and Lhe Lasks, see Figure 3-22) and resize Lhe lisL as desired by
dragging Lhe border (Lhis doesnL work in Lhe minimized view, only in Lhe normal view,
when Lhe arrow in Lhe upper-righL corner o Lhe lisL poinLs down). l you righL-click Lhe
header o Lhe lisL (or example, on Lhe Show 1asks On LexL), you can speciy wheLher you
wanL Lhose Lasks Lo be displayed in Lhe lisL on Lhe day o Lhe assigned sLarL/due daLe and
wheLher you also wanL Lo see compleLed Lasks (Lo see how much you goL done Loday).
Plan appointments with Yourself to Concentrate on the
Essential Tasks
CreaLe a caLegory or each o your lie haLs. ln Lhis secLion, we will cover Lhe planning o
key Lasks in more deLail.
1. SwiLch Lo a view or Lhe Lasks due nexL week grouped by caLegory. (l you have no
problem working wiLh many views, jusL creaLe a new one LhaL only shows Lhe Lasks
or one o your lie haLs.)
2. l Lhere is a lie haL wiLh no 8-1ask due Lhis week, Lry Lo come up wiLh one. For ex-
ample, as a 8-1ask you could inserL Lhe planning and preparaLion o a surprise Lrip
Lo Las vegas wiLh your signicanL oLher or a weekend on Lhe beach.
3. Now LhaL each lie haL has aL leasL one 8-1ask or Lhis week, nd one per lie haL
and assign iL Lhe Key Tasks caLegory. (ou have Lo creaLe LhaL caLegory beore
assigning iL or Lhe rsL Lime.)
4. SwiLch Lo Lhe calendar Lo make appoinLmenLs wiLh yoursel or Lhese key Lasks.
how to create the appropriate task view for week planning in your calendar
1. From Lhe calendar, swiLch Lo Lhe Work Week view or Lhe Week view by click-
ing Lhe corresponding buLLon on Lhe Start Lab (OuLlook 200) or clicking in Lhe
deaulL Loolbar (OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003). SwiLch Lo Lhe nexL week (remember,
iLs Friday and we are planning your nexL week).
2. OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007. l you donL yeL see your Lasks Lo Lhe righL o your
appoinLmenLs, go Lo view/Layout/To-Do Bar/Normal (OuLlook 2007. view/To-
Do Bar/Normal). OuLlook 2003. l Lhe 1askPad is noL shown, go Lo Lhe view menu
and selecL TaskPad.
3. Fnlarge Lhe 1o-Do bar or Lhe 1askPad, i necessary, by dragging Lhe dividing line
beLween Lhe calendar and Lhe Lasks Lo Lhe posiLion you wanL.
4. OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007. ln Lhe 1o-Do bar (on Lhe righL) above Lhe Lask lisL,
righL-click Lhe Arrange by heading and selecL view Settings (OuLlook 200) or
Custom (OuLlook 2007) rom Lhe shorLcuL menu. OuLlook 2003. On Lhe LiLle bar
o Lhe 1askPad, righL-click Lhe word Taskpad, and Lhen selecL Customize Current
view rom Lhe shorLcuL menu.
5. ln Lhe dialog box LhaL opens, click Lhe Group By buLLon and clear Lhe Automati-
cally group according to arrangement check box.
6. ln Lhe Group items by lisL, selecL Categories.
7. ln Lhe lower-righL area o Lhe Group By dialog box, in Lhe Expand/collapse
defaults lisL, selecL All collapsed.
8. Close all open dialog boxes by clicking OK, and Lhen expand Lhe Key Tasks group
in Lhe 1o-Do bar or Lhe 1askPad on Lhe righL side o Lhe OuLlook window nexL
Lo your appoinLmenLs (as shown earlier in Lhis chapLer in Work wiLh Crouped
views). ou could also seL a lLer Lo only show Lasks due nexL week nexL Lo your
calendar, buL because we already selecLed only Lasks LhaL are due nexL week as
Key 1asks, working jusL wiLh LhaL group o key Lasks works jusL as well or Lhe nexL
sLeps we are describing here.
ou can now see Lhe presenL appoinLmenLs or nexL week (see Figure 3-24), and nexL Lo
Lhem your key Lasks or nexL week. Now you can plan xed Limes or compleLing Lhese
Lasks as appoinLmenLs wiLh yoursel. Plan a Lask or each day. l a day is Loo ull and Lhere
is no Lime or Lhe Lask, puL Lwo Lasks on a day where Lhere is more Lime. 1hey can be
converLed quickly and easily inLo an appoinLmenL, as described nexL.
FIGURE 3-24 Plan appoinLmenLs wiLh yoursel or your key Lasks according Lo Lhe Kiesel Principle.
how to convert entries from the To-Do bar/TaskPad into appointments
1. Click a Lask (or, in OuLlook 2003, on Lhe small Lask icon in ronL o Lhe Lask) Lo
selecL iL wiLhouL swiLching inLo ediLor mode or one o Lhe elds. 1he Lask now
has a blue background.
2. Press CLrl-X Lo move Lhe enLry Lo Lhe MicrosoL Oce Clipboard.
3. Look or an appropriaLe Lime sloL in Lhe calendar (or example, in Lhe Work Week
or Day view) and Lhen click (very briey so no blinking cursor appears, buL only
so LhaL Lhe Lime is selecLed) on Lhe beginningor example, in Lhe column or
Wednesday aL 11:00 A.M.
4. Press CLrl-v Lo inserL Lhe enLry rom Lhe Clipboard. ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007,
an appoinLmenL wiLh Lhe subjecL rom Lhe Lask is now enLered. OuLlook 2003,
however, opens an AppoinLmenL orm.
OuLlook has already enLered some inormaLion or you inLo Lhe newly creaLed
appoinLmenL.
1he new appoinLmenL was creaLed or Lhe selecLed Lime on Lhe selecLed day.
1he Lask subjecL was copied Lo Lhe subjecL o Lhe appoinLmenL.
All caLegories LhaL were assigned Lo Lhe Lask were copied Lo Lhe appoinLmenL.
1he enLire Lask is moved Lo Lhe appoinLmenL as an aLLachmenL. ou can nd
iL in Lhe noLe eld o Lhe appoinLmenL orm and can now open iL by double-
clicking iL Lo view any urLher inormaLion you mighL have enLered inLo Lhe Lask.
l Lhe Lask was marked as privaLe, Lhe new appoinLmenL is also privaLe (see
ChapLer 5, How Lo Schedule MeeLings So 1hey Are ConvenienL, FecLive,
and Fun).
1he Lask was deleLed rom your Lask lisL. l you donL wanL LhaL Lo happen,
maybe because iL is necessary Lo log Lhe compleLion, jusL press CLrl-C insLead
o CLrl-X in sLep 2. However, wiLh CLrl-C, Lhe Lask will noL be inserLed as an
aLLachmenL, only Lhe LexL rom Lhe Lask is copied inLo Lhe appoinLmenL. (Al-
LernaLively, you can drag a Lask inLo Lhe calendar by keeping Lhe righL mouse
buLLon pressed and Lhen selecL Copy Here As AppoinLmenL WiLh ALLachmenL.
ln OuLlook 2003, you need Lo click Lhe desired LargeL Lime in Lhe calendar rsL
beore copying and pasLing by dragging.)
5. ln OuLlook 2003, you can ediL Lhe subjecL o Lhe appoinLmenL, i necessary, and
close Lhe orm by clicking Save and Close.
6. Co Lo Lhe boLLom margin o Lhe newly creaLed appoinLmenL, click on Lhe lower
margin o Lhe appoinLmenL, and drag downward unLil Lhe duraLion o Lhe ap-
poinLmenL is reached, such as 0.00 Lo 2.00. Release Lhe mouse buLLon Lo seL Lhe
appoinLmenL Lo Lhis duraLion.
7. RepeaL Lhese sLeps unLil all your Lasks have been planned.
ALLOW YOURSELF A DAY OF REST FOR NOTHING BUT PRIvATE
THINGS
1his also applies Lo reelancers. Cive yoursel one day o resL per week! Leave all
your work behind LhaL day, and wiLh LhaL we mean Lhe whole day (so no liLLle
one/Lwo-hour excepLions).
lL doesnL have Lo be Sundayespecially on Sundays you mighL be able Lo work
wiLhouL being disLurbed. 1he idea o Sunday as a day o resL has a cerLain advan-
Lage, Lhough. lL is Lhe day when mosL people have Lime or riends and acLiviLies,
especially i Lhey are bound Lo regular working hours. 1hereore, Lhink hard and
Lry Lo nd a beLLer alLernaLive, insLead o planning your Sundays or proessional
acLiviLies.
lL doesnL even have Lo be Lhe same day each weekhowever, a cerLain regular-
iLy and a xed paLLern help many people relax much beLLer and Lruly resL. So Lry
Lo always keep your day o resL Lo Lhe same day o Lhe week.
how to automatically color your appointments
l you wanL Lo be able Lo see aL a glance (and wiLhouL having Lo read Lhe LexL o all o your
appoinLmenLs) when you need Lo caLch a plane or be in a meeLing, or example, in a ull
week or monLh view (see Figure 3-24, shown earlier), Lhe uncLion or condiLional/auLo-
maLic ormaLLing o Lhe Day/Week/MonLh view or appoinLmenLs can help. (OuLlook 200
and OuLlook 2007 auLomaLically color by caLegory buL can also do auLomaLic ormaLLing
by oLher criLeria as long as you havenL yeL assigned a caLegory Lo your appoinLmenLs.)
1. Use Lhe Work Week buLLon in Lhe calendar Lo swiLch Lo Lhe correcL view (or OuL-
look 200, youll nd iL on Lhe view Lab in Lhe Arrangement group).
2. ln OuLlook 200, on Lhe view Lab, in Lhe Current view group, click view Settings
and Lhen, in Lhe newly opened dialog box, click Lhe Conditional Formatting buL-
Lon. ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, jusL open Lhe Edit menu and selecL Automatic
Formatting.
1he Conditional Formatting dialog box (or Lhe Automatic Formatting dialog
box in OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003) now opens, wiLhin which you can dene new
color rules or Lhe currenL view. (AlLernaLively, you can open Lhis dialog box in
OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003 rom Lhe Customize view dialog box by clicking Lhe
Automatic Formatting buLLon.)
3. Click Lhe Add buLLon Lo creaLe a new rule.
4. ln Lhe Name box, enLer Conference Calls, or example, and Lhen click Lhe Condi-
tion buLLon.
5. ln Lhe Filter dialog box LhaL now opens, dene Lhe criLeria or Lhe appoinLmenLs
you wanL Lo color according Lo Lhis rule (in Lhe same way you have seL oLher lLers
or Lhe OuLlook views). For example, i you selecL Lhe ConfCall value in Lhe Search
for the word(s) eld (nexL line. In: subject feld only), all appoinLmenLs LhaL have
ConfCall in Lhe subjecL eld are colored.
6. SeL Lhe lLer by clicking OK.
7. ln Lhe Conditional Formatting dialog box (or Lhe Automatic Formatting dialog
box in OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003) LhaL now opens, selecL Lhe color you wanL in
Lhe Color lisL (or Lhe Label lisL, in OuLlook 2003)or example, Red.
8. Close Lhe dialog box by clicking OK.
From now on, all appoinLmenLs Lo which Lhe rule applies are colored accordingly in Lhe
currenL view.
1o Lhe righL o Lhe color name, OuLlook 2003 shows labels LhaL you can change as you
wish. 1o do so, go Lo Lhe FdiL menu and selecL Label/FdiL Labels direcLly aLer sLep o
Lhe insLrucLions jusL provided.
ln OuLlook 2003, you can speciy a color or each appoinLmenL enLry individually via Lhe
Label eld by righL-clicking Lhe appoinLmenL (in Lhe open appoinLmenL under SubjecL,
Lo Lhe righL o LocaLion). OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 colors Lhe appoinLmenLs accord-
ing Lo Lhe caLegory LhaL was assigned lasL. A color LhaL has been specied manually or
according Lo caLegory in Lhis way always Lakes precedence over all condiLional/auLomaLic
ormaLLing. Fven i you assign a caLegory LhaL has no color (Color. None), iLll overwriLe
Lhe condiLional/auLomaLic ormaLLing. So in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, you musL noL
assign caLegories Lo make Lhis kind o coloring work.
You Try it
1. Fngross yoursel in Lhe rsL Lwo Lasks rom ChapLer 2. Which long-Lerm Lask LhaL
would have a huge impacL on your oLher work/personal lie areas have you been
posLponing orever, simply because you jusL donL have Lime or because iL Lakes
Loo long (or whaLever oLher excuse you come up wiLh)Lhere is no such Lhing as
no Lime, only dierenL prioriLies. 1hereore. l Lhe Lask is imporLanL enough Lo
youwhaLs sLopping you Fxamples. nally sLarL jogging again or clear ouL your
oce and creaLe a ling sysLem (such as hanging le olders) Lo eliminaLe chaos in
Lhe uLure and make sure LhaL required paper documenLs can be led away wiLh
one single move and can easily be ound again.
2. Now divide Lhis mission inLo small key Lasks wiLh a realisLic due daLe (or insLance,
nd a helpul colleague, Lake Lwo hours wiLh him or her Lo come up wiLh a good
sysLem, procure and prepare Lhe necessary maLerials such as hanging le old-
ers and garbage bins, Lake Lwo days in AugusL when iLs more quieL in Lhe oce
Lo clean iL up, and Lhen have your helpul colleague check Lhe progress resulLing
rom Lhis new sysLem on a monLhly basis and, i necessary, have your colleague
correcL iL).
3. Develop an appropriaLe caLegory sysLem (empLy ouL Lhe main caLegory lisL
beorehand).
4. Map Lhe appropriaLe caLegories Lo your Lasks. (ln Lhe uLure, do so as soon as you
creaLe new Lasks.)
5. Dene your seven lie haLs (aL leasL one per area o lie), creaLe caLegories or Lhem,
and come up wiLh Lasks or each haL LhaL you will Lackle in Lhe near uLure.
6. CreaLe a view o Lhe incompleLe Lasks LhaL are due nexL week, and group Lhem
according Lo caLegory. Show Lhe 1o-Do bar (Lhe 1askPad in OuLlook 2003) in your
calendar and seL up Lhis view wiLh Lhe same lLers and groups.
7. Plan your upcoming week as described in Lhis chapLer (deleLe ouLsLanding Lasks or
change Lheir due daLe, enLer new Lasks, i necessary, and adjusL Lhe prioriLies). 1ake
advanLage o Lhe Kiesel Principle (plan key Lasks or lie haLs, and enLer appoinL-
menLs wiLh yoursel inLo your calendar or Lhese Lasks).
109
CHAPTER 4
YOU HAvE creaLed your Lask lisL, have given Lhe Lasks a due daLe and
prioriLized Lhem (see ChapLer 2, How Lo Work More FecLively wiLh 1asks
and PrioriLies). ou have planned your week wiLh long-sLanding appoinL-
menLs and newly updaLed meeLings as well as your appoinLmenLs wiLh
yoursel according Lo Lhe Kiesel principle (schedule big rocks rsL", see
ChapLer 3, How Lo Cain More 1ime or WhaLs FssenLial wiLh an FecLive
Week Planner). CondenL and ull o energy, you sLarL your dayand
Lhen suddenly iLs evening already. ou were able Lo keep mosL o Lhe
appoinLmenLs, buL Lhe majoriLy o Lhe iLems on your Lask lisL have noL
been Laken care o.
NoL everyLhing in lie works ouL perecLly. NeverLheless, many
people assume LhaL Lhings will always Lurn ouL as Lhey had hoped,
because more oLen Lhan noL, Lhey acLually Lurn ouL LhaL way,
which gives Lhem room or more planning. 8esides, Lheres no un
in consLanLly assuming Lhe worsL. However, i you assume LhaL
whaL worked ouL perecLly wiLhouL any gliLches in record Lime
wiLh a loL o luck will conLinue Lo do so in Lhe uLure, you shouldnL
be disappoinLed or even surprised i iL doesnL work ouL quiLe so
perecLly nexL Lime.
how to Make Your
Daily Planning work
in real Life
Things always Turn out Differently anyway
Learn the basics of successful
day planning.
Combine similar tasks into
blocks.
Use appointment lists.
Fine-tune your day planner.
Use the To-Do bar in Outlook.
110 Chapter 4 How to Make Your Daily Planning Work in Real Life
A TYPICAL DAY AT ROBINS OFFICE
lLs already 9.26 A.M. when Robin Wood enLers Lhe conerence room in a bad mood Lo
begin his work day. Usually iLs ne Lo leave Lhe house aL 8.0 A.M., usually his commuLe
Lo work will Lake exacLly 50 minuLes. 8uL Loday one lane was closed due Lo landscaping
aL Lhis Lime o day, go gure!and Lo make Lhings worse, Lrac was especially heavy
Sorry, l goL sLuck in rush-hour Lrac, he mumbles.
Which is Lhe same every morning aL Lhis Lime, his boss replies wiLh obviously liLLle
sympaLhy.
8uL iLs really noL my aulL. 1his sorL o Lhing jusL happensespecially Lo me. Why
does iL always happen Lo me and Fred, buL hardly ever Lo Lhe oLhers Robin muses. AL
leasL his colleague Holly HolL greeLs him good-naLuredly, and her smile cheers him up
a biL. 1he nexL hours are proo, in his mind, LhaL iLs impossible Lo plan your day well,
no maLLer whaL. Once again, Lhe meeLing lasLs an hour longer Lhan scheduled. ALer-
ward he was going Lo nish Lhe presenLaLion or his Lalk aL Lomorrows Lrade show. 8uL
when hes back aL Lhe compuLer, he rsL Lakes a quick look aL Lhe new email messages
insLead.
ForLy-ve minuLes laLer, he is inLerrupLed by a colleague who needs help wiLh a
problem. O course, Lhe phone doesnL sLop ringing. Suddenly he realizes LhaL he
has anoLher meeLing in 5 minuLes. 1his meeLing, however, Lakes place in a dierenL
building, and iL Lakes him 20 minuLes Lo geL Lhere, a acL he had noL Laken inLo consid-
eraLion when glancing aL Lhe 3.30 P.M. meeLing requesL. AL leasL Lhis meeLing ends on
Lime, and on Lhe way Lo geL Lhere he was able Lo grab someLhing Lo eaL aL Lhe hoLdog
sLandLhree hours pasL lunchLime.
8ack aL his desk, he could nally geL sLarLed on Lhe presenLaLionLheoreLically,
anywaybuL Lhere are a ew oLher Lhings he should geL done beorehand, so hes Lry-
ing Lo squeeze Lhose in really quickly. ALer a while, he becomes aware o how quieL
everyLhing is around him. lL canL be pasL 6 P.M. already, can iL lL sure can be. OK, leLs
do Lhis. Finally Robin sLarLs designing a new slide. As Lhis Lask begins Lo geL Ledious, he
checks his MicrosoL OuLlook inbox and answers a ew requesLs, which shouldnL Lake
Loo much Lime. ALerward, he ollows a couple o exciLing links or special renLal car
oers. Oops! lLs 7.30 P.M. already. Robin realizes LhaL he wonL nish Lhe presenLaLion
LodayaL leasL noL in Lhe oce. Oh, well. Who cares. WouldnL be Lhe rsL Lime hes
Laking work home. So, whaLs Lhe poinL o planning 1hings always Lurn ouL dier-
enLly anyway!
1rying Lo halway caLch up on Lodays compleLely impossible schedule o Loo many LighL
appoinLmenLs by working overLime or by disLribuLing Lasks and appoinLmenLs Lo Lhe
upcoming (and equally packed) days, while being LoLally sLressed ouL, is even less un
Lhan assuming LhaL some Lhings mighL go wrong or Lake a liLLle longer.
ou can proLecL yoursel againsL some o Lhe disLurbances, inLerrupLions, and disLrac-
Lions. ou donL need Lo leL yoursel geL disLracLed by everyLhingbuL you can never
compleLely Lurn o all disLracLions. 1hese include unexpecLed chances and opporLuniLies
LhaL really do require immediaLe acLion and are imporLanL enough Lo posLpone oLher
Lhings. Reasonable daily planning is geared Loward realiLy and Lakes such siLuaLions inLo
consideraLionwiLhin cerLain limiLs.
RealisLic daily planningor raLher, iLs implemenLaLion, Laking acLion accordinglyis a
diculL and immense challenge. Hello, long-Lerm plans and goals (and weekly planning).
allow me Lo inLroduce you Lo Lhe harsh realiLy o lie. 1he challenge is Lo combine Lhe
Lwo wiLhouL geLLing losL in shorL-Lerm disLracLions and all Lhe exciLing or urgenL buL un-
imporLanL sLu. Above all, you have Lo make consisLenL decisions Lo jusL say "No," and by
doing so, say es Lo whaL really maLLers Lo you, your company, your boss, your clienLs,
your amily, and your riends. Really implemenLing your goals and 8-1asks, puLLing your
plan inLo acLion aL Lhe momenL o choice, requires a large amounL o sel-discipline. AL
Lhis poinL, Lime managemenL eiLher works ouL or ails.
1he ollowing oLen sLand in Lhe way o planning your day and implemenLing your
planLhe Lop reasons why people ail.
1he desire Lo do everyLhing aL once.
Delays, slip-ups, and Lhings LhaL jusL go wrong. (1his happens occasionally, buL
you always have Lo plan or and be prepared or iL Lo happen. MosL people jusL
assume LhaL everyLhing will always work ouL as planned.)
OveresLimaLion o your own capabiliLies or poor planning o Lime requiremenLs.
Only reacLing, perorming C-1asks rsL, ailing Lo hold yoursel accounLable, being
deensive and Lrying Lo blame someone else or your ailures.
UnexpecLed disrupLions and inLerrupLions, disLracLions, ucLuaLing levels o con-
cenLraLion.
An acuLe aversion Lo some Lasks, no sel discipline, lisLlessness and procrasLiniLis.
doing all Lhe unimporLanL, easy, and un D-1asks rsL, Lhus wasLing Lime and pro-
crasLinaLing on Lhe more diculL, someLimes boring or riskier, buL much more
imporLanL Lasks.
How to Make Your Daily Planning Work in Real Life Chapter 4 111
For eecLive day planning, you should Lake Lhe ollowing sLeps inLo consideraLion.
Plan or delays, gliLches, disrupLions, and inLerrupLions. 1hey will happen, so Lry Lo
prevenL Lhem, nd a sLraLegy Lo proLecL yoursel againsL Lhe ones you can avoid,
and sLill leave some room Lo caLch up wiLh your work i some o Lhem sLill happen.
ConcenLraLe on whaLs essenLial, plan LhaL rsL, and Lhen Lake care o iL consisLenLly.
FsLimaLe Lhe Lime requiremenLs and your own perormance realisLically.
Find a way Lo bundle Lhe smaller Lasks and leave ree Lime sloLs in your plan as
buer zones.
1ackle an issue and Lake responsibiliLy, hold yoursel accounLable, and pracLice
sel-discipline Lo do boring and hard sLu when necessary Lo gain more Lime or
Lasks/acLiviLies LhaL are un aLerwards, reach your goals, nish your work on Lime,
and geL home earlier (you can make a dierence, see ChapLer 7, How Lo 1ruly
8eneL rom 1his 8ook).
Now LhaL we have compiled Lhe requiremenLs o a solid schedule, iLs high Lime Lo geL
sLarLed wiLh implemenLing iL.
The Basics of Successful Day Planning
8uild Lime blocks Lo pool similar Lasks, and process Lhem in a concenLraLed ashion in a
single sLreLch (see Lhe sidebar WhaL ls a 8lock in ChapLer , How NoL Lo Drown in Lhe
Fmail Flood). Learn Lo esLimaLe Lhe acLual Lime requiremenL o a specic Lask correcLly
many people Lry Lo rely on Lheir inLuiLion and come up wiLh unrealisLic values.
Use your daily perormance curve in combinaLion wiLh your disrupLion curve (you'll learn
abouL Lhese laLer in Lhis secLion) Lo gure ouL Lhe besL Lime o Lhe day Lo isolaLe yoursel
againsL disrupLions and Lo ocus on Lhe mosL imporLanL Lasks o Lhe day. Combine phone
calls and minor daily Lasks inLo caLegories, so you can perorm Lhem as a block or during
waiLing or idle Limes, and Lhus Lake opLimal advanLage o inLervals beLween bigger Lasks.
Combine Similar Tasks into Task Blocks
How much Lime do you wasLe wiLh Lhe liLLle sLu A quick phone call here, a shorL
email message Lhere, and beore you know iL, 20 minuLes have gone by. ou should com-
bine such similar small Lasks inLo Lask blocks.
Doing so has Lhe ollowing advanLages.
ou will make asLer headway, because you donL need Lo geL sLarLed again wiLh a
dierenL kind o work every Lime (or example, when you swiLch Lo email rom ed-
iLing a reporL, you need Lwo Lo Lhree minuLes Lo really geL up Lo speed or answer-
ing messages. l you jusL answer one or Lwo and Lhen do someLhing else, youll
need Lhe Lhree minuLes again when you come back Lo email). Working on 0 ve-
minuLe phone calls or email messages aL a sLreLch Lakes a loL less Lime Lhan work-
ing on 0 dierenL email messages 0 Limes in beLween oLher Lasks. 1he eecL is
amplied by your abiliLy Lo see Lhe big picLure. For example, you will auLomaLically
keep your phone calls shorL, i all Lhe imporLanL issues have been addressed or
LhaL one call and you know LhaL you sLill need Lo geL eighL more phone calls done
wiLhin Lhe nexL hal hour.
Unlike when you jusL really quickly Lake care o some small Lask in beLween larger
Lasks, creaLing blocks allows you Lo see exacLly how many email messages you geL
done in 30 minuLes or how long iL Lakes you Lo make ve shorL phone calls. l you
waLch yoursel or a while, you can come up wiLh a good average value LhaL allows
you Lo esLimaLe Lhe Lime requiremenLs more realisLically and Lhus plan more eec-
Lively. ou will also have an easier Lime nding ouL in which areas iL makes sense Lo
opLimize processes, cuL reserved Lime shorLer, or invesL more Lime.
l you schedule your blocks aL approximaLely Lhe same Lime each day, you also
gain Lhe addiLional beneLs o a rouLine. 1he whole issue becomes a kind o riLual
and gives your day a rm sLrucLure. Such recurrenL acLions aL Lhe same Limes o
day have a posiLive eecL on your work perormance. 1hey keep you grounded as
you move Lhrough your day, and help you cenLer yoursel more quickly.
ou will nd iL easier Lo concenLraLe on your big, imporLanL Lasks, and iL also be-
comes easier Lo prevenL disLracLions rom iLems LhaL you will laLer Lake care o in
Lhe block. For example, i you realize LhaL iL would be necessary Lo make a phone
call, buL iL doesn'L have Lo happen aL Lhis very momenL, you jusL add iL Lo Lhe lisL.
1hereore, you wonL be disLracLed or very long buL can conLinue Lo concenLraLe
on Lhe Lask aL hand.
Use Categories when Creating Blocks
1hink abouL Lhe areas or which you can creaLe meaningul blocks. 1here are some Lasks
or which iL makes sense Lo plan one or more blocks per day (or example, reading and
answering email). For oLhers, one Lo Lhree blocks per week are sucienL, i noL enough
Lasks accrue per day, i Lhe Lasks can waiL a ew days, or i you simply canL Lake care o
an issue every day. CerLain blocks even make sense monLhly or quarLerlyor example,
expense accounLs.
The Basics of Successful Day Planning Chapter 4 113
TIP Add Lhe Block sux Lo Lhe OuLlook caLegory name o each block build-
ing caLegory (you'll learn more abouL block building Loward Lhe end o
Lhe chapLer, in Hide Lhe 1asks lnLended or 8lock 8uilding in Lhe Week/
Day views). 1his is Lhe mosL pracLical way Lo avoid rusLraLion and oLher
problems when you work wiLh block building caLegories and wanL Lo use
lLers laLer.
FnLer Lhe names o Lhe blocks LhaL will come up more requenLlysuch as Calls (8lock)
or phone calls LhaL are longer Lhan Lhree minuLesinLo your main caLegory lisL (or
more abouL working wiLh caLegories, see ChapLer 3). Now, i you Lhink o a new Lask LhaL
you would like Lo mark or Lhe nexL block, jusL press CLrl-ShiL-K, or example, Lo creaLe a
new Lask righL rom Lhe middle o ediLing an email message. FnLer Lhe deLails (see Chap-
Ler 3) and assign Lhe corresponding block, such as Calls (8lock), as caLegory.
Whenever you need Loor your daily schedule, or exampleyou can Lhen swiLch com-
orLably Lo a view LhaL is sorLed by caLegory, collapse oLher caLegories, and lLer Lhe view
by due daLe, Lo see your call block wiLh all phone calls LhaL musL happen in Lhe nexL ve
days, or example (see Figure 4-). SeLLing Lhe corresponding views is covered laLer in Lhis
chapLer in Order MusL Prevail.
FIGURE 4-1 WiLh a ew mouse clicks, you can seL Lhe Lask lisL so you can only view Lhe Lasks LhaL are
pending in Lhe nexL ew days or Lhe corresponding block (group by caLegory).
a Special Task Block: The actionList
WhaL Lo do wiLh all Lhe small iLems, which only Lake up Lo 0 minuLes, max Combine
Lhem inLo a special block under Lhe AcLionLisL (8lock) caLegory. 1his block is an excep-
Lion in LhaL you donL work Lhrough iL aL a single sLreLch, because iL includes diverse
smaller issues rom dierenL areas. lnsLead, you always call iL up when you have shorL idle
Limes, or example, 0 minuLes beore Lhe sLarL o a meeLing in Lhe conerence room or 8
minuLes beore an imporLanL phone appoinLmenL, when Lhere is no oLher larger Lask you
wanL Lo sLarL yeL. 1his way you can Lake care o Lhese Lhings quickly in beLween larger
Lasks and are lling shorL waiLing or idle Limes.
For advanced Users: Take advantage of the journal for
Semi-automatic Time Protocols
1o save you rom having Lo consLanLly swiLch beLween dierenL applicaLions and con-
Linuously look aL your waLch, Lhe journal uncLion o OuLlook can help you creaLe a Lime
proLocol (see Figure 4-2).
FIGURE 4-2 1he journal uncLion o OuLlook has auLomaLic Lime recording LhaL can help you wiLh your
Lime proLocol.
Whenever you begin a new Lask, jusL press AlL-1ab Lo swiLch Lo OuLlook (press 1ab
again and release iL while keeping AlL pressed and conLinue pressing 1ab again unLil you
have reached OuLlookunless OuLlook is already open in Lhe oreground). 1hen press
CLrl-ShiL-J. OuLlook will open a orm or creaLing a journal enLry LhaL already conLains
Lhe currenL daLe and Lime. FnLer a unique subjecL. 1he FnLry 1ype lisL conLains all o
Lhe Lasks LhaL OuLlook can auLomaLically proLocol. lgnore Lhis eld, because you canL
cusLomize iL by adding enLries, and youd Lhereore be Loo limiLed. lnsLead, click CaLego-
rize (or, in OuLlook 2003, Lhe CaLegories buLLon in Lhe lower-righL corner) and selecL Lhe
appropriaLe caLegories rom Lhe lisL.
LOOK THE TRUTH IN THE EYE: TIME PROTOCOLS
Keeping Lime proLocolsor, more specically, Lime use proLocolsis a simple rouLine
wiLh a huge impacL.
ALer compleLing a Lask and keeping Lrack o Lhe Lime, you can esLimaLe Lhe Lime
required or oLher Lasks LhaL come up in a similar way much more accuraLely.
ou will recognize individual issues and how much Lime Lhey acLually Look you Lo
accomplishLhese values requenLly dier slighLly or even dramaLically rom Lhe
values you would have esLimaLed. ln combinaLion wiLh Lhe creaLion o blocks, you
mighL noLice LhaL answering our shorL cusLomer requesLs, which you would have
esLimaLed Lo Lake aL mosL 20 Lo 25 minuLes, in realiLy Look a whole hour.
ALer a while, you can see quiLe clearly or which areas you need Lo allocaLe and plan
or more Lime, and or which you can reduce Lhe alloLLed Lime. ou will recognize
which Lasks Lake mosL o your Lime and where iL makes sense Lo invesLigaLe possible
ways or opLimizing your work.
CreaLing a Lime proLocol is simple. 1ake a ew very Lypical work days, and jusL Lrack ev-
eryLhing you are doingeveryLhing LhaL Lakes more Lhan 0 minuLes. l Lhere are a ew
shorLer Lasks Lo perorm, such as 8 min. or 3 shorL phone calls rom AcLionLisL, you
should proLocol Lhose as well. WhaLs imporLanL is LhaL you always carry your Lime pro-
Locol wiLh you, measure Lhe Lime exacLly, and enLer everyLhing immediaLely, as soon as
iLs done. (ou donL need Lo run around wiLh a sLop waLch, buL you should Lake a look
aL your waLch aL Lhe beginning and end o each Lask.) lLs up Lo you wheLher Lo record
your Lime proLocol on paper, enLer iL inLo MicrosoL Fxcel Mobile on your smarLphone,
or use Lhe journal uncLion o OuLlook wiLh auLomaLic Lime recording.
ln Lhe simplesL version, you jusL enLer Lhe sLarL and end Lime o Lhe Lask and a deLailed
descripLion (in oLher words, noL jusL call). FxcepLions are blocks wiLh many small ac-
LiviLies aL a sLreLch, where a collecLive name is sucienL (such as email block). DeLails
in a urLher column are always helpul, or example, 0 messages deleLed immediaLely,
5 small ones answered quickly, and 3 large ones Laken care o. 1haLs enough in Lhe be-
ginning. 1he proLocol becomes more meaningul (albeiL more complex) i you prioriLize
Lhe Lask according Lo Lhe Fisenhower MaLrix (see ChapLer 2), inserL a column or Lhe
duraLion in minuLes, in one column enLer whaL you had planned or Lhis Lime sloL and
in anoLher column documenL your evaluaLion o Lhis Lask (or example, greaL. 00%
correcLly done as planned, buL wenL much asLer or wasnL really necessary righL now
and Look a loL o Lime), or even record your physical or emoLional sLaLe in yeL anoLher
column (Lired and having a hard Lime concenLraLing, wide awake and very creaLive,
sLill Lired, buL rouLine sLu going well and quickly).
l your problem is procrasLinaLing imporLanL Lasks, geLLing easily disLracLed by
oLher Lhings, or ghLing a lack o sel-discipline, Lhe Lime proLocol can help you.
l you look aL your plan, see wriLe reporL or board meeLing buL are enLering
someLhing like 5 minuLes spenL aimlessly clicking around in Lhe inbox, insLead,
you will realize righL Lhere and Lhen, while enLering Lhese remarks, LhaL you are
shirking Lhe acLual Lask. 1his should shake you awake and hopeully cause you Lo
quiL posLponing Lhis unpleasanL buL neverLheless very imporLanL Lask.
Keep a Lime proLocol consisLenLly or aL leasL Lhree, or preerably ve, represenLa-
Live work days, and enLer each Lask o 0 minuLes or more. Fven Lhough iL mighL
noL be a loL o un, iLs worLh iL!
1hen click Lhe SLarL 1imer buLLon (or, in MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2003, press AlL-M).
WiLh AlL-1ab, you can swiLch back Lo Lhe window LhaL was open beore you esLablished
Lhe journal enLry, while Lhe journal window wiLh acLivaLed Lime recording sLays open.
ALer you have nished Lhe Lask, press AlL-1ab Lo move back Lo Lhe open journal enLry,
and click SLop 1imer (in OuLlook 2003, jusL press AlL-M again). OuLlook has now auLo-
maLically added Lhe duraLion. FnLer any addiLional commenLs inLo Lhe noLe eld beore
saving and closing your journal enLry. 8ecause you probably wonL need Lhe Company
eld or your Lime proLocol, you can use iL Lo noLe someLhing else insLead, such as Lhe
prioriLy or your level o saLisacLion wiLh Lhe compleLion o Lhe Lask, so you can laLer
sorL or Lhis criLerion and use iL or evaluaLion purposes. Here you can also add remarks
abouL Lhe projecL or Lhe parL o your lie Lhis currenL Lask belongs Lo (see ChapLer 3).
1o evaluaLe your daily proLocol, swiLch Lo Lhe FnLry LisL view. 1he Lypical 1imeline view
o Lhe journal mighL noL be very pracLical when dealing wiLh many shorL Lasks insLead o
Lask blocks. ou should Lhereore dene a new view o Lhe Lype Table, which you can ar-
range or group, or example, by caLegory or duraLion, Lo see which o your Lasks Lake Lhe
mosL Lime or which Lype/caLegory o Lasks you use Lhe mosL Lime or. ou can also wriLe
Lhe journal enLries inLo a MicrosoL Fxcel le, Lo add up Lhe Lime or urLher evaluaLion,
creaLe diagrams or a quick overview, and much more. 1o do Lhis in OuLlook 200, selecL
OpLions on Lhe File Lab and Lhen, in Lhe OuLlook OpLions dialog box, selecL Advanced.
ln Lhe FxporL pane, click FxporL, and ollow Lhe insLrucLions. ln MicrosoL Oce OuLlook
2007/OuLlook 2003, selecL lmporL And FxporL rom Lhe File menu.
Take Your Performance Curve and Your Disruption Curve
into Consideration
Some people are wide awake and absoluLely L early in Lhe morning, oLhers Lake a while
Lo geL going and Lhen reach Lheir highesL poLenLial wiLh maximum perormance and
concenLraLion when oLhers are already geLLing Lired, worn ouL, and have a hard Lime
concenLraLing. Fverybody has his or her individual perormance curve, linked Lo his or
her circadian rhyLhm. l you keep Lhis curve in mind while planning your schedule, you
can adjusL your Limes o maximum concenLraLion wiLh high creaLiviLy and speed, com-
bined wiLh high qualiLy o work, Lo LargeL your mosL imporLanL Lasks.
1he perormance curve is overlaid by oLher eecLs. Anyone who geLs ouL o a mammoLh
meeLing aL .30 A.M., where negoLiaLions wenL on or Lhree hours wiLhouL a break in a
badly venLilaLed room, would be raLher exhausLed, o course, even i Lhis person would
oLherwise have reached Lop orm aL LhaL Lime o day. As long as aL leasL hal o your work
days begin wiLh a similar paLLern, you will experience a similar perormance curve. 1here-
ore, you musL consider one o your sLrongesL overlays. your disrupLion curve, which
usually is also quiLe regular. Maybe you have been able Lo work aL your besL beLween
0.00 and .00 A.M. when everybody else was on vacaLion. However, you can no longer
use Lhis Lime reely when, during regular work days, colleagues and clienLs consLanLly ap-
proach you wiLh requesLs, and your boss keeps dropping by wiLh new Lasks or you.
JusL go ahead and draw your own perormance and disrupLion curves. lL doesnL need
Lo be an elaboraLe scienLic charLmaybe you can even do iL imprompLu (see Figure
4-3). Or combine your experience wiLh Lhe Lime proLocol, i you wanL Lo waLch iL a liLLle
more closely. Add a column or your perormance capabiliLy and Lhe amounL/inLensiLy o
disLurbance. l necessary, you can do an evaluaLion as Lo wheLher Lhe inLerrupLions can
be moved Lo a dierenL Lime sloL. ou can describe iL in words or jusL use a number on a
scale rom Lhrough 0, which makes laLer evaluaLion much easier.
AM 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 PM 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Hourly productivity / interruptions
FIGURE 4-3 Draw your perormance and disrupLion curves Lo deLermine Lhe opLimal Limes or
ProducLiviLy Hours.
Focus on Your important Tasks without interruptions
During Productivity hours
lLs quiLe amazing how much you can geL done during Limes when Lhere are no inLer-
rupLions o any kind. Fspecially i Lhe amounL o possible disLracLions you mighL Lake
advanLage o Lo escape unpleasanL Lasks is much smaller during LhaL Lime. For example,
i you are on a business Lrip Lo 8risbane, AusLralia, and Lhere are no business dinners aL
nighL, you suddenly have a loL o Lime aLer 5 P.M. All your riends and colleagues who
you mighL wanL Lo call are asleep. (l youre rom Miami, Florida, in Lhe UniLed SLaLes,
iLs 3 A.M. Lhere when iLs 5 P.M. in 8risbane. l youre rom Furope, a ighL Lo Lhe UniLed
SLaLes will do Lhe same or you.) 8ecause in AusLralia businesses are closing righL abouL
now, your inbox is no longer lling upexcepL or Lhe occasional auLomaLic newsleLLer
(as well as a biL o junk mail LhaL will be mosLly lLered ouL). So whaL Lo do, i youre noL
up or exploring unamiliar Lowns Suddenly, aLer Lwo or Lhree days, you have nished
Lhe complicaLed and raLher unpleasanL buL very imporLanL markeLing planwhich is due
in Lwo weeks, and which you have been puLLing o or eighL weeks.
8uL you donL have Lo go as ar as ying Lo AusLralia once a monLh or locking yoursel in
your oce on Lhe weekend. JusL seL up one or Lwo ProducLiviLy Hours per day (ideally 45
Lo 90 minuLes), and ocus on whaLs really imporLanL during LhaL Lime. 1his will also help
when Lraveling does noL (i your cusLomers and business parLners are scaLLered all over
Lhe world, someone will always be working).
For your ProducLiviLy Hours, Lry Lo nd Lhe Lime when your perormance curve is consid-
erably higher Lhan your disrupLion curve. ou will usually geL adjusLed curves, in oLher
words, you would auLomaLically raLe your perormance lower during Limes o requenL
disrupLions, so LhaL in Lhe end, your perormance high poinLs are locaLed in Limes o a
low disrupLion level. l Lhe disrupLion high poinLs coincide wiLh Lhe perormance high
poinLs, Lry Lo move Lhe disrupLion curve. For example, you could ask your very coopera-
Live boss wheLher she mighL consider moving Lhe brieng Lo an earlier or laLer Lime sloL.
(Or, i absoluLely necessary, move Lhe perormance curveor example, i your boss says
no, maybe you can geL up an hour earlier and sLarL on your Lask sooner.)
Defend Your Productivity hours
Rigorously block one or, i possible, Lwo ProducLiviLy Hours each day.
FnLer your ProducLiviLy Hours as a recurring appoinLmenL inLo your calendar, so
you don'L accidenLally (buL only very consciously, i Lhere is no oLher way) plan
someLhing else and wonL geL any meeLing requesLs or Lhose Limes. lL would be
besL Lo Lalk Lo your colleagues abouL whaL you are doing, seLLing core Limes or
meeLings (see ChapLer 5, How Lo Schedule MeeLings So 1hey Are ConvenienL, F-
ecLive, and Fun) so LhaL everyone can secure his or her ProducLiviLy Hours ouLside
o Lhose Limes and Lhe ProducLiviLy Hours are generally respecLed. OLherwise, mark
Lhese Limes as privaLe or jusL don'L enLer any LexL aL all. Have courage. requenLly a
brie riendly explanaLion wiLh Lhe requesL Lo respecL Lhese Limes is all iL Lakes.
l a meeLing requesL shows up anyway, suggesL a dierenL Lime or decline Lhe
requesL (unless Lhere is really no oLher possibiliLy).
1ry Lo selecL a Lime when iLs quiLe normal or someone Lo be unreachable. For
example, i your perormance curve is high in Lhe morning, jusL go Lo Lhe oce
early. LunchLime, beLween .00 A.M. and 2.00 P.M., can also work well (depend-
ing on how early or laLe you sLarL). Anyone who canL reach you aL 7.30 A.M., noon,
or 5.30 P.M. wouldnL consider LhaL sLrange under normal circumsLances, buL raLher
would Lry again aL dierenL Limes.
l you are noL expecLing an exLremely urgenL and imporLanL phone call in Lhe nexL
ew minuLes, log o your phone wiLh Lhe cenLral swiLchboard or Lhe duraLion o
your ProducLiviLy Hour or swiLch your phone Lo voice mail. 1urn your cell phone
o as well.
Remember LhaL Lhe rsL Lhree weeks are Lhe mosL imporLanL. Remind your col-
leagues poliLely buL rmly o Lhe Limes when you are noL available. AL rsL, your
colleagues will Lend Lo disregard Lhese Limes, even i Lhey like Lhe idea and are Lry-
ing Lo respecL iLiL always Lakes Lime Lo change old habiLs. 1he consisLency wiLh
which you end o inLerrupLions during Lhese rsL weeks deLermines wheLher your
quieL Limes will work ouL in Lhe long run. l necessary, ask your boss or permission
or choose a Lime when she isnL in Lhe oce yeL, or noL any longer, i she reuses Lo
respecL Lhese Limes.
Make sure you donL disLracL yoursel.
lgnore your inbox during your ProducLiviLy Hour.
Focus compleLely on Lhe planned A-Lype or 8-Lype Lask you have planned or
Lhis Lime. SLarL on iL immediaLely and geL used Lo doing noLhing else during
your ProducLiviLy Hour (see also Fine-1uning our Daily Planning, laLer in Lhis
chapLer).
Whenever you would like Lo quickly look up or wriLe (or answer, or order)
someLhing, do iL beore or aLer, buL never during your ProducLiviLy Hours.
l you Lravel a loL, and xed appoinLmenLs or your ProducLiviLy Hours are noL pos-
sible, make use o Lhese Lravel Limes. 1he acL LhaL you donL need Lo come up wiLh
explanaLions Lo cuL yoursel o makes iL even easier. Drive Lo Lhe airporL or Lhe Lrain
sLaLion an hour earlier (or book Lhe reLurn Lrip or an hour laLer) and siL down in a
lounge or coee house, where you can work in peace. 1urn o your cell phone and
resisL Lhe LempLaLion Lo check email really quickly. l you are driving a car, you can
jusL leave a liLLle earlier (or reLurn a liLLle laLer) and along Lhe way choose a resL sLop
or a ca LhaL oers a avorable environmenL.
order Must Prevail
One o Lhe major advanLages o using OuLlook or your Lime managemenL is Lhe enor-
mous exibiliLy you have wiLh Lhe views. ou only need Lo make your enLries once, buL
you can sLill see Lhe Lasks or Lhe currenL week, Lhe currenL day, or even Lhe enLire quarLer
or a cerLain projecL wiLh one click. AuLomaLic marking wiLh dierenL colors helps you Lo
keep oLher criLeria in view (or example, you could show a lisL wiLh all Lhe Lasks or a cer-
Lain projecL, where Lasks LhaL are due Lhis week are marked in blue). Or you could swiLch
Lo a view LhaL shows you all uLure appoinLmenLs arranged by Lownso you can see
quickly when you will be in Los Angeles or San Diego nexL Lime, in case somebody asks
you wheLher you mighL have an hour Lo spare i you are in Lown someLime in AugusL or
SepLember.
Order Must Prevail Chapter 4 121
1he Lhree conguraLion examples in Lhis secLion, which mosL users nd very useul, will
show you urLher Lips or ne-Luning your OuLlook views, now LhaL you have learned how
Lo seL up new views, cusLomize Lhe displayed elds, sorL, and group, and now LhaL you
undersLand basics o lLering as covered in Lhe previous Lwo chapLers. 1his way you can
always keep an overview and nd inormaLion relevanL Lo you.
hide the Tasks intended for Block Building in the
week/Day Views
While building Lhe blocks, we have combined similar Lasks Lo perorm Lhem aL a single
sLreLchand noL in beLween oLher Lasks or aL dierenL Limes. 1his way you donL have
Lo Lake Loo many single iLems inLo consideraLion while planning. For example, jusL hide
Lhe individual shorL phone calls reserved or block building (which can waiL unLil Lhe nexL
call block) so Lhey donL keep popping up beLween all Lhe oLher Lasks in your lisL. ou will
have an easier Lime keeping an eye on Lhe remaining Lasks.
how to hide all tasks belonging to block building categories
1. Dene a new view (see ChapLer 2) called Tasks Without Block Building. Or in-
sLead, change Lhe currenL view accordingly. 1o do Lhis, rom your Lasks in OuLlook
200, go Lo Lhe view Lab and, in Lhe Current view group, click view Settings. ln
OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, click Lhe Customize Current view link (in Lhe navi-
gaLion pane on Lhe leL).
2. ln Lhe open dialog box, click Filter.
3. ln Lhe Filter dialog box, click Lhe Advanced Lab.
4. Click Lhe Field buLLon, and Lhen selecL Lhe Categories opLion in Lhe Frequently-
used Fields lisL.
5. ln Lhe Condition lisL, selecL doesnt contain.
6. 1ype (Block) inLo Lhe value eld (see Figure 4-4).
7. Click Add To List.
8. Also hide any Lasks you have already Laken care o and marked as compleLed (see
Use FilLers Lo Clean Up our views in ChapLer 2).
FIGURE 4-4 Use ilLers Lo hide all Lasks alloLLed or block building.
Mark Tasks That are Due Today and Tomorrow in Color
Perorm Lhe ollowing preparaLions rsL. Dene a new view based on Lhe view you jusL
lLered and call iL CurrenL Week. Arrange iL according Lo prioriLy in descending order
(see ChapLer 2). ln Lhe FilLer dialog box, on Lhe 1asks Lab, lLer or Due. 1his Week by
using Lhe Lwo 1ime lisL elds, and Lhen close Lhe dialog box by clicking OK.
how to color tasks by using automatic color formatting
1. ln Lhe sLill-open dialog box, click Conditional Formatting (OuLlook 200) or click
Automatic Formatting (OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003) Lo cusLomize Lhe view. 1he
CondiLional FormaLLing dialog box opens (see Figure 4-5).
FIGURE 4-5 Deine rules or coloring your Lasks.
BE CAREFUL WITH FILTERS!
1ake a close look aL Lhe lLer condiLions you have specied and make sure you know
exacLly whaL Lhey do when you are using your own cusLom lLers. OLherwise Lhe enLries
you were Lrying Lo view can easily geL losL, and you mighL overlook someLhing.
For example, a lLer CaLegories / DoesnL ConLain / Call consisLenLly hides all Lasks
LhaL have been assigned Lo Lhe Call caLegoryeven i Lhe Lask also belongs Lo oLher
caLegories, Loo. l you wanL Lo plan a phone call LhaL should noL Lake place wiLhin a call
block (or example, because iL Lakes a loL longer or is parLicularly imporLanL and should
Lhereore be handled earlier and preerably ouLside o Lhe block), iL musL noL conLain
Lhis caLegory. lnsLead, LhemaLically assign iL Lo ProjecL C, or example. Or use a dier-
enL name or block building, such as Call (8lock), so LhaL you donL geL conused i you
Lend Lo assign Lhe caLegory Call Lo each call, or i you oLen have calls LhaL Lake place
ouLside Lhe call block.
1hereore, only assign Lasks Lo Lhe block building caLegories LhaL you would like Lo Lake
care o exclusively in Lhe conLexL o block building. 1o avoid conusion during lLering,
jusL give all Lhe corresponding caLegories Lhe sux (8lock) aL Lhe end o Lheir name and
Lhen lLer or Lhis word. 1his meLhod may seem sLrange Lo you in Lhe beginning, buL iL
has cerLain advanLages.
1he parenLheses prevenL you rom uninLenLionally lLering caLegories LhaL happen Lo
conLain Lhe word block, or example ProjecL CiLy 8lock.
1his keyword is less conusing Lhan having Lo waLch ouL or individual caLegory
names or block building (see previous example wiLh Lhe Call caLegory name).
l you seL a negaLive lLer LhaL hides cerLain caLegories, iL becomes relaLively compli-
caLed Lo hide mulLiple caLegories aL Lhe same Lime, such as AcLionLisL and Call8lock.
l you simply lisL Lhem one aLer Lhe oLher in Lhe FilLer dialog box, OuLlook will creaLe
a show all LhaL donL conLain AcLionLisL or donL conLain Call8lock lLerin oLher
words, only hiding Lhe Lasks LhaL belong Lo boLh blocks aL Lhe same Lime. As you can
Lell, iLs geLLing more complicaLed. 1he simplesL way Lo solve Lhis problem is Lo puL
(8lock) inLo Lhe name or each block building caLegory and Lo jusL lLer or doesnL
conLain / (8lock).
2. Click Lhe Add buLLon.
3. 1ype Lhe name o Lhe new rule inLo Lhe Name box, or example, Due tomorrow.
4. Click Lhe Condition buLLon.
5. On Lhe Tasks Lab, in Lhe Lwo Time lisLs, selecL Due.Tomorrow and close Lhe Filter
dialog box by clicking OK.
6. Click Lhe Font buLLon, selecL a color rom Lhe Color lisL (or example, 8lue), and
Lhen close Lhe Font dialog box by clicking OK.
Now you have dened a rule LhaL shows all Lasks LhaL are due Lomorrow in a
blue onL.
7. RepeaL sLeps 2 Lhrough 6 Lo creaLe a new rule named Today in red (Lhe color red
is already reserved or overdue Lasks in Lhe deaulL seLLings) Lo display Lasks LhaL
are due Loday in red as well.
8. Close all open dialog boxes by clicking OK. 1he resulLing view will look similar Lo
Lhe example shown in Figure 4-6.
FIGURE 4-6 Deine a view or your Lasks LhaL colors each enLry auLomaLically according Lo Lhe
rules you speciied, such as overdue Lasks in red and Lasks due Lomorrow in blue.
As you plan your day, Lhis new view helps you decide which imporLanL Lasks (o Lhose
LhaL are due Loday, Lomorrow, or during Lhe coming week) you should plan Lo geL done
Loday, i Lomorrow is a parLicularly packed day, or example. 1his way you can avoid hav-
ing Lhese imporLanL Lasks be posLponed because o less imporLanL Lasks LhaL are due a
day earlier.
For advanced users. l you wanL Lo color your Lasks according Lo criLeria oLher Lhan due
daLe/Lime (or example, according Lo caLegory), you need Lo keep in mind LhaL a Lask can
have only one color assigned Lo iL. Make sure you color your Lasks in such a way LhaL only
one color rule Lakes eecL aL one Lime i Lhere are several caLegories per enLry, and only
mark your Lasks according Lo a single criLerion (such as by due daLe/Lime or by caLegory),
oLherwise iL could happen LhaL one Lask is colored blue according Lo iLs caLegory buL
Lhen changes Lo red because o iLs due daLe, Lhus messing up Lhe sysLem you are Lrying
Lo creaLe.
how to turn off the red color marking for overdue tasks to avoid
such color conficts
1. ln Lhe view settings/customizing the view dialog box, click Lhe Conditional
Formatting buLLon (OuLlook 200) or Automatic Formatting (OuLlook 2007/
OuLlook 2003).
2. ln Lhe Rules For This view lisL box (shown earlier in Figure 4-5), selecL Lhe Over-
due Tasks check box. l you jusL wanL Lo remove Lhe red color or overdue Lasks by
deacLivaLing Lhe rule, simply clear Lhe check box in ronL o Lhis enLry and proceed
Lo sLep 5. OLherwise, conLinue wiLh sLep 3 Lo adjusL Lhe seLLings in deLail.
3. ln Lhe Properties Of The Selected Rule area, click Lhe Font buLLon.
4. ln Lhe dialog box LhaL now opens, selecL Automatic rom Lhe Color lisL. l you
wanL Lo, you could assign anoLher ormaLLing insLead o Lhe color, such as anoLher
onL or size, Lo sLill see which Lasks are overdue.
gain a Better overview by Using
appointment Lists
ou are probably accusLomed Lo looking aL appoinLmenLs in Lhe day, week, or monLh
view. However, OuLlook can also display appoinLmenLs in a Lable view, similar Lo whaL
you are used Lo rom your Lask lisLs. 1his view is pracLical when your main prioriLies are
noL quesLions such as WhaL do l have Lo Lake care o nexL week, Where will l be on
Lhe 20Lh o July, or When in November will l have Lhree days available or a business
Lrip Lo Many o us have goLLen used Lo such quesLions and noL much else when work-
ing wiLh Lhe calendarpurely Lhinking along Lhe lines o Lhe Lime aspecL, which used Lo
be Lhe only way Lo access appoinLmenLs wiLh Lhe good old paper appoinLmenL planners.
l you consisLenLly supply your OuLlook appoinLmenLs wiLh inormaLion abouL caLegories
and Lhe locaLion, as long as iL is ouLside Lhe immediaLe area o your oce or home (see
ChapLer 3), you can arrange, group, and sorL your appoinLmenLs comorLably according
Lo Lhese criLeria.
1he ollowing example shows how Lo creaLe a new view LhaL answers quesLions such as
When will l be in SeaLLle or PorLland nexL Lime by showing appoinLmenLs grouped by
locaLion.
how to create new calendar views as thematically grouped appointment lists
1. From any calendar view in OuLlook 200, go Lo Lhe view Lab and, in Lhe Current
view group, click Change view. ln Lhe menu LhaL now opens, click Manage views.
ln OuLlook 2007, selecL view/Current view/Defne views, and in OuLlook 2003
selecL view/Arrange by/Current view/Defne views. 1he Manage All views
dialog box opens (see Figure 4-7).
FIGURE 4-7 Deine new calendar views o Lhe 1able Lype Lo sorL appoinLmenLs LhemaLically.
2. ln Lhe Manage All views dialog box, you can use an exisLing view as a LemplaLe
or a new view by clicking Copy. l you donL wanL Lo use any exisLing views as
LemplaLes, click New.
3. Cive Lhe new view a name (or example, Locations), keep Lhe deaulL seLLing or
Lhe Type of view as Table, and Lhen click OK.
4. ln Lhe dialog box LhaL opens now, click Lhe Group By buLLon.
5. ln Lhe Group Items By lisL, selecL Location.
6. Close Lhe Group By dialog box by clicking OK.
Gain a Better Overview by Using Appointment Lists Chapter 4 127
7. l necessary, you can now dene lLers or rules or condiLional ormaLLing.
8. Close Lhe dialog box or Lhe Advanced view settings/Customize view by click-
ing OK, and Lhen Lhe dialog box or Managing all views/Custom view Orga-
nizer by clicking Apply view.
ou have now creaLed your calendar view grouped by locaLion (see Figure 4-8).
When you click Lhe small Lriangle (OuLlook 200) or Lhe minus/plus symbol (OuLlook
2007/OuLlook 2003) in ronL o one o Lhe group headings, you can collapse or expand
(hide or show) Lhe enLries o LhaL group. When you righL-click Lhe symbol and Lhen in Lhe
shorLcuL menu selecL Collapse All Croups, you will see only Lhe dierenL locaLions insLead
o Lhe individual enLries, and Lhen you can click Lhe small Lriangle or Lhe plus symbol Lo
view all appoinLmenLs or Lhe currenLly relevanL locaLion.
ln case you are wondering why Lhere are already several enLries or Lhe UniLed SLaLes in
Lhe newly creaLed locaLion view. When you are using Lhe OuLlook uncLion or Lhe au-
LomaLic inserLion o holidays, OuLlook assigns Lhe locaLion rom Lhere. (When you enLer
holidays or oLher counLries, OuLlook will record Lhe corresponding counLry names.)
FIGURE 4-8 CreaLe a new calendar view Lo see quickly when you will be aL which locaLion.
how to help yourself quickly, if you have accidentally entered duplicate
holidays and now want to get rid of them
1. lL is saer Lo group by caLegory Lhan by locaLion (in case you have assigned United
States Lo oLher appoinLmenLs by yoursel). ou will nd insLrucLions on grouping
in ChapLer 3.
2. SelecL Lhe rsL enLry o Lhe Holiday caLegory.
3. Hold down Lhe ShiL key and click Lhe lasL enLry o Lhe Holiday caLegory Lo selecL
all enLries. (ou could also jusL righL-click Lhe heading/name o LhaL caLegory and
choose DeleLe rom Lhe shorLcuL menu, buL Lhis can go wrong quickly i you move
Lhe mouse a liLLle and deleLe all Lhe enLries o anoLher caLegory by accidenL. lLs
saer Lo selecL everyLhing you wanL Lo deleLe rsL so you can double-check your
selecLion.)
4. Press DeleLe Lo clear all enLered holidays aL once.
l required, you can now solve complex quesLions as well, by combining Lhe possibiliLies
jusL shown. For example, you can creaLe a colored view LhaL only shows appoinLmenLs
belonging Lo your ve mosL imporLanL projecLs or Lhe nexL Lwo quarLers, grouped by
projecL, arranged by daLe and locaLion (conerences, Lrade shows, presenLaLions, clienL
visiLs, and more) so LhaL SeaLLle is displayed in green, Los Angeles in orange, Denver in
blue, Miami in yellow, and New ork in red. (FilLering and auLomaLic coloring via Lhe
auLomaLic ormaLLing o Lhe lisL view works similarly or appoinLmenLs as or Lask lisLs.)
ALer you geL used Lo Lhis approach o using Lhemes (caLegories) or locaLions, such ap-
poinLmenL views become exLremely useul. JusL go ahead and creaLe a view grouped by
caLegory (make sure Lo assign Lhe caLegories consisLenLly Lo Lhe appoinLmenLs, which
can be done quickly by choosing rom your caLegory lisL wiLh Lwo clicks, see ChapLer 3).
Looking aL your view grouped by caLegory, you may nd ouL in reLrospecL LhaL as Ac-
counL Manager you had 22 inLernal meeLings, buL only 4 clienL appoinLmenLs.
1o geL back Lo your cusLomary calendar view, in OuLlook 200 go Lo Lhe view Lab and
click Change view in Lhe CurrenL view group. ln Lhe menu LhaL opens, click Calendar and
Lhen, in Lhe ArrangemenL group on Lhe view Lab, click Week. ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook
2003, click Day/Week/MonLh in Lhe navigaLion pane i you have your lisL o views dis-
played Lhere, oLherwise selecL Day/Week/MonLh via Lhe view/CurrenL view menu com-
mand (OuLlook 2007) or view/Arrange by/CurrenL view (OuLlook 2003).
Gain a Better Overview by Using Appointment Lists Chapter 4 129
Fine-Tune Your Daily Planning
ou have planned your week (see ChapLer 3), added Lhe ProducLiviLy Hours, creaLed caL-
egories or block building, and assigned Lhose caLegories Lo Lhe corresponding Lasks. ou
have creaLed dierenL views or your daily planning in OuLlook, and maybe youve even
been keeping a Lime proLocol or Lhe pasL ew days. Read on Lo nd ouL Lhe nal sLeps
or successul daily planning.
Plan Pending Tasks with the 25,000 $ Method
ou enLered Lhose appoinLmenLs wiLh a xed daLe and Lime as soon as you made Lhem.
ou also enLered your ProducLiviLy Hours, as well as an appoinLmenL wiLh yoursel or a
8-1ask according Lo Lhe Kiesel principle (see ChapLer 3) inLo your daily calendar. WhaLev-
er is leL Lo do belongs in your Lask lisL. ln Lhe nexL sLep, you musL decide which o Lhese
Lasks you wanL Lo do when. 1he 25,000 S meLhod (see ChapLer 2) helps you Lo ocus on
whaLs essenLial during your workday.
how to fne-tune the 25,000 $ view (created in Chapter 2) for your daily
planning
1. NavigaLe Lo your Lasks. ln OuLlook 200, go Lo Lhe view Lab and click Change
view in Lhe Current view group, and in Lhe menu LhaL now opens, click 25,000
S. l you are working in OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, simply click Lhe lisL o avail-
able views in Lhe navigaLion pane on Lhe leL Lo geL Lo Lhe 25,000 S view dened in
ChapLer 2.
2. ln OuLlook 200, on Lhe view Lab, click view Settings in Lhe Current view group.
ln OuLlook 2007, go Lo Lhe view menu and selecL Current view/Customize Cur-
rent view.
ln OuLlook 2003, use Lhe view/Arrange By/Current view/Customize Current
view menu.
ln OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, you can also go Lo Lhe navigaLion pane on Lhe leL
and simply click Lhe Customize Current view link.
3. SeL a lLer LhaL hides Lhe Lasks you have already nished. Hide Lhe AcLionLisL as
well as, or example, any Lasks inLended or Lhe call block (see Hide Lhe 1asks
lnLended or 8lock 8uilding in Lhe Week/Day views, earlier in Lhis chapLer).
4. SeL a lLer LhaL only shows Lhe Lasks LhaL are due Loday or overdue rom Lhe lasL
ew days. Co Lo Lhe Filter dialog box, and on Lhe Tasks Lab selecL Lhe Due.in the
last 7 days opLions in Lhe Lwo Time lisLs (see Figure 4-9).
FIGURE 4-9 ln Lhe new view, only show all uninished Lasks rom Lhe pasL seven days, including
Loday.
TIP lLs besL noL Lo seL Lhe lLer Lo Lhe due daLe o 1oday, buL insLead Lo ln
1he LasL 7 days. 1his way you can see all Lhose Lasks LhaL you werenL able
Lo geL done in Lhe previous days LogeLher wiLh Lhose due Loday. When
someLhing didn'L geL done or almosL a week, you can Lry Lo deLermine a
more realisLic due daLe or decide Lo give up on iL alLogeLher when plan-
ning your nexL week. 1his way you wonL lose Lrack o Lasks you donL geL
around Lo nishing or a ew days.
how to plan your day (with the new view) according to the 25,000 $ method
1. SwiLch Lo Lhe newly dened 25,000 S day view, so LhaL Lhe Lasks o Lhe lasL ew
days LhaL are overdue and Lhe Lasks LhaL are due Loday buL are unnished are
displayed.
2. Co Lhrough Lhe lisL and deleLe Lhe Lasks LhaL are no longer necessary. 1he more
you deleLe, Lhe more Lime you will have or Lhe remaining Lasks.
3. SwiLch Lo Lhe view o Lasks due Lhis week (which you dened earlier in Lhis chapLer
in Mark 1asks 1haL Are Due 1oday and 1omorrow in Color). 8riey look Lhrough
Lhe mosL imporLanL Lasks and Lhose due Lomorrow. Maybe Lomorrow is a par-
Licularly ull day, and Loday is relaLively quieL. Or is Lhere an imporLanL Lask LhaL
youd raLher geL done Loday Click Lhe corresponding due daLe and enLer today.
(Override Lhe exisLing LexL wiLh Lhe LexL today. Or click Lhe arrow LhaL appears
Fine-Tune Your Daily Planning Chapter 4 131
nexL Lo Lhe due daLe aLer you click iL, and selecL Loday in Lhe daLe navigaLor. 1his
may sound complicaLed, buL aLer you have done iL a ew Limes, iL will go quickly
and easily.)
4. When youre done, swiLch back Lo Lhe 25,000 S view.
5. LisL any addiLional Lasks you may have come up wiLh Loday buL havenL yeL en-
Lered. (ldeally Lhere shouldnL be any, because youve been enLering each Lask as
soon as you LhoughL o iL.) When someLhing Lakes a very long Lime30 hours, or
exampledivide iL inLo smaller uniLs o one Lo Lwo hours, and Lhink abouL which
o Lhose uniLs you can geL done Loday.
6. Now number Lhe Lasks according Lo imporLance, as shown in Figure 4-0 (see
Fine-1une our PrioriLies wiLh Lhe 25,000 S MeLhod in ChapLer 2).
FIGURE 4-10 Use Lhe new 25,000 S view Lo deLermine which Lask is due nexL.
l your day doesnL sLarL wiLh a xed appoinLmenL or a Lime wiLh a high disrupLion curve
and a low perormance curve, display Lhe 25,000 S view and Lake care o Lask number
rsL.
8uL beorehand, make sure LhaL you have Lime or Lhis Lask. l you geL Lo your oce hal
an hour beore an imporLanL meeLing, buL Lask number Lakes one and a hal hours and
requires you Lo ully ocus, or i Lhis Lask canL be inLerrupLed or is very diculL Lo geL
back inLo aLer an inLerrupLion, you'd beLLer sLarL wiLh a Lask urLher back in Lhe lisL LhaL
Ls more easily inLo Lhe Lime available.
DonL do anyLhing else unLil Lhis Lask is nished. Only look aL your email aL Limes you
scheduled or your email block. When you have nished Lhis Lask, briey check wheLher
someLhing has changed and your prioriLies need Lo be adjusLed. (For example, see
wheLher a new A-1ask has Lurned up, Lhe imporLance o a Lask has suddenly increased
or decreased dramaLically, or a Lask has suddenly become compleLely unimporLanL, has
been Laken care o by somebody else, can waiL a week, or you wonL be able Lo sLarL iL
unLil a week rom now, because a crucial reporL has noL arrived yeL.) 1hen conLinue wiLh
Lhe nexL Lask in order o imporLance.
Whenever Lhere is no pending appoinLmenL (or email block) in your calendar, work on
Lhe nexL Lask in Lhe lisL in order o imporLance, as long as Lhere is enough Lime. l only
a ew minuLes are leL, and LhaLs noL enough Lime Lo nish a Lask, Lake care o a Lask
rom your AcLionLisL. During Limes wiLh a loL o unavoidable inLerrupLions, ocus on an
email block, your AcLionLisL, or less imporLanL Lasks LhaL are noL seriously impacLed by
inLerrupLions.
As a lasL resorL, use your ProducLiviLy Hours Lo Lake care o Lask number or assign iL
Lo your ProducLiviLy Hours on purpose righL away, i you need Lo be able Lo concenLraLe
exLremely well, would have a hard Lime geLLing ahead oLherwise, or Lhe qualiLy would be
greaLly compromised i you did noL devoLe your ProducLiviLy Hours Lo iL.
More Steps for Successful Daily Planning
Now you are prepared Lo compleLe your daily planning and give iL a nal polish. ln Lhe
beginning iL mighL all seem a liLLle complicaLed and like a loL o work, buL soon iL will
come easy Lo you. ALer you undersLand Lhe principles, you will need abouL 5 Lo 20
minuLes or planning in Lhe beginning. ALer abouL Lhree weeks o consisLenL implemen-
LaLion, Lhe procedure will become a habiL. lL will become much easier or you, you will be
able Lo esLimaLe much more precisely, and you will only need ve Lo eighL minuLes per
day or preparaLion.
how to estimate the duration of pending activities
1his is where Lime proLocols come in handy, and Lhen pracLice, pracLice, pracLice. ln
Lime your esLimaLions will become more and more precise. OuLlook can help you, or
example, in adjusLing Lhe 25,000 S view.
how to adjust the 25,000 $ view in outlook
1. SwiLch Lo Lhe 25,000 S view you cusLomized in Lhe previous secLion.
2. RighL-click any column header and selecL Field Chooser rom Lhe shorLcuL menu.
3. Drag Lhe Total Work eld rom Lhe Field Chooser window up Lo Lhe column
header row and drop iL nexL Lo anoLher header, such as Subject.
4. Close Lhe Field Chooser by clicking Lhe close buLLon (x) in Lhe upper-righL corner.
5. Now you can already enLer an esLimaLed duraLion or all o Lodays Lasks inLo Lhe
Total Work eld. Fven i Lhe eld is pre-allocaLed wiLh 0 hours, you can jusL over-
ride Lhis value wiLh, or example, 0 minuLes. l necessary, you can add Lhe Actual
Work eld, inLo which you can enLer Lhe Lime iL acLually Look aLer Lhe Lask has
More Steps for Successful Daily Planning Chapter 4 133
been compleLed, as shown in Figure 4-. (When a Lask is opened in Lhe corre-
sponding Lask orm, boLh o Lhese elds can be ound in Lhe Details secLion.)
FIGURE 4-11 lnserL addiLional ields or more deLailed planning, Lo esLimaLe Lhe duraLion or
Lhe Lask beorehand, and Lo keep Lrack o Lhe acLual duraLion aLerward. 1his helps conLrol and
esLimaLe your Lime.
Make Further appointments with Yourself
l you usually have Lo deal wiLh disrupLions aL cerLain Limes o Lhe day, plan appoinLmenLs
wiLh yoursel or your mosL imporLanL Lasks during Limes wiLh a low disrupLion raLio aL
Lhe sLarL o your work day (see Weekly Planning in ChapLer 3). Also, i you can only Lake
care o a cerLain Lask aL a cerLain Lime or in a cerLain Lime window (or insLance, you need
Lo solve a complicaLed issue over Lhe phone wiLh a colleague who is locaLed in a dierenL
Lime zone), creaLe an appoinLmenL wiLh yoursel during your daily planning process.
Keep an Eye on Buffer Times
ln real lie, even a well-LhoughL-ouL plan will never be execuLed exacLly as planned
someLhing will always come up, or Lake longer, or Lurn ouL dierenLly Lhan expecLed.
A good plan caLches Lhis wiLh buer Limes. 1hereore, use Lhe 60.40 rule Lo plan. For
example, i you have a 0-hour work day, ll only 6 hours o iL (60 percenL) wiLh appoinL-
menLs and Lasks LhaL have Lo be done LhaL day (you can include some more LhaL would
be nice Lo nish Loday, buL are sLill ne i you don'L geL Lhem done unLil Lomorrow or Lhe
day aLer Lomorrow). l everyLhing runs smooLhly, Lake care o Lhe oLher Lasks rom your
25,000 S view during Lhe remaining Lime. l someLhing Lakes longer, or an unexpecLed
issue pops up LhaL you musL Lake care o immediaLely, you sLill have enough buer Lime
Lo meeL your xed appoinLmenLs and Lake care o Lhe Lasks you assigned as appoinLmenLs
Lo yoursel. ou should use Lhis rule or your enLire day, including Lravel Limes and privaLe
plans. or example, plan 9 hours and leave 6 open, i you have 5 hours beLween nish-
ing breakasL and geLLing ready or bed. 1his way you avoid having a conversaLion aLer
hourswhich Look a biL longer Lhan expecLed, combined wiLh a Lrac jam during rush
hourmess up Lhe evening aL Lhe movies you had planned wiLh your son.
SLarL wiLh Lhe 60.40 ruleplan ouL no more Lhan 60 percenL o Lhe available Lime. 1ry Lo
sLick wiLh iL or Lhree weeks. 1his kind o planning will soon become a habiL and simple
rouLine. ALer Lhree weeks, slowly work up or down Lo Lhe value LhaL Ls your work envi-
ronmenL Lhe besL. For some people iL works beLLer Lo plan 70 percenL o Lheir Lime, or
oLhers, 50 percenL planned and 50 percenL buer make Lhe mosL sense.
Use the To-Do Bar to Keep Upcoming appointments and
Tasks in View
AlLhough in Lhe OuLlook versions beore OuLlook 2007 you were able Lo display
your Lasks nexL Lo Lhe calendar by using Lhe 1askPad, Lhe new 1o-Do bar in OuLlook
200/OuLlook 2007 now helps you Lo always keep an eye on Lhe upcoming appoinLmenLs
and LaskswheLher you are working in a compleLely dierenL week in Lhe calendar and
wanL Lo show upcoming appoinLmenLs (in addiLion Lo all Lasks LhaL are due Loday), have
lLered or and are only viewing Lasks or a cerLain projecL, Lhe Lrade show preparaLion,
or nexL week (see ChapLer 2) buL sLill wanL Lo see which Lasks are due Loday and which
appoinLmenL is nexL, or even i you jusL wanL Lo always keep an overview o Lhe 1o-Do
LisL and your upcoming appoinLmenLs while displaying your email messages, conLacLs, or
noLes in OuLlook.
More Steps for Successful Daily Planning Chapter 4 135
ln OuLlook 200, you can swiLch on Lhe 1o-Do bar rom Lhe view Lab, by clicking 1o-Do
8ar/Normal in Lhe LayouL group. ln OuLlook 2007, you do Lhis by clicking view/1o-Do
8ar/Normal (or wiLh Lhe appropriaLe commands or O/Minimized). l Lhe bar is seL Lo
Normal or Minimized, jusL expand or collapse iL by using Lhe liLLle Lriangle (OuLlook 200)
or Lhe double arrow (OuLlook 2007) aL Lhe Lop o Lhe bar. 1he minimized bar will sLill
show you Lhe number o Lasks due Loday, as well as Lhe day o Lhe week, Lhe sLarL Lime,
and Lhe beginning o Lhe subjecL o Lhe nexL appoinLmenL. 8y pressing AlL-F2, you can
Loggle beLween Lhe O, Minimized, and Normal sLaLes.
WhaL Lo do i some o Lhe inormaLion you wanL doesn'L L on Lhe screen l Lhe rsL parL
o Lhe Lasks subjecL is noL enough Lo remind you whaL exacLly iL is abouL, poinL Lo Lhe
respecLive Lask. ALer a momenL, OuLlook will display a kind o sLicky noLe wiLh Lhe en-
Lire subjecL o Lhe Lask or a ew seconds. 1he scroll bar Lo Lhe righL o Lhe displayed Lasks
leLs you know wheLher Lhere are urLher Lasks below Lhe displayed Lask. l Lhe scroll bar is
displayed, Lhere are more Lasks LhaL donL L on Lhe screen.
1he displayed Lasks correspond Lo Lhe 1o-Do LisL (see ChapLer 2). ou Lhereore also see
email messages agged as Lasks (see ChapLer ). Double-click Lo open Lhe displayed
Lasks and appoinLmenLs direcLly or ediLing. RighL-clicking opens Lhe shorLcuL menu o
Lhe iLem (or example, Lo creaLe caLegories).
When you righL-click Lhe red ag LhaL represenLs a Lasks due daLe, you can seL Lhe due
daLe in Lhe shorLcuL menu Lo 1oday, 1omorrow, 1his Week, or NexL Week, or you can
speciy a desired daLe by using CusLom. 1asks LhaL are overdue or due Loday receive a
red ag. So are Lhe Lasks wiLhouL any due daLeas a reminder LhaL you urgenLly need
Lo assign one. 1asks due Lomorrow receive a lighLer colored ag, Lhose or nexL week an
even lighLer one, and so on. Clicking Lhe red ag marks Lhe Lask as compleLed.
how to Customize the To-Do Bar
1o adjusL Lhe bar widLh, click Lhe leL border and drag iL.
RighL-click Lhe Lop border o Lhe bar (direcLly above Lhe displayed appoinLmenLs) and
selecL OpLions in Lhe shorLcuL menu. ou can now selecL Lhe number o monLhs youd like
Lo display below one anoLher in Lhe daLe navigaLor as well as hide or show Lhe individual
panes o Lhe bar by using Lhe check box (see Figure 4-2).
1o lLer or group Lhe Lasks shown in Lhe bar individually, righL-click direcLly above Lhe
Lasks on 1ype A New 1ask, and choose view SeLLings (OuLlook 200) or CusLomize Cur-
renL view (OuLlook 2007) in Lhe shorLcuL menu. AlLernaLively, you can click Lhe column
headers above Lhe displayed Lasks (or example, Arrange 8y. Due DaLe), and selecL view
SeLLings rom Lhe shorLcuL menu (OuLlook 200) or CusLom (OuLlook 2007). Crouping
and lLering was covered earlier in ChapLer 2.
FIGURE 4-12 CusLomize Lhe Lask lisL, or example, Lo display Lhe nexL Lwo monLhs in Lhe daLe navigaLor, or
Lo show Lhe upcoming appoinLmenLs and hide Lhe daLe navigaLor Lo have more space or Lhe Lasks.
You Try it
1. 1hink abouL whaL gives you Lhe mosL problems when planning your day. ln Lhe
nexL sLep, nd ouL whaL Lhe reason is (or insLance, l never manage Lo nish a
single Lask, Reason. lve Laken on Loo much aL a Lime, which is why l oLen swiLch
beLween Lasks, l also allow Loo many inLerrupLions).
2. For which o your Lasks does block building make sense SeL up appropriaLe caL-
egories in your main caLegory lisL or all blocks, which will mosL likely conLain more
Lhan 0 Lasks per week.
3. Draw your perormance curve and your disrupLion curve. When is Lhe opLimal Lime
span or a ProducLiviLy Hour From whaL day onward will you seL iL up on a daily
basis, and how will you leL your colleagues know (Or whaL do you Lhink prevenLs
you rom doing so, and how could you change LhaL)
4. CreaLe a view or all unnished Lasks LhaL are due Lhis week, i you havenL done
so in ChapLer 2. 1hen hide Lhe AcLionLisL and Lhe Lasks belonging Lo Lhe oLher
caLegories o block building or Lhis view.
5. ln Lhis view, arrange Lhe Lasks according Lo imporLance, mark Lasks due Loday in
red, and mark Lasks due Lomorrow in blue.
6. Fine-Lune your view or Lhe 25,000 S daily prioriLies (rom ChapLer 2) as in sLep 4
(hide block building, insLead o Lhe whole week, show only Lasks due Loday and
overdue Lasks). 1hen use iL Lo plan Lomorrow according Lo Lhe sLeps described in
Fine-1une our PrioriLies wiLh Lhe 25,000 S MeLhod earlier in Lhis chapLer.
7. CreaLe a (calendar) view LhaL displays all appoinLmenLs in a lisL grouped by loca-
Lion and sorLed by daLe.
139
CHAPTER 5
IF YOU requenLly need Lo plan meeLings wiLh colleagues whose sched-
ules are very ull and who are hard Lo reach, Lhe Scheduling AssisLanL in
MicrosoL OuLlook can be a big help. However, i you are Loo rash, OuLlook
meeLing requesLs can become a curse raLher Lhan a blessing. 1his chapLer
gives you Lips on how Lo quickly and eecLively prepare meeLings wiLh
OuLlook and MicrosoL SharePoinL, and exchange daLa and documenLs
or review as a LeamLo save you and your colleagues precious Lime
and achieve beLLer resulLs.
How much Lime and money do you wasLe in unnecessary, badly
prepared, or ill-sLrucLured meeLings JusL add up hourly raLes and
loss o producLiviLy or Lime spenL geLLing very liLLle done. Do you
requenLly look or inormaLion, buL canL reach Lhe colleague who
could supply iL, which means LhaL you have Lo waiL hours or unLil
Lhe nexL day
how to Schedule
Meetings So They
are Convenient,
Effective, and Fun
a Total Chaos Squad!
Send meeting requests with
Outlook.
Use the calendar overlay.
Optimize your calendar.
Prepare meetings more
effectively.
140 Chapter 5 How to Schedule Meetings So They Are Convenient, Effective, and Fun
ROBIN AND THE FANTASTIC FIvE
1oday Robin Wood made iL Lo Lhe meeLing room righL on Lime aL 9.00 A.M. Hes LoLally
ouL o breaLh and hasnL had any breakasL, buL LhaLs okay, because his assisLanL Me-
lissa always makes sure Lheres resh coee and LasLy cookies. FxcepL or Melissa, Robin,
and Robins manager Charlie, nobody else has arrived yeL. So he has some Lime Lo eaL
someLhing and caLch his breaLh. Charlie leaves aL 9.04 Lo Lake care o some Lhings be-
ore Lhe oLhers will arrive. AL 9.08 JusLin shows up. AL 9.7 8oris Scholl rom Lhe board
o direcLors arrives. AL 9.2 Charlie reLurns and Lhe meeLing sLarLsbuL wiLhouL Robins
colleague, Holly, who arrives aL 9.30 sharp, looking raLher puzzled. Shes almosL always
on Lime, buL Lhis meeLing had been moved so many Limes LhaL she had orgoLLen Lo
noLe Lhe laLesL change rom 9.30 Lo 9.00 in her calendar.
ALer a biL o back and orLh, everyone nally agrees Lo an agenda. All parLicipanLs skim
Lhrough Lhe documenLs Lhey need Lo read as a basis or discussion or Lhis meeLing.
1hen JusLin reads a ew quesLions and Lheir possible answers, so all delegaLes can raise
Lheir hands or Lheir avoriLe opLion. 8eore counLing Lhe voLes or each quesLion, each
person geLs Lwo minuLes Lo Lhink abouL which opLion he or she will voLe or. 1he meeL-
ing nally really geLs going aL 0.2 , buL aL 0.30 8oris Scholl needs Lo leave or his
nexL appoinLmenL, and aL 0.50 Robin needs Lo run Lo caLch his ighL, even Lhough noL
all agenda iLems have been addressed.
1wo hours laLer, Robin has landed puncLually. He is happy Lo realize LhaL aLer lunch
he sLill has 45 minuLes leL beore his appoinLmenL, and Lhe 3C neLwork coverage is
greaL. 1his gives him a chance Lo Lake care o a ew email messages and phone calls. His
colleague, Holly, had senL him an email message beore Lhe meeLing, wiLh an urgenL
requesL or him Lo call one o her cusLomersunorLunaLely, she didnL include Lhe
phone number. 1he cusLomer ino is noL saved in Robins conLacLs, so he quickly calls
Holly. However, she is in Lhe middle o a presenLaLion and wonL be available unLil Robin
is siLLing in his own cusLomer meeLing, which will lasL unLil evening.
The Problem: way Too Many inconvenient
Meeting requests and insuffcient Preparation
Some o Lhe mosL common problems in Lhis area o cooperaLion have Lhe ollowing
causes.
1oo many meeLings LhaL Lake Loo long and leave Loo liLLle Lime or oLher Lhings.
MeeLing requesLs LhaL are scheduled aL very inconvenienL Limes because Lhey are
squeezed in Loo laLe, when all oLher Limes are already Laken or Lhe nexL ew days.
lL Lakes a loL o back and orLh unLil you nally come up wiLh a meeLing daLe and
Lime LhaL works or everybody. Some people donL keep Lheir calendar up Lo daLe,
and oLhers jusL puL in a ake appoinLmenL rom 5.00 A.M. unLil .00 P.M. each
day Lo block Lheir calendar or any requesLs (buL because Lhey have Lo be aL some
o Lhe meeLings, Lhey end up receiving requesLs or Lhe mosL inappropriaLe Limes
possible).
Unclear meeLing goals, or very dierenL meeLing expecLaLions.
No preparaLion or inadequaLe preparaLion, and loLs o aimless chaLLer wiLhouL a
Lime limiL.
1oo many parLicipanLs, some o whom Lhe Lopic doesn'L concern and who Lhere-
ore have noLhing Lo conLribuLe and only wasLe Lheir Lime by being Lhere.
Missing, obsoleLe, overly comprehensive, or unread documenLs.
No access Lo daLa required by everyone in Lhe Leam, such as Lhe conLacLs main-
Lained by anoLher colleague.
1o meeL Lhese challenges successully, you mighL nd Lhe ollowing sLraLegies helpul.
Use Lhe shared calendars o your colleagues Lo look or convenienL Limes, and Lhus
auLomaLe as much o Lhe meeLing planning as possible.
OpLimize your own calendar Lo help colleagues when Lhey are Lrying Lo seL up
meeLings and Lo receive more reasonable meeLing requesLs yoursel.
Plan meeLings more consciouslyas ew meeLings as possible wiLh as ew parLici-
panLs as possible.
SeL up more ecienL, more eecLive, and shorLer meeLings by preparing Lhem well.
Provide an agenda, conLacL daLa, preparaLion maLerials, and oLher inormaLion
beorehand aL a cenLral locaLion.
SeL up a sysLem Lo conLrol whaL is under review or being ediLed, Lo avoid having
several people change Lhe same documenL simulLaneously.
Technical requirements for Using This Chapter
OuLlook can be insLalled in single-user mode wiLh a local daLa le, or your daLa can be
sLored on a MicrosoL Fxchange server. Using an Fxchange server has several advanLages,
such as access Lo shared calendars rom colleagues and insLanL wireless synchronizaLion
wiLh your smarLphone even when your compuLer is Lurned o. Some o Lhe uncLions
described in Lhis chapLer are available only i you use an Fxchange server. Fven i you are
a reelancer working rom a home oce on your own, you can renL an Fxchange mailbox
and user accounL rom various service providers or a monLhly ee. l you laLer choose Lo
hire a virLual assisLanL or a ew hours each day, you can jusL book a second accounL wiLh
your provider or a small addiLional ee so LhaL your assisLanL can manage your inbox or
you and will always know when youll be available or clienL meeLings and conerence
calls. l you have a small business wiLh ewer Lhan 0 people who need Lo share Lheir cal-
endar and oLher daLa wiLh each oLher, in mosL cases iLll also be cheaper and easier Lo use
a hosLed Fxchange soluLion rom a Lhird parLy insLead o seLLing up your own Fxchange
server in your oce.
Meeting requests with outlookBasic rules
and Tips
On Lhe nexL ew pages, you will rsL learn some o Lhe basics or planning meeLings in
OuLlook. 1hen you will nd ouL how Lo opLimize your calendar Lo make iL easier or your
colleagues Lo propose meeLings aL convenienL Limes and aL Lhe same Lime leave enough
ree space or your own planning.
Find Free Times and Evaluate replies
1here are many advanLages Lo planning meeLings wiLh OuLlook.
ou can direcLly access Lhe shared calendars o oLhers and see when everyone
has Lime, so Lhe chance o picking Lhe wrong Lime or an appoinLmenL decreases
signicanLly.
MicrosoL OuLlook 200 supporLs using mulLiple Fxchange accounLs wiLh one
OuLlook clienL prole. l your companys securiLy guidelines permiL, you can use
mailboxes rom dierenL companies aL Lhe same Lime (or example, i you are a cor-
poraLe consulLanL who spends a loL o Lime aL Lhe cusLomers oce, you can use Lhe
mailbox o your own company as well as your mailbox on your cusLomers server).
ou can now easily display Lhe calendars o colleagues and clienLs alongside your
own or below each oLher and Lhereore avoid creaLing appoinLmenL chaos.
All parLicipanLs auLomaLically receive an inviLaLion LhaL already conLains buLLons
or accepLing or declining Lhe appoinLmenL and or suggesLing an alLernaLive Lime.
From Lhis email inviLaLion, Lhe parLicipanLs can access Lheir own calendars Lo see
whaL Lhey have going on beore and aLer.
l Lhe parLicipanLs accepL Lhe inviLaLion, Lhe appoinLmenL is auLomaLically added Lo
Lheir calendar.
As a meeLing organizer, you can have OuLlook evaluaLe Lhe replies auLomaLically
and see who has replied already and howdirecLly rom your calendar by jusL
double-clicking Lhe appoinLmenL.
OuLlook now moniLors Lhe appoinLmenL or you (Lhe organizer) and, i you wanL,
sends an updaLe Lo all parLicipanLs i changes are made.
IMPORTANT All Lhese advanLages (wiLh Lhe excepLion o access Lo Lhe calendars
o oLhers Lo look or ree Limes) are available Lo you even wiLhouL an
Fxchange server. ou can send meeLing requesLs Lo exLernal conLacLs
or asL answers, receive auLomaLed calendar enLries when you accepL a
meeLing, and manage Lhe repliesor example, or a conerence call you
jusL seL up wiLh a cusLomer.
Meeting Requests with OutlookBasic Rules and Tips Chapter 5 143
Fverybody in Lhe Leam musL know Lhe basic uncLions. SLarL wiLh aL leasL a shorL
inLroducLion by an experienced colleague or, even beLLer, wiLh a Lraining course or
seminar or planning as a Leam and how Lo use OuLlook. Make sure LhaL new col-
leagues also geL a shorL inLroducLion.
Fverybody musL sLarL using Lhe uncLions aL Lhe same Lime (buL Lhis can be limiLed
Lo individual groups wiLhin Lhe Leam who use group planning among Lhemselves).
HOW TO MAKE THIS ALL WORK
l you inLroduce OuLlook meeLing planning Lo your Leam and seL up delegaLe access,
access Lo olders o colleagues, and Lhe use o shared daLa via SharePoinL or public
olders wiLh OuLlook, Lhere are our basic requiremenLs. Make sure Lhey are meL so LhaL
everyLhing runs smooLhly.
Someone needs Lo Lake care o Lhe Lechnical mainLenance o Lhe Fxchange server,
granL access righLs, and supporL users who encounLer Lechnical problems. 1his
needs Lo be done by your l1 deparLmenL or a Lhird-parLy specialisL i you are a small
business.
Fverybody in Lhe Leam musL really use and consLanLly updaLe his or her OuLlook
calendar. Planning as a Leam loses iLs value, ails, or leads Lo a huge amounL o prob-
lems i 4 o 0 colleagues enLer none or only hal o Lheir appoinLmenLs and noLe
updaLes only weeks laLer.
We recommend LhaL you agree on a LransiLion Lime, such as a seminar ollowed by an
OuLlook-only due daLe Lhree weeks laLer (aL Lhe laLesL). From LhaL daLe on, everyone
has Lo enLer all o his or her exLernal appoinLmenLs during business hours in his or her
OuLlook calendar. lLs besL Lo also seL a ew basic rules (or example, key Limes, such as
seLLing up meeLings only beLween 9.00 A.M. and .30 A.M. i possible, resLricLing Lhe
maximum duraLion Lo Lwo hours per meeLing, and similar rules).
how to create a meeting request
1. Press CLrl-ShiL- or creaLe a normal appoinLmenL and click Lhe Invite Attendees
buLLon on Lhe associaLed Appointment orm.
2. ln Lhe To eld ( jusL like wiLh an email message), Lype Lhe names o Lhe aLLendees
you wanL or click Lhe To buLLon Lo selecL your recipienLs rom Lhe Address 8ook.
AlLernaLively, you can swiLch rom Lhe open AppoinLmenL orm Lo Lhe Scheduling
Assistant (in OuLlook 200/MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2007 by clicking Sched-
uling Assistant/Scheduling in Lhe Show group on Lhe Appointment Lab, in
MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2003, by jusL clicking Lhe Scheduling Lab). When you
are Lhere, click Add Attendees/Add Others Lo open Lhe Address 8ook.
3. Add all o Lhe parLicipanLs rom Lhe Address 8ook by clicking Lhe name and Lhen
Required, Optional, or Resources.
NOTE Required means LhaL Lhis parLicipanL really needs Lo be Lhere. Op-
tional means LhaL Lhis meeLing is possible wiLhouL Lhis person aL-
Lending, so she can spend her Lime in beLLer ways, buL i she wanLs
Lo aLLend anyway she is welcome. Resources means LhaL you are
adding, or example, Lhe calendar or a meeLing room, a company
car, or a specic device, such as a digiLal projecLor.
ln Lhe Scheduling AssisLanL (see Figure 5-), you will now see Lhe Limes LhaL are sLill
available in Lhe calendars o Lhe oLher aLLendees (assuming you have Lhe appropri-
aLe access righLs). A dark grey bar in Lhe All ALLendees row means LhaL nobody else
has enLered a conicLing appoinLmenL. 1he lighL grey background beLween Lhe
green and red verLical lines shows Lhe Lime currenLly seL or your new meeLing. (ou
can nd more inormaLion abouL Lhe colored bars and how Lhey are used laLer in
Lhis chapLer, in 1ake AdvanLage o Lhe Show As Field Lo Flag our AppoinLmenLs.)
4. ln Lhe schedule, click any Lime Lo selecL a dierenL Lime, move Lhe selecLed area by
dragging Lhe green/red verLical line marking Lhe currenL beginning/ending Lime,
or click Lhe AutoPick Next>> buLLon so LhaL OuLlook can nd Lhe nexL ree Lime
sloL or all parLicipanLs (or use Lhe small << buLLon Lo Lhe leL o AutoPick Next>>
Lo selecL Lhe nexL ree Lime sloL beore Lhe currenLly selecLed Lime). ou can also
speciy a daLe and Lime by direcLly enLering values inLo Lhe Start time and End
time elds (labeled Meeting start time and Meeting end time in OuLlook 2003).
FIGURE 5-1 When selecLing a Lime LhaL works or everybody, make sure Lo leave a biL o Lime
beore and aLer oLher appoinLmenLs, i possible.
5. l necessary, swiLch back Lo Lhe AppoinLmenL view (in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007,
by clicking Lhe Appointment buLLon in Lhe Show group on Lhe Appointment Lab
(which is relabeled as Meeting aLer you have added aLLendees), in OuLlook 2003,
by jusL clicking Lhe Appointment Lab) Lo inserL Lhe subjecL line, a greeLing in Lhe
noLe eld, and any oLher inormaLion you wanL Lo send along wiLh Lhe meeLing
requesL. 8y clicking Lhe Attach File buLLon in Lhe Include group on Lhe Insert Lab
(OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007) or File on Lhe Insert menu (OuLlook 2003), you can
aLLach documenLs LhaL need Lo be ediLed or read beore Lhe meeLing sLarLs, an
agenda, direcLions Lo a locaLion, and so on, which OuLlook will send as an aLLach-
menL Lo Lhe inviLaLion.
6. ALer you have enLered everyLhing, send Lhe meeLing requesL Lo Lhe desired par-
LicipanLs by clicking Lhe Send buLLon (locaLed on Lhe leL side nexL Lo Lhe subjecL
line in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007 and jusL below Lhe File menu in OuLlook 2003).
7. Close Lhe Meeting Request orm by clicking Lhe close buLLon (Lhe small x in Lhe
upper-righL corner) or by choosing Close rom Lhe File menu. ou can also use
AlL-F4 Lo close Lhe Meeting Request orm.
l you wanL Lo open Lhe MeeLing RequesL orm again laLer on, you can nd Lhe meeL-
ing as an appoinLmenL in your calendar (double-click Lo open iL). ln OuLlook 200, youll
also nd Lhe People Pane in Lhe lower parL o Lhe meeLing requesL aLer iL is opened in
iLs own window (see Figures 5-2 and 5-3). 1he People Pane conLains miniaLure phoLos o
Lhe parLicipanLs (i Lhe phoLos exisL in your OuLlook conLacLs, oLherwise iLll show empLy
silhoueLLes). Click Lhe small arrow in Lhe lower-righL corner Lo see larger picLures wiLh
Lhe names below Lhem and nd ouL who has already accepLed, declined, or LenLaLively
accepLed Lhe inviLaLion and who hasnL replied yeL (click Lhe corresponding opLion on Lhe
leL, see Figure 5-2). l you click one o Lhe phoLos, OuLlook 200 will show you urLher in-
ormaLion abouL Lhis person, his or her social media sLaLus on Linkedln or Facebook, your
nexL meeLings wiLh him or her, and email messages rom Lhis person (see Figure 5-3, click
one o Lhe displayed meeLings/email messages Lo open iL in iLs own window).
FIGURE 5-2 Open a saved meeLing and use Lhe People Pane o OuLlook 200 Lo ind ouL who has
already accepLed or noL replied yeL.
FIGURE 5-3 ou can also click Lhe picLure or Lhe name o a parLicipanL in Lhe People Pane Lo display
more inormaLion abouL Lhis person, such as addiLional meeLings.
Create Meeting requests from a More Flexible View
l you only wanL Lo inviLe Lwo, Lhree, or our parLicipanLs, Lhe screen provides enough
space Lo display calendars side by side (available as o OuLlook 2003). 1his is helpul or
comparing Lhe shared calendars o oLhers direcLly Lo your own work week or day view.
1his way you can Lell much asLer LhaL, or example, on Monday (which you had in mind
originally) Lhere is jusL one hour available, buL on 1hursday morning everybody is avail-
able, and 1hursday works beLLer because iL avoids packing every day wiLh appoinLmenLs.
Unlike Lhe meLhod LhaL uses Lhe Scheduling AssisLanL in Lhe AppoinLmenL orm, as shown
earlier, Lhis kind o planning Lakes advanLage o more available space. Depending on
your screen resoluLion and Lhe number o aLLendees, you can read more o Lhe subjecL
o oLher appoinLmenLs wiLhouL poinLing Lo every single one. Above all, you can clearly
display all Wednesdays in AugusL side by side or Lhe nexL Lwo Wednesdays and Fridays
wiLhouL Lhe days in beLween.
how to create meeting requests from a more fexible view
1. SwiLch Lo your calendar and, i necessary, hide Lhe To-Do bar or Lhe TaskPad Lo
gain more space (OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007. press AlL-F2, OuLlook 2003. in Lhe
view menu, choose TaskPad Lo hide/unhide your TaskPad).
2. 1o Lhe leL o Lhe navigaLion area in Lhe Other Calendars secLion, selecL Lhe check
boxes o Lhe calendars you wanL Lo show (see Figure 5-4).
l you canL nd a colleagues calendar, add iL in OuLlook 200 by clicking Open
Calendar in Lhe Manage Calendars group on Lhe Home Lab. ln OuLlook
2007/OuLlook 2003, click Open A Shared Calendar in Lhe navigaLion area on Lhe
leL. ln Lhe dialog box LhaL appears, Lype Lhe name o Lhe colleague or selecL iL a-
Ler clicking Lhe Name buLLon in Lhe address book, and Lhen close all dialog boxes
by clicking OK Lo open his or her calendar.
3. SwiLch Lo Day view. ln OuLlook 200, click Lhe Day buLLon in Lhe Arrange group
on Lhe Home Lab. ln OuLlook 2007, click Lhe Day Lab, and in OuLlook 2003 click
Lhe Day buLLon.
4. ln Lhe daLe navigaLor (Lhe small calendar in Lhe upper-leL corner o Figure 5-4),
click Lhe rsL day you wanL Lo see, such as nexL 1uesday.
5. ln Lhe daLe navigaLor, click any addiLional days you wanL Lo show while keeping
Lhe CLrl key pressed Lo add more days (or deselecL Lhem by clicking again). 1he se-
lecLed days will be displayed wiLh a dark background in Lhe daLe navigaLor and are
shown nexL Lo each oLher in Lhe Day view or all selecLed calendars. (l you selecL
every Friday in February, iL looks like a Week view wiLh our Fridays. 1his view is
very convenienL i someone asks or a meeLing on any Friday because hell only be
in your Lown or only be available on a parLicular day o Lhe week.)
6. RighL-click Lhe daLe and Lime you wanL in one o Lhe calendars (such as Wednes-
day, 11:30 A.M.).
7. ln Lhe shorLcuL menu, click New Meeting Request Lo inviLe all people whose cal-
endars you have selecLed, or New Meeting Request for <Name> Lo selecL one
specic person.
8. Now you can plan Lhe meeLing as explained previously in How Lo creaLe a meeL-
ing requesL.
9. ALerward, hide Lhose calendars you no longer need Lo see on Lhe screen by clear-
ing Lhe corresponding check boxes in Lhe Other Calendars secLion.
FIGURE 5-4 ln Lhe daLe navigaLor, selecL Lhe days you wanL rom Lhe displayed calendars, or
example, Lo quickly ind an appoinLmenL in Lhe nexL our days or on all 1hursdays in March.
NOTE MeeLing requesL suggesLs LhaL Lhe appoinLmenL is a meeLing (which
you will aLLend in person in an onsiLe conerence room). However, you
can also use meeLing requesLs or all oLher Lypes o appoinLmenLs LhaL
involve aL leasL one oLher person. For example, you can use meeLing
requesLs or a Lime-consuming phone call, a cusLomer visiL, a daLe Lo go
jogging, or or planning Lhe preparaLion o a Lrade show presenLaLion
wiLh Leam members.
Stay on Top of it: Calendar overlay
l you like Lhe idea o displaying mulLiple calendars nexL Lo each oLher in Day/Week/
MonLh view, which allows you Lo easily compare Lhe calendars o Lwo or Lhree people (aL
Lhe mosLmore wouldnL L well), read Lhe subjecL and duraLion o appoinLmenLs, and
nd available meeLing Limes, you will simply love Lhe exLension o Lhis view in OuLlook
200/OuLlook 2007. As described previously, you can show (or hide) Lhe calendars you
wanL Lo display simulLaneously wiLh jusL one click. ln OuLlook 200, as soon as Lhe calen-
dars are displayed nexL Lo each oLher, click Lhe Overlay buLLon in Lhe ArrangemenL group
on Lhe view Lab, in OuLlook 2007, go Lo Lhe view menu and click view ln Overlay Mode.
(ln OuLlook 200, you can geL back by clicking Lhe buLLon again, in OuLlook 2007, you
can do so by going Lo view/view ln Side-by-Side Mode.)
Stay on Top of It: Calendar Overlay Chapter 5 149
OuLlook now squeezes all overlapping appoinLmenLs nexL Lo each oLher. 1he smaller
Lhe appoinLmenL bars geL, Lhe more people (or rooms or resources) are already booked
aL LhaL Lime. For example, i you are displaying ve dierenL calendars simulLaneously,
you wonL be able Lo read anyLhing or crowded Lime sloLs, buL you will know Lhis.
Where Lhere is a lighL background visible, Lhe Lime is sLill available in every persons
calendar. As long as you donL overlay Loo many calendars aL once, you can sLill read Lhe
subjecLs and will quickly see where your colleague will be while you are in a meeLing, or
who o Lhe ve sales represenLaLives or whom you are scheduling appoinLmenLs will be
available or a cusLomer visiL during Lhe LargeL Lime. l everyone has lled in Lhe LocaLion
eld or his or her appoinLmenLs, you can even see where Lhe previous or nexL appoinL-
menL Lakes place (shown below Lhe subjecL line).
Above Lhe weekday names, Labs wiLh Lhe names o Lhe people (or calendars) are dis-
played (see Figure 5-5). 1he appoinLmenLs or Lhe Lab on Lop o Lhe oLher Labs have
opaque color wiLh ull conLrasL, Lhe appoinLmenLs o Lhe oLher calendars are parLially
LransparenL. Click Lhe name on a Lab Lo bring iL Lo Lhe Lop. WiLh Lhe small arrows Lo Lhe
leL o Lhe names, you can undock calendars and display Lhem individually nexL Lo Lhe
oLher overlaid calendars (by clicking Lhe righL arrow) or puL Lhem back overlaid wiLh Lhe
oLher calendars (by clicking Lhe leL arrow). 1his way you can overlay Lhe calendars o
our colleagues and show yours individually nexL Lo Lhem Lo have more space and be
able Lo read Lhe appoinLmenLs more easily.
FIGURE 5-5 Overlaid calendars help you ind open Lime sloLs in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007. For
example, .00 A.M. Lill .00 P.M. is sLill ree in everyones calendar on Wednesday and 1hursday here.
THE SCHEDULE vIEW
OuLlook 200 provides an addiLional handy view or shared calendars. Lhe
Schedule view (see Figure 5-6). 1his view shows large bars, similar Lo Lhose in Lhe
Scheduling AssisLanL. 1he Schedule view, however, gives you much more space Lo
display Lhe individual appoinLmenLs, and you receive more deLails per person (or
insLance, each person geLs his/her own color and you can read Lhe appoinLmenL
subjecLs very well). ou can open Lhe Schedule view by clicking Lhe Schedule
view buLLon in Lhe ArrangemenL group on Lhe view Lab.
FIGURE 5-6 1he Schedule view in OuLlook 200 provides you wiLh an overview o Lhe hours o a
speciic day in Lhe calendars o mulLiple colleagues, whereas Lhe overlaid calendar works well or
displaying several days wiLhin one week.
how to answer meeting requests
A meeLing requesL rsL shows up in your inbox as an email message. lnsLead o an
envelope icon, you will see a calendar page wiLh Lwo very small heads in iLs lower-righL
cornerreplies Lo meeLing requesLs also have Lheir own icons showing wheLher Lhe
inviLee accepLed, declined, or proposed a new Lime.
1. Double-click Lhe meeLing requesL Lo open iL. (ou can also use Lhe email preview in
Lhe reading pane and direcLly accepL or decline rom Lhere by using Lhe buLLons.)
2. ln Lhe Message orm (Lhe new window LhaL opens aLer you double-click Lhe
requesL), youll nd Lhe Accept, Decline, and Propose New Time buLLons. in OuL-
look 200/OuLlook 2007, Lhese are on Lhe Meeting Lab, in Lhe Respond group, in
OuLlook 2003, Lhey are direcLly below Lhe menu bar (you can see Lhese in Figure
5-7, a liLLle laLer in Lhis secLion).
3. l you already know LhaL you wanL Lo accepL or decline, you can skip Lo sLep 7.
OLherwise conLinue wiLh sLep 4.
4. Click Lhe Calendar buLLon. OuLlook 200 will have already displayed your calendar
or Lhe hours beore and aLer Lhe requesLed Lime (see Figure 5-7) even wiLhouL Lhis
sLep. When you click Lhe Calendar buLLon, OuLlook opens a new window wiLh your
calendar in Day view, showing all appoinLmenLs on Lhe day o Lhe meeLing requesL.
1he proposed Lime has a blue background. 1haL day has a dark background in Lhe
daLe navigaLor, and Loday is ramed in red. (1o see Lhe resL o Lhe week or nd an
alLernaLive appoinLmenL, you can, or example, selecL oLher days in Lhe daLe naviga-
Lor, display addiLional days, or swiLch Lo Lhe work week in Lhe calendar view.)
FIGURE 5-7 Use Lhe Calendar buLLon Lo check direcLly rom a meeLing requesL how Lhis appoinL-
menL iLs in wiLh your oLher appoinLmenLs. Fven wiLhouL clicking Lhis buLLon, OuLlook 200 will
already show one hour beore and aLer Lhe requesLed Lime, Lo show a preview o any scheduling
conlicLs.
5. l necessary, you can move oLher appoinLmenLs Lo make room or Lhe meeLing or
add buer Limes beore and aLer. Click Lhe righL border o Lhe appoinLmenL you
wanL Lo move (or on Lhe upper border Lo change Lhe duraLion), and drag iL Lo Lhe
new LimesloL.
6. Close Lhe calendar window by clicking Lhe close buLLon (Lhe small x) in Lhe upper-
righL corner o Lhe windows LiLle bar.
7. Click one o Lhe reply buLLons (such as Accept).
8. OuLlook now oers you Lhree opLions. Send the response now, Dont send a
response, or Edit the response before sending (or insLance, Lo add a noLe).
Fven i you donL have any parLicular reason Lo reply, iL is besL Lo always choose
Send The Response now (Lhe response is auLomaLically senL Lo Lhe meeLing
organizer, so he or she will know i you accepLed or declined). l you decline or i
you only accepL LenLaLively, we recommend LhaL you choose Edit the response
before sending and add one or Lwo explanaLory senLences.
ACCEPTING TENTATIvELY AND PROPOSING A NEW TIME
ou can choose 1enLaLive or Propose New 1ime, or example i you arenL sure i
you can keep Lhe requesLed aLernoon appoinLmenL or need Lo leave or anoLh-
er appoinLmenL halway Lhrough, buL Lhe morning would work much beLLer or
you. Leave everyLhing else Lo Lhe person who called Lhe meeLing. Maybe oLh-
ers have proposed Lhe morning as well or arenL available in Lhe aLernoon, and
Lhereore you will geL an appoinLmenL updaLe wiLh your meeLing moved Lo Lhe
morning hours. l Lhe aLernoon appoinLmenL works or all oLher parLicipanLs
excepL you, iL may sLay aL LhaL Lime in spiLe o your LenLaLive accepLance. l you
accepL LenLaLively, you should wriLe one or Lwo senLences Lo Lhe colleague who
senL Lhe requesL, Lo explain why iLs inconvenienL or you and whaL changes
would make iL L your schedule beLLer, so he or she can respond accordingly.
IMPORTANT Only accepL LenLaLively i Lhere is a realisLic chance LhaL you can
sLill Lake parLoLherwise, iLs besL Lo decline righL away. When iL
really makes sense, use Lhe 1enLaLive reply opLion. 1enLaLive means
LhaL you donL know or sure wheLher you will be able Lo keep Lhe
appoinLmenL or LhaL you reserve Lhe opLion o canceling due Lo a
more pressing appoinLmenL. 8y doing Lhis, you signal Lo your col-
leagues LhaL Lhe appoinLmenL is noL convenienL or you and LhaL
you mighL noL be able Lo make iL, unless an alLernaLive Lime can
be ound. AL Lhe same Lime, you block Lhe appoinLmenL in your
calendar and will be reminded o iL.
9. OuLlook now deleLes Lhe meeLing requesL rom your inbox, sends Lhe reply Lo Lhe
meeLing organizer, and enLers Lhe meeLing as an appoinLmenL aL Lhe righL daLe
and Lime in your calendar (i you havenL declined).
l you look or Lhe requesL laLer on, you will now nd iL in your calendar. ou can ediL iL
Lhere jusL like any oLher appoinLmenL enLry. When you open Lhe associaLed AppoinLmenL
orm by double-clicking Lhe appoinLmenL, OuLlook inorms you in a line below Lhe menu
bar or ribbon when you accepLed Lhis meeLing (AccepLed on, see Figure 5-7).
how to check and change the status of a meeting you called
ln OuLlook 200, you can use Lhe People Pane as explained earlier in How Lo creaLe a
meeLing requesL. For OuLlook 2007/OuLlook 2003, you can insLall Lhe OuLlook Social
ConnecLor Lo display Lhe People Pane. l you donL wanL Lo insLall iL or i you donL like
Lhe People Pane and preer Lo have iL Lurned o, you can do Lhe ollowing.
1. Double-click Lhe meeLing in your calendar Lo open iL in a separaLe window.
2. ln OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, click Lhe Tracking buLLon in Lhe Show group on
Lhe Meeting Lab. ln OuLlook 2003, simply click Lhe Tracking Lab.
ou can now see who has replied so ar (see Figure 5-8), who accepLed, declined
or replied as LenLaLive, and i you had chosen Lhis person's presence as required or
opLional. ou can also change Lhe reply sLaLus manually by clicking iL (or example,
i someone answered by phone or you called him because you havenL received an
email message yeL buL need a decision righL now).
WiLh Lhe Scheduling buLLon (on Lhe Meeting Lab, in Lhe Show group), you can
check your colleagues' calendars (as shown earlier during Lhe creaLion o Lhe
meeLing requesL) and change Lhe appoinLmenL, or insLance i you noLice LhaL Lhe
appoinLmenL Lime was inconvenienL or mosL o Lhe parLicipanLs aLer Lhe rsL
responses arrived.
3. 8y clicking Lhe Send Update buLLon (in Lhe AppoinLmenL view, by choosing Ap-
pointment rom Lhe Show group on Lhe Meeting Lab in OuLlook 200/OuLlook
2007 or simply clicking Lhe Appointment Lab in OuLlook 2003), you inorm every-
body o Lhe new daLe (Lhe meeLing will auLomaLically be updaLed in Lheir calen-
dars), even i you keep Lhe Appointment orm open on your compuLer. As soon
as you close Lhe orm aLer having changed Lhe appoinLmenL daLa or, or example,
move or deleLe Lhe appoinLmenL in Lhe week view o your calendar, OuLlook auLo-
maLically oers Lo send an updaLe Lo all parLicipanLs.
Only Lhe meeLing organizerLhe person who iniLially creaLed Lhe meeLing requesL
and inviLed oLher aLLendeesshould updaLe Lhe meeLing daLa. l you updaLe
anyLhing or a meeLing LhaL somebody else inviLed you Lo, your changes will geL
losL as soon as he sends an updaLe. So even i you ediL Lhe appoinLmenL rom
your own calendar and add some noLes Lo prepare or Lhe meeLing, as soon as Lhe
meeLing organizer sends an updaLe, your changes will be losL. l you wanL Lo add
noLes or Lhe oLher aLLendees or change Lhe agenda, you have Lo wriLe a separaLe
email message Lo all Lhe aLLendees or ask Lhe meeLing organizer Lo updaLe Lhe
meeLing. l you simply ediL Lhe meeLing in your calendar, Lhe oLher aLLendees will
noL see your ediLs unless you are Lhe meeLing organizer and send an updaLe.
FIGURE 5-8 Use Lhe 1racking buLLon Lo ind ouL which parLicipanLs have already accepLed or
declined.
Use Meeting requests Sparingly
How well you can opLimize and manage your meeLings depends on Lhe oLher Leam
members and various oLher acLors LhaL are dierenL or each Leam. On Lhe ollowing
pages, we will give you Lhe mosL imporLanL general Lips Lo help you Lo plan beLLer and
more eecLive meeLingsi mosL (preerably all) o your Leam members ollow Lhese
simple rules.
Meetings are Expensive
1hink abouL whaL a meeLing acLually cosLs you and your Leam.
AlmosL always a meeLing Lakes much more Lime Lhan iLs acLual duraLion. LeLs as-
sume you have been inviLed Lo a 30-minuLe meeLing.
ou need Lo inLerrupL your currenL work and will need more Lime Lo geL back Lo
your original level o concenLraLion and perormance aLerwards.
WiLh some Lasks LhaL Lake an hour or more, such an inLerrupLion would inLerere
Lo such an exLenL LhaL you canL sLarL Lhem wiLhin 30 minuLes beore Lhe meeL-
ing (you mighL even have Lo posLpone Lhem or anoLher day). 1hereore, an
inconvenienLly scheduled meeLing can creaLe 30 minuLes o idle Lime LhaL you
spend unproducLively or wiLh some unimporLanL odds and ends, jusL waiLing
or Lhe meeLing Lo begin because you canL conLinue working on your projecLs
producLively wiLh so liLLle Lime leL beore you have Lo leave or Lhe meeLing.
CeLLing Lo and back rom Lhe meeLing locaLion also Lakes Lime. l you are lucky,
iLs only a our-minuLe walk rom your oce in each direcLion, plus Lhree min-
uLes (Limes Lwo) Lo pack up your maLerials in Lhe oce and Lhe meeLing room.
1his adds up Lo 0 minuLes or each direcLion and 20 minuLes LoLal expendiLure.
Walking Lo a dierenL building or driving/Lraveling Lo a dierenL locaLion Lakes
even more Lime.
A meeLing cosLs Lime or all parLicipanLs.
l 0 parLicipanLs siL LogeLher or Lwo hours, Lhe neL cosL is 20 hours o eorL
(add Lhe Lime spenL per parLicipanL or Lhe commuLe, and Lhe gross cosL geLs
much higher).
l Lwo aLLendees arrive wiLh a 0-minuLe delay, and 8 oLher people have Lo
waiL or Lhem, your Leam jusL wasLed 0 minuLes or 8 people = 80 minuLes =
3 hours o producLive Lime. Delays Lend Lo geL worse i you choose Lo waiL unLil
everyone has arrived. Some people will geL used Lo Lhe delay and plan Lo arrive
0 minuLes laLe, Lo avoid wasLing Lheir Lime waiLing or oLhers. l one o Lhem is
Lhen delayed or 5 minuLes, Lhis will add up Lo 5 minuLes.
8eing unprepared or o Lopic is jusL as bad. l Lwo parLicipanLs Lake 5 minuLes
o Lime each Lo explain issues LhaL are jusL as irrelevanL Lo Lhe oLher eighL as
Lheir presence or Lhis Lopic is, 8 5 = 20 minuLes = 2 hours o Lime have
been wasLed.
A meeLing cosLs money. CalculaLe how high your personnel cosLs and ancillary
labor cosLs or Lhis Lime areand how much revenue a colleague could have gen-
eraLed during Lhis Lime. Add Lo LhaL Lravel expenses, cosLs or Lhe meeLing room i
you choose an exLernal locaLion, and more.
THE BEST MEETINGS ARE THE ONES THAT DONT TAKE PLACE
As you can see, a meeLing is requenLly more expensive and Lime consuming
Lhan iL iniLially seems. SomeLimes, however, iLs well worLh LhaL Lime because
good meeLings can help Lo creaLe a sLronger bond beLween Leam members,
resolve conicLs, esLablish common sLraLegies, spark synergy eecLs Lo come up
wiLh new ideas and producL improvemenLs, supporL each oLher, and gaLher many
dierenL ideas and improve Lhem immediaLely wiLh Lhe experLise o mulLiple
specialisLs rom dierenL areas.
SomeLimes you need many people and a loL o room or discussion Lo come Lo a
decision. Some inormaLion is besL passed on in a personal conversaLion or in a
presenLaLion Lo a group. 1his is especially Lhe case i a Lopic raises many ques-
Lions, i Lhe answers Lo Lhose quesLions are relevanL Lo everyone in Lhe room, or
i several people have inormaLion Lo pass on. (For example, you could have a
Lhree-hour meeLing Lo prepare or a Lrade show Lo share deLails abouL one days
agenda LhaL includes several presenLaLions, Lechnical inormaLion wiLh a &A
session abouL Lhe crucial advanLages o Lhe Lhree mosL imporLanL producLs, re-
minders o company policies and Lips or Lalking Lo Lhe press, and a reporL abouL
Lhe experiences rom Lhe lasL Lrade show.)
ln all Lhese cases, a well-prepared and well-run meeLing can be incredibly pro-
ducLive and save a loL o Lime (see Prepare MeeLings FecLively, laLer in Lhis
chapLer). ln many cases, however, iLs Lhe exacL opposiLe. 1hereore, you should
Lriple-check LhaL Lhere is no alLernaLive beore you call a meeLing. Maybe you
donL need one aLer all.
DonL overwhelm oLhers wiLh meeLing requesLs simply because OuLlook enables
you Lo plan meeLings more quickly and easily Lhan ever. Avoid as many meeLings
as possible.
1hink abouL Lhe ollowing beore sending ouL a meeLing requesL.
ls Lhe meeLing worLh Lhe invesLed Lime and money DonL call an S800 meeLing Lo
solve a S450 problem.
ls Lhe meeLing really necessary
l iLs abouL decision-making. Are you sure LhaL Lhe responsible manager, a
group o up Lo Lhree experLs, or a represenLaLive on Lhe Leams behal can'L
make Lhis decision (and maybe do so beLLer and asLer Lhan Lhe whole Leam)
Does Lhe presence o more people (more experience, a larger idea pool) sig-
nicanLly improve Lhe qualiLy o Lhe resulLs you are Lrying Lo reach, and does
Lhe improvemenL jusLiy Lhe addiLional eorL as opposed Lo Lhe eorL o one or
Lwo people
Can you clariy Lhe issues aL hand more eecLively and more quickly via several
individual phone calls, insLead o calling a meeLing
Can you combine Lwo or Lhree small meeLings wiLh Lhe same group o parLici-
panLs 1he neL Lime sLays Lhe same (or becomes less, because you can be laLe
only once and issues are LargeLed as a group). 1he gross Lime drops signicanLly,
because you only need Lo go Lo and reLurn rom one meeLing.
When iL comes Lo passing on inormaLion. Could you simply disLribuLe Lhe
inormaLion in wriLing We can read much more quickly Lhan we can lisLen, and
while reading we can skip parLs we already know. Also, everybody can read Lhe
inormaLion whenever he or she has Lime Lo do so, raLher Lhan having Lo spend
Lime siLLing in a meeLing, which would be beLLer used doing someLhing else.
l wriLing is Loo Lime-consuming and Lhe parLicipanLs Lravel a loL, Lhere is now
an addiLional buL so ar rarely used alLernaLive. CeL a headseL or your PC and
voice-record Lhe inormaLion. 1his is very quick and easy. 1he people you wanL
Lo inorm can Lhen use Lheir smarLphones or MP3 players during long driving
Limes Lo lisLen Lo your recordings. (1he problem. ou canL Lake noLes while
siLLing behind Lhe wheel. 8uL i you Lravel a loL by car, jusL geL a digiLal voice
recorder or use your smarLphone or voice noLes.)
NOTE Recurring weekly meeLings are common Lime sinks LhaL are
scheduled jusL in case Lhere mighL be someLhing we need Lo
Lalk abouL. And when all aLLendees have gaLhered LogeLher,
youll nd someLhing you mighL as well Lalk abouL Lo ll Lhe
Lime. 8eware o recurring meeLings unless Lhey are really useul
and required or have a specic reason. However, well-prepared,
meaningul weekly meeLings can propel a well-aLLuned Leam
orwardas wiLh acLion groups in which six colleagues who are
consLanLly Lraveling hold conerence calls Lo keep each oLher up
Lo daLe abouL Lhe previous week and nexL weeks planning aL Lhe
beginning o each week.
Which parLicipanLs are really required Whose Lime would you wasLe, because
Lheir presence is noL necessary (1o avoid making Lhose people eel excluded,
you can also inviLe Lhem as opLional parLicipanLs and leave iL up Lo Lhem wheLher
Lhey wanL Lo come. LeL Lhem know LhaL Lhey are welcome, i Lhey wanL Lo nd ouL
whaL's going on and Lake parL in decisions.)
For example, are Lhere our o eighL parLicipanLs who only need Lo be Lhere or
Lwo o Lhe six agenda iLems PuL Lhese iLems aL Lhe beginning, so Lhose parLici-
panLs can leave aLer Lhe rsL 30 minuLes, and leL Lhe oLher parLicipanLs know.
l you are convinced LhaL a meeLing makes sense, you should sLill consider Lhe
ollowing. Can Lhe parLicipanLs save Lravel Lime, because a conerence call mighL
be jusL as good as an in-person meeLing or Lhe Lopics you have Lo discuss Or go
a sLep urLher and Lake advanLage o MicrosoL Oce Live MeeLing Lo show your
colleagues MicrosoL PowerPoinL presenLaLions, Lake voLes wiLh auLomaLic counL,
and share applicaLions among each oLher (or example, Lo ediL documenLs LogeLher
or explain how a new soLware version is used). ln OuLlook, a conerence call or a
Live MeeLing can be planned jusL like an onsiLe meeLing (you can add Lhe dial-in
number and access code Lo Lhe LexL o Lhe meeLing requesL).
ONLINE COLLABORATION AND MEETINGS WITH LIvE MEETING
SomeLimes Lhe possibiliLies o a conerence call arenL enough, buL an onsiLe meeLing is
sLill Loo expensive and Lime-consumingor example, ying rom Canada Lo AusLralia
Lo show a PowerPoinL presenLaLion ollowed by a one-hour MicrosoL Fxcel budgeL
planning session. When you work LogeLher aL your compuLers during a Live MeeLing,
some o Lhe social and communicaLive aspecLs o a real onsiLe meeLing will be miss-
ing, buL in some cases a Live MeeLing can be even beLLer.
Here are some o Lhe mosL imporLanL uncLions o Live MeeLing.
ou can work LogeLher rom any locaLionwiLh, or example, one person waiLing
in an airporL lounge in New ork, anoLher one siLLing in his oce in Munich, and
a Lhird in her hoLel room in London. All you need is an lnLerneL connecLion and a
phone or a headseL Lo use voice Over lP Lo hear and Lalk Lo Lhe oLher aLLendees.
ou can show PowerPoinL presenLaLions, send Lhe screen conLenL o any applicaLion
Lo everybody, and granL individual users conLrol o one o your applicaLions, so Lhey
can show Lhings or jusL ediL someLhing in an Fxcel spreadsheeL on your compuLer.
ou can plan Live MeeLings direcLly rom OuLlookwheLher you are planning Lhe
budgeL or nexL monLh wiLh Lwo colleagues or presenLing your new soLware Lo
,000 prospecLive cusLomers worldwide. ou can, or example, appoinL mulLiple
moderaLors who immediaLely answer individual quesLions via LexL chaL in Lhe back-
ground while Lhe speaker conLinues his presenLaLion.
ou can record Lhe enLire Live MeeLing (video and audio) Lo waLch iL again laLer,
evaluaLe iL, or show iL Lo people who could noL parLicipaLe.
For addiLional inormaLion abouL Live MeeLing, go Lo hLLp.//oce.microsoL.com.
1here are also urLher opLions or online collaboraLion, such as Lhe 8roadcasL Slideshow
uncLion (in Lhe SLarL Slide Show group on Lhe Slideshow Lab) in PowerPoinL 200 or
Windows Live Messenger.
optimize Your Calendar to Make Meeting requests Easy
ln Lhis secLion, we will briey cover how you can simpliy successul meeLing planning by
uncluLLering your calendar, and how Lo decrease Lhe number o meeLing requesLs you
receive or inconvenienL Limes.
Keep Your Calendar well organized
l you have enLered hardly any appoinLmenLs and also have no appoinLmenLs wiLh your-
sel (see ChapLer 3, How 1o Cain More 1ime or WhaLs FssenLial wiLh an FecLive Week
Planner)in oLher words, i you have Lhese Limes marked as reeyou seem Lo be
consLanLly available. ou Lhereore donL need Lo wonder why colleagues consLanLly puL
meeLing requesLs or inconvenienL Limes inLo your calendar.
On Lhe oLher hand, i every working day o your calendar is compleLely packed wiLh
appoinLmenLs rom 7.00 A.M. unLil 0.00 P.M. (and maybe some o Lhem even parLially
overlap), you donL need Lo be surprised abouL receiving meeLing requesLs LhaL donL suiL
youaLer all, your colleagues donL have a choice.
IS IT A GOOD IDEA TO BLOCK ALL THE TIME IN YOUR CALENDAR
FOR EACH DAY?
As jusL explained, lling Lhe calendar compleLely usually doesnL prevenL in con-
venienL requesLs rom your managers or colleagues, buL in some companies Lhis
LacLic is common pracLice as a lasL deense againsL Loo many requesLs rom
colleagues lower in Lhe company hierarchydecline everyLhing, because Lhere
is jusL no Lime leL, or generally prohibiL lower-ranking colleagues rom mak-
ing requesLs aL occupied Limes. 1his meLhod, however, has Lwo disadvanLages.
FirsL o all, iL makes iL more diculL or you Lo use your OuLlook calendar in a
reasonable ashion (or may even prevenL yoursel rom doing iL). Secondly, iL also
blocks necessary and imporLanL meeLings. lLs besL Lo generally clariy Lhings
once and or all (or insLance, resLricLing access Lo your calendar Lo your assis-
LanL and your execuLive Leam only), or as a manager jusL decline Lhose meeLing
requesLs you donL consider necessary in a poliLe and brie way, even i Lhe Lime
is open. lL Lakes planning, discipline, and an adjusLmenL period Lo reduce Lhe
amounL o meeLings in Leams suering rom meeLing addicLion.
ou can conLrol Lhe Limes or incoming meeLing requesLs Lo a cerLain degree by blocking
ouL your mosL imporLanL Limes o Lhe day (even i you jusL block Lhem Lo be undisLurbed
or an imporLanL Lask) and leaving sucienLly large chunks o Lime open (aL Lhe Limes
LhaL work or your colleagues). Make iL easy or oLhers Lo nd Lhe Limes LhaL work or
youmosL people choose Lhe paLh o leasL resisLance when looking or Lhe righL Lime or
a meeLing. 1he nexL sLep is Lo suggesL dierenL LimesloLs or meeLings LhaL conicL wiLh
oLher appoinLmenLs or Lo jusL decline Lhose requesLs i possible.
SET CORE MEETING TIMES!
lLs besL Lo seL up core meeLing Limes or your Leam. Agree on LimesloLs everyone
should keep ree as long as possible, unless you are planning a meeLingor example,
9.30 A.M. Lo .30 A.M. 1ry Lo plan meeLings during Lhis Lime whenever possible (or
in a shorLer Lime window wiLhin Lhis period). 1his works besL i mosL o Lhe oLher Leam
members sLarL planning Lhe oLher Limes consisLenLly as wellor example, by keeping
9.30 A.M. open, buL planning a cusLomer appoinLmenL, lunch break, or ProducLiviLy
Hour (see ChapLer 4, How Lo Make our Daily Planning Work in Real Lie) or 8.30 unLil
9.30 A.M. and enLering your email block or .30 A.M. (and jusL go ahead and make
iL a recurring appoinLmenL or each work day). l someone Lhen wanLs Lo plan a meeL-
ing, many Lime sloLs are already Laken, buL Lhe designaLed Lime beLween 9.30 A.M. and
.30 A.M. is sLill open or (almosL) everyone, iL will only Lake a ew weeks o adjusLmenL
unLil meeLings sLarL Lo Lake place during Lhese Limes whenever possible. And i every-
one arrives and leaves on Lime, you will be able Lo sLick Lo LhaL LimesloL more and more
easily (more abouL Lhis laLer in Lhis chapLer, in Prepare MeeLings FecLively).
Keep your calendar well organized, i you arenL already doing so consisLenLly or your
own planning.
lmmediaLely enLer each appoinLmenL (wheLher wiLh cusLomers, your denLisL, or a
ighL rom New ork Lo Chicago).
Only enLer appoinLmenLs inLo your calendar i Lhey are Lrue appoinLmenLsCall
Mike back abouL delivery daLe by 1hursday, or beLLer Loday does noL belong in
your calendar as an appoinLmenL on 1uesday rom 9.00 A.M. Lo 9.30 A.M. (unless
you have agreed Lo a phone call wiLh Mike or LhaL Lime). 1his enLry belongs in
your Lask lisL (seL Lhe due daLe and, i necessary, a reminder, see ChapLer 2, How
Lo Work More FecLively wiLh 1asks and PrioriLies).
Only enLer appoinLmenLs wiLh yoursel or your mosL imporLanL Lasks as parL o
your weekly planning (see ChapLer 3). 8lock Lime sloLs or Lhese Lasks (also Lo
deend Lhem againsL meeLing requesLs), buL aL Lhe same Lime keep enough space
open by only blocking very ew specic LimesloLs.
l your calendar has loLs o ree Lime available, or i you would oLherwise always
procrasLinaLe iL. ConsisLenLly enLer recurring appoinLmenLs or your block building
(see ChapLer 4 and Lhe righL side o JusLin Liebers calendar in Figure 5-4, earlier in
Lhis chapLer). Only cancel Lhese recurring appoinLmenLs in special cases.
Feel ree Lo plan urLher Lasks as appoinLmenLs wiLh yoursel as parL o your daily
planning process (see ChapLer 4) and break your colleagues o Lhe habiL o calling
a meeLing aL Lhe lasL minuLe by declining, i you can (unless Lhere really is a cogenL
reason or calling a meeLing so laLe).
Take advantage of the Show as Field to Flag Your appointments
1he Show As eld is locaLed in Lhe OpLions group on Lhe AppoinLmenL Lab in OuLlook
200/OuLlook 2007 (see Figure 5-9). ln OuLlook 2003, you can nd Lhe Show 1ime As
eld righL below Lhe SLarL 1ime and Fnd 1ime elds i you opened Lhe appoinLmenL in iLs
own window by double-clicking iL. ln Lhe Day/Week view, you can also ediL Lhe eld rom
Lhe shorLcuL menu by righL-clicking Lhe specic appoinLmenL.
1his eld usually conLains Lhe deaulL value 8usy. Change iL Lo help your colleagues nd
convenienL Limes, and Lake noLe o iL in Lhe calendars o colleagues when creaLing meeL-
ing requesLs (Lhese are Lhe colored bars in Lhe Scheduling AssisLanL, as shown earlier in
Figure 5-).
FIGURE 5-9 AppoinLmenLs can be easily lagged wiLh colors.
ou have our opLions or seLLing Lhis eld.
Busy 1his shows your coworkers LhaL you already have Lhis appoinLmenL lled,
so Lhis LimesloL is Laken, buL you can open iL up or anoLher requesL i absoluLely
necessary.
Out of Offce ou are noL in Lhe oce. Decide wiLh your colleagues whaL Lhis
acLually means or your Leam Lo nd a common code LhaL everybody uses, such as
one o Lhese possibiliLies.
ou are ar away on a business Lrip and canL geL back Lo Lhe oce LhaL same
day Lo aLLend a meeLing.
ou are noL in Lhe buildingor example, visiLing a cusLomerbuL you could
be back in Lhe oce in an hour Lo aLLend a meeLing.
ou canL even be reached by phone during Lhis Lime. (1his is common in a siLu-
aLion where everybody is consLanLly Lraveling and you usually plan conerence
calls.)
ou may noL acLually be ouL o Lhe oce, buL you absoluLely cannoL move Lhis
appoinLmenL (while you seL oLher ouLside appoinLmenLs only Lo 8usy and mighL
be able Lo ree Lhem up, depending on Lhe meeLing).
Tentative Reach an agreemenL as Lo wheLher Lhis means Lhe appoinLmenL is very
uncerLain and Lhe Lime sloL will mosL likely open up again or i you have no oLher
opLion buL puLLing a meeLing in one o my booked Lime sloLs, please Lake Lhe Len-
LaLive ones rsL, Lhe oLher ones are more imporLanL.
Free 1hese Limes are noL occupied. 1his is useul or cerLain appoinLmenLs LhaL
lasL Lhe whole day, such as a holiday LhaL you wanL Lo remember.
how to use all-day appointments
l you will be ouL o Lhe oce or more Lhan one day and Lhereore noL available or
meeLings (on vacaLion, or example), enLer an appoinLmenL or iL.
1. Double-click Lhe appoinLmenL Lo open iL in iLs own window, and selecL Lhe All day
event check box (nexL Lo Lhe sLarL Lime). 1he opLions or choosing a Lime as a sLarL
Lime and end Lime are now disabled.
2. Now selecL Lhe rsL day in Lhe Start time eld and Lhe lasL day in Lhe End time
eld (iLs sLill labeled time, buL you can only seL a daLe).
3. SeL Lhe Show as eld Lo Out of Offce or your vacaLion. 1he all-day appoinL-
menL will now oaL above Lhe oLher appoinLmenLs in Lhe Day/Week view (see
Figure 5-0). lL marks you as Out of Offce or Lhe enLire Lime, buL leaves all Lime
sloLs open or appoinLmenL enLries. (1his way you can show LhaL you are ouL o Lhe
oce or a Lrade show, or example, buL you sLill have all Lhe LimesloLs open or
appoinLmenLs you wanL Lo seL during Lhe Lrade show.)
4. Close Lhe Appointment orm by clicking Lhe x in Lhe upper-righL corner, and click
Yes Lo save Lhe changes when OuLlook asks you Lo conrm.
FIGURE 5-10 All-day appoinLmenLs can mark several days as OuL O Oice (Lhe bar wiLh
vacaLion - Furope on iL) and leave you a compleLe overview, because Lhey are displayed above
Lhe oLher enLries in your Day/Week view.
ln oLher siLuaLions, you can seL Lhe Show As eld Lo Free (or example, i you jusL wanL Lo
noLe in your calendar on which days a Lrade show Lakes place, when cerLain sLreeLs will be
blocked in Lhe ciLy due Lo esLiviLies, or when your kids will be on school break, so you can
plan accordingly wiLhouL having Lo mark Lhe enLire Lime as i you are ouL o Lhe oce. l
you seL an appoinLmenL Lo All Day, OuLlook auLomaLically seLs Lhe Show As eld Lo Free
make sure you seL your vacaLion Lo OuL O Oce, Lhough.
Flag Personal appointments as Private
1o prevenL your colleagues rom having access Lo your appoinLmenLs, your childrens
vacaLions, your spouses vacaLion, and your oLher personal appoinLmenLs in your shared
calendar, mark Lhem as privaLe.
ln OuLlook 2003, simply selecL Lhe PrivaLe check box in Lhe lower-righL corner o Lhe
AppoinLmenL orm. ln OuLlook 200, click PrivaLe in Lhe 1ags group on Lhe AppoinLmenL
Lab (Lhe small lock icon). ln OuLlook 2007, in Lhe OpLions group on Lhe AppoinLmenL Lab,
also click Lhe PrivaLe buLLon (Lhe small lock symbol). l Lhe small lock icon has an orange-
brown background (i youre noL poinLing Lo iL), Lhe appoinLmenL is agged as privaLe.
CAUTION l you poinL Lo PrivaLe in OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, iL may look like Lhe
opLion is already selecLed. l you Lake a closer look, however, you will no-
Lice LhaL Lhe background color is slighLly lighLer when Lhe opLion has noL
been selecLed yeL. Fspecially aL Lhe beginning, iLs easy Lo geL conused
hereyou should Lhereore make iL a habiL Lo poinL Lo CaLegorize (Lo
poinL away rom PrivaLe) Lo see i an appoinLmenL has been agged as
privaLe.
ln Lhe Day/Week/MonLh view o your calendar, iLs even easier. JusL righL-click an ap-
poinLmenL as usual and selecL PrivaLe rom Lhe shorLcuL menu. OuLlook 200/OuLlook
2007 displays privaLe appoinLmenLs wiLh a lock icon in Lhe lower-righL corner. OuLlook
2003 shows a key icon in Lhe upper-righL corner.
our colleagues can now see LhaL Lhis Lime is blocked, buL Lhey can'L read Lhe subjecL or
any oLher conLenL o Lhe appoinLmenL enLry, Lheyll only see PrivaLe AppoinLmenL as Lhe
subjecL.
For your own conLrol, you see a small lock or key icon in Lhe appoinLmenL enLry in Lhe
Day/Week view o your calendar. SelecL Lhe PrivaLe opLion or all o your privaLe appoinL-
menLseven i iL would be okay or your colleagues Lo see Lhe subjecL. OLherwise you
mighL orgeL iL or condenLial appoinLmenLs, or provoke curious quesLions i you or
once Lry Lo hide an appoinLmenL rom Lhe oLhers. ou can also mark condenLial busi-
ness appoinLmenLs as privaLe (or insLance, a surprise parLy or a colleagues 20Lh service
anniversary wiLh Lhe company).
lLs besL Lo clariy wiLh your colleagues LhaL appoinLmenLs marked as PrivaLe donL neces-
sarily have Lo be Lime o buL are jusL condenLial appoinLmenLs, regardless o wheLher
Lhey are condenLial business appoinLmenLs or real privaLe appoinLmenLs.
NOTE PrivaLe appoinLmenLs are proLecLed rom Lhe eyes o oLher users you
have shared your calendar wiLh. However, i you give a colleague Lhe user
name and password or your Fxchange accounL, so LhaL he or she has
compleLe access while you are gone, OuLlook assumes iL's you. Whoever
logs in wiLh your daLa will see all your enLries, so keep your password
condenLial!
Prepare Meetings Effectively
l all parLicipanLs Lake Lime beorehand Lo prepare or Lhe meeLing and are ready Lo make
decisions, you will save everyone a loL o Lime and conducL goal-orienLed, Lo-Lhe-poinL,
eecLive meeLings. l everyone Lakes 0 minuLes Lo prepare, iL oLen saves 20 minuLes
o meeLing Limeor all parLicipanLs. PreparaLion is especially imporLanL or Lhe person
who runs Lhe meeLing and, i applicable, Lhe moderaLor.
improve Effciency by Preparing and running Your
Meeting wisely
CreaLe an agenda or each meeLing as soon as iL is scheduled.
SeL a clear Limerame or each iLem, and limiL Lhe speaking and discussion Lime.
Clearly idenLiy Lhe goals. WhaL do you wanL Lo achieve wiLh Lhis meeLing Which
inormaLion should be passed on or gaLhered (how, Lo whom, by whom), which
quesLions should be answered, which ideas developed, which decisions made
For each iLem, assign someone Lo be responsible or Lhe iLem.
LimiL Lhe number o parLicipanLs. Five Lo seven people is opLimal. 1oo many par-
LicipanLs can make a meeLing unproducLiveunless Lhe objecLive is Lo inorm a
large group o people and answer Lheir quesLions, or Lo geL Lhe opinion o many
dierenL experLs, deparLmenLs, or individuals abouL a Lopic.
SLarL wiLh Lhe mosL imporLanL Lopics. Place Lhe Lopics wiLh Lhe lowesL prioriLy aL
Lhe end, assign Lhem less Lime, and end Lhe meeLing on Lime. l you consLanLly run
overLime, you will end up using 20 minuLes or a Lopic you could have covered in
8 minuLes, had you given yoursel a Lime limiL.
l cerLain parLicipanLs are only required or Lwo o seven iLems, puL Lhese iLems on
Lop o Lhe agenda and leL Lhose parLicipanLs leave aLerward.
Make sure all parLicipanLs receive Lhe required maLerial well beorehand.
IMPORTANT Plan sucienL breaksmeeLings can really beneL rom breaks.
ALer approximaLely 45 Lo 60 minuLes, iL eels good Lo move and geL
some resh air. People become more producLive aLerward. ALer Lwo
hours aL Lhe laLesL, mosL people can no longer concenLraLe on lisLening.
ln Lhe breaks, Lhe parLicipanLs can Lalk abouL issues LhaL are relaLed Lo
Lhe meeLing buL may noL concern everyone.
ConversaLion in a break aLmosphere can lead Lo new ideas.
Fspecially during negoLiaLions, Lhe mosL imporLanL advances are oLen
made during or aLer Lhe breaks.
SeL an appropriaLe duraLion or Lhe break. 1en Lo Leen minuLes has
been proven Lo be opLimal.
Prepare Meetings Effectively Chapter 5 167
ou can aLLach Lhe agenda Lo Lhe meeLing requesL ( jusL like aLLaching les Lo regular
email messages). ALLendees jusL have Lo open Lhe meeLing in Lheir calendar by double-
clicking iL Lo access Lhe agenda. However, using a SharePoinL meeLing workspace or
Lhe agenda (see Lhe nexL secLion in Lhis chapLer) has many advanLages compared Lo Lhis
meLhod.
1he ollowing Lips can help you run your meeLing more eecLively.
DesignaLe a meeLing leader. l necessary, also selecL a moderaLor or diculL Lopics/
groups, someone who is noL involved in Lhe conLenL o Lhe meeLing iLsel buL has
a reeree uncLion (inLroduce new parLicipanLs and Lhe Lopic, limiL Lhe speaking
Lime per parLicipanL Lo Lhree minuLes max, or example, and sLick Lo iL, and aL Lhe
end summarize and clariy Lhe resulLs).
SLarL and end Lhe meeLing on Lime. l you waiL or laLecomers once, you will soon
always be waiLingeach Lime a liLLle longer. l you allow Lhe meeLings Lo run over-
Lime, you are well on your way Lo meeLings LhaL never end.
l you are noL making any progress wiLh a Lopic, leL Lhe meeLing leader decide a-
Ler a specied amounL o Lime wheLher you will casL voLes abouL conLinuing, make
aL leasL some parLial decisions, or posLpone Lhe Lopic Lo anoLher day (including
everyLhing LhaL needs Lo be prepared, claried, and decided). A small break can
help cool down heaLed Lempers and allow everyone Lo Lhink more clearly again.
AL Lhe end, collecL eedback rom everyone. How did Lhey like Lhe meeLing and Lhe
sLyle in which iL was led Are Lhere ideas or improvemenL 1he rsL ew Limes you
may geL silly or insignicanL answers, buL soon Lhey will become more useul.
Keep meeLing minuLes LhaL mainly summarize resulLs. DisLribuLe iL soon, preer-
ably sLill during Lhe meeLing or aL Lhe end o iL or everyone. 1yping Lhe noLes in
MicrosoL Word or MicrosoL OneNoLe and showing Lhem during Lhe meeLing all
Lhe Lime (on a digiLal projecLor) is besL Lo make sure LhaL everyLhing is represenLed
correcLly and LhaL nobody can laLer argue LhaL cerLain decisions werenL made or
were meanL dierenLly. Assign persons who will be ollowing up on each iLem, and
clearly speciy whaL Lhey have Lo do as well as a due daLe.
Use Meeting workspaces to Prepare Meetings
ln Lhe lasL pages o Lhis chapLer, we will briey inLroduce you Lo MicrosoL SharePoinL.
l you are working wiLh Windows Server 2003/Windows Server 2008 in your neLwork,
you can use MicrosoL SharePoinL FoundaLion (Windows SharePoinL Services), which is
parL o Lhe basic package. Fven i you donL use Lhis kind o server in your company, you
can sLill renL Lhese services rom Lhird-parLy providers, or example, Lo use SharePoinL
siLes on Lhe lnLerneL LogeLher wiLh virLual assisLanLs, your adverLising agency, and your
cusLomers. ou can also Lake advanLage o SharePoinL Online, which is parL o MicrosoL
Oce 365 (cloud-based Oce applicaLions rom MicrosoL Online Services, available or
a small monLhly ee per user). l you are noL sure wheLher Lhese uncLions are available
Lo you or how Lo seL up a new SharePoinL siLe, ask your sysLem adminisLraLor or advice
and, i necessary, requesL a user accounL or SharePoinL.
WhaL can projecL/meeLing workspaces in SharePoinL do or you ou can aLLach any
documenLs necessary or meeLing preparaLion, as well as an agenda, direcLly Lo Lhe
meeLing requesL or send Lhem via email, wiLhouL needing Lo use SharePoinL. 8uL Lhis old-
ashioned meLhod (wiLhouL SharePoinL) has several disadvanLages.
l Lhe agenda (or oLher documenLs) changeswhich is requenLly Lhe case, be-
cause wiLh a meeLing requesL you are pracLically sending a proposal LhaL will be
amended by Lhe oLher parLicipanLsLhe parLicipanLs need Lo look or Lhe newesL
version in your email messages, or each Lime a new version arrives deleLe Lhe le
aLLached Lo Lhe appoinLmenL and replace iL wiLh Lhe laLesL one. According Lo Mur-
phys Law, someone will always use an ouLdaLed version when he needs Lhe daLa
shorLly beore Lhe meeLing.
AnoLher drawback can be illusLraLed wiLh an example. Suppose Melissa sends Lhe
agenda LogeLher wiLh some documenLs. 8oLh Robin and 8oris individually Lhink
o a ew addiLions and changes LhaL each o Lhem noLes during Lhe day and Lhen
sends Lo Melissa in Lhe evening. She now has Lwo dierenL new versions o Lhe
les wiLh dierenL changesparLially in Lhe same secLions o Lhe documenL, so
she canL merge Lhem manually wiLh copy and pasLe. 1he siLuaLion requires a loL o
work and urLher requesLs or claricaLioniL would have been beLLer i rsL one
person had ediLed Lhe le while Lhe oLher (knowing LhaL Lhe ediL was Laking place)
had waiLed and Lhen reviewed Lhe updaLed le.
Fven i you don'L have Lo deal wiLh such simulLaneous changes LhaL end up causing
conicLs, some meeLings and Lopics can Lrigger a ood o email messages wiLh ad-
diLional aLLached documenLs and suggesLions or changes, ollowed by commenLs
rom Lhe individual aLLendees Lhrough email and Lheir dismissal via yeL more
email. lL geLs even more complicaLed i you Lry Lo geL a collecLive opinion abouL
an issue. One person sends Lhe quesLion Lo all, everybody answers Lo all recipienLs.
ou end up having Lo gaLher Lhe email messages rom Lhe lasL ew days Lo geL a
cross-secLion o opinion. 8ecause a simple email message wiLh es or No or
one o our opLions may seem a biL Loo blunL, mosL people add a ew lines LhaL
arenL really necessary and make evaluaLion more diculL.
The advantages of Meeting workspaces
SharePoinL can help by allowing you Lo creaLe cenLral Leam siLes in your companys in-
LraneL. 1hese siLes can be seL up direcLly rom a meeLing requesL and laLer reLrieved rom
Lhere. l you use SharePoinL in such a way Lo prepare a meeLing, Lhe websiLe you have
creaLed is called a meeLing workspace. 1he advanLages o such workspaces include Lhe
ollowing.
All daLa is sLored aL a cenLral locaLion, jusL like on a bulleLin board. ou no longer
need Lo sorL and manage hundreds o email messages wiLh daLa or Lhe nexL 20
meeLings, insLead you can nd all daLa or each meeLing in one locaLion, and iL's
always up Lo daLe.
ou can also sLore all relevanL documenLs aL Lhis cenLral locaLion. 1here are unc-
Lions allowing you Lo lock a documenL i iL is being ediLed. 1his way oLhers will
know LhaL Lhey cannoL ediL iL aL Lhe same Lime and, i necessary, Lhey can ask you
Lo ree iL up again.
MeeLing workspaces are very easy Lo work wiLh and quiLe inLuiLive. WiLh jusL a ew
clicks you can creaLe, or example, surveys or discussions, jusL like in a orum, which
will spare you a ood o email and LhaL can laLer be evaluaLed, looked Lhrough,
and summarized much more easily Lhan individual messages in Lhe inbox.
ou can geL noLied immediaLely (or aL cerLain inLervals) abouL whaLs relevanL Lo
you, wiLhouL being ooded by mail abouL oLher changes. For example, Robin only
Lakes a brie look aL Lhe laLesL documenLs shorLly beore Lhe meeLing Lo prepare
himsel. 1hey already conLain many changes, buL hes noL inLeresLed in Lhe change
hisLoryonly Lhe resulLs counL. Charlie is inormed abouL all Lhe changes in Lhe
documenLs and Lhe discussion iLems he is responsible or once a day in an email
summary. Holly geLs immediaLely noLied abouL any changes Lo her agenda iLem,
buL noL abouL oLher updaLes, and so on.
ou can seL up Lhe meeLing workspace wiLh a ew clicks direcLly rom Lhe meeLing requesL
in OuLlook 2003, OuLlook 2007, and OuLlook 200 and laLer open iL rom Lhe appoinLmenL
you have creaLed wiLh Lhe meeLing requesL. l you are working wiLh an older version o
OuLlook or oLher programs, you can open Lhe link rom your inviLaLion email message in
your browser and sLill access Lhe daLa. 8ecause Lhe daLa is sLored online, you can access iL
rom any oLher compuLer, or example i you donL have your own compuLer wiLh you (as-
suming you have noLed Lhe link and LhaL Lhe oLher compuLer is connecLed Lo Lhe lnLerneL
or Lhe company inLraneL LhaL conLains Lhe siLe).
NOTE Anyone who wanLs Lo open a meeLing workspace (SharePoinL siLe) needs
an appropriaLe user name and password. lndividual users can have di-
erenL righLs, or example only or reading Lhe elemenLs, or reading,
changing, and adding elemenLs, or redesigning Lhe workspace, or or
inviLing new users and adminisLering user righLs. ou can Lhereore granL
Read or even WriLe access Lo inormaLion in Lhe workspace Lo cusLomers
or cerLain parLner companies who canL access your oLher neLwork re-
sources. 1o do so, Lhe siLe musL be accessible rom ouLside your company.
Ask your sysLem adminisLraLor how Lhis is handled in your company, i
and how siLes can be accessed rom Lhe ouLside (such as via Lhe lnLerneL
or special exLernal inLraneL access), and who can granL user righLs where,
and how.
automatically get Notifed about the Changes relevant to You
1o keep you inormed o whaL has changed wiLhouL your consLanLly having Lo perorm
manual comparisons, Lhe meeLing workspace auLomaLically sends you email updaLes.
Maybe you donL care i cerLain agenda iLems, address lisLs, and Lhings like LhaL have
been changed beore Lhe meeLing, buL Lhe changes Lo oLher elemenLs are very inLeresL-
ing and imporLanL Lo you. 1o avoid receiving Loo many change noLicaLions LhaL donL
maLLer Lo you, you can manually seL Lhe noLicaLions or each iLem and individually
speciy whaL you wanL Lo be noLied abouL and how oLen.
Take advantage of Document Libraries
l several colleagues are supposed Lo review Lhe same documenL beore a meeLing,
according Lo Murphys Law noLhing will happen or a whole week and Lhen everyLhing
will happen aL Lhe same Lime. One colleague inserLs new slogans and phoLos, anoLher
Lhe laLesL numbers and daLa, and a Lhird Lhe new concepL, buL each o Lhem make Lheir
inserLions inLo Lheir own copy o Lhe old le. Now you have Lhree new les, and in each
one o Lhem Lhe daLa o Lhe oLher colleagues is obsoleLe, so LhaL acLually none o Lhem
is up Lo daLe. 1his creaLes more work, addiLional email, and a week laLer aL Lhe meeLing,
you will end up wiLh a loL o conusion and Lrouble nding Lhe mosL currenL le, inLo
which somebody has laboriously enLered all Lhe changes by hand.
Heres Lhe soluLion. Add a documenL library or managing shared les Lo your workspace
(see Figure 5-). 1he ollowing uncLions make documenL libraries especially useul.
1he abiliLy Lo Discuss documenLs wiLh commenLs jusL like in an online orum
(insLead o having separaLe email messages Lo everyone, Lhe conLribuLions are
gaLhered where Lhey belong, and only Lhose people who are inLeresLed in Lhem
are noLied)
1he abiliLy Lo check documenLs ouL (lock Lhem) and check Lhem in again (so Lhe
le can only be ediLed by one person aL a Lime)
1he abiliLy Lo creaLe and view a version hisLory, which leLs you Lrack checked-in
changes and (i congured) allows you Lo resLore older versions o each documenL
ou can access Lhese uncLions via Lhe menu aLLached Lo a documenLs enLry in Lhe work-
space. When you have checked ouL a documenL, your colleagues can see LhaL iL is being
ediLed. ALer you have selecLed Check OuL, Lhe opLion changes Lo Check ln.
FIGURE 5-11 Use documenL libraries Lo Lrack changes made by several people, Lhus avoiding chaos.
When checking in, you have Lhe ollowing choices.
RejecL Lhe changes and undo Lhe checkouL.
Conrm Lhe documenL changes done so ar (so your colleagues can download Lhe
updaLes), buL leave Lhe documenL checked ouL or ediLing.
Conrm Lhe changes and share Lhe documenL again (reporL as checked in).
ou can also add a commenL LhaL will explain laLer on in Lhe hisLory whaL kinds o
changes you made.
Discover the advantages of the other SharePoint web Parts
1here are many addiLional Web ParLs you can Lake advanLage o. 1he mosL pracLical and
mosL imporLanL are.
Contacts ConLacL lisLs wiLh address daLa, or example o exLernal conLacLs, which
you imporL rom Lhe OuLlook Address 8ook and can embed as a conLacLs older in
OuLlook.
General ou can use Lhe general discussion Web ParL Lo add a orum or discuss-
ing Lopics.
Surveys 1hese include auLomaLic evaluaLion and graphical resulLs display, or ex-
ample, or voLing beore Lhe meeLing sLarLs Lo already have resulLs aL Lhe meeLing.
1here are various quesLion Lypes Lo selecL rom (such as selecLion lisL, es/No, and
evaluaLion scale), and you can speciy wheLher Lhe names o parLicipanLs should be
visible and wheLher Lhey can voLe mulLiple Limes or jusL once.
You Try it
1. CreaLe a meeLing requesL, or example or your nexL meeLing or a planned phone
call. Look or ree Limes in Lhe calendars o Lhe parLicipaLing colleagues.
2. Ask a colleague Lo send you a meeLing requesL, look up Lhe Lime in your calendar,
and accepL iL or propose a dierenL Lime.
3. Check your meeLings or Lhe nexL monLh. Which ones can you group inLo one,
cancel, or replace wiLh a conerence call or a Live MeeLing AcL accordingly.
4. 1ogeLher wiLh your Leam, agree on core Limes or meeLings, come up wiLh a xed
meaning or Lhe OuL O Oce sLaLus, and look or ways Lo opLimize meeLings in
Lhe uLure (such as maximum duraLion Lime, agenda, or meeLing workspace).
5. FnLer your vacaLions as all-day appoinLmenLs and as (Show As) OuL O Oce. For
Lhe nexL Lwo weeks, seL Show As or all appoinLmenLs Lo Lhe correcL value and
ag all privaLe appoinLmenLs as such. As soon as possible, adjusL all oLher uLure
appoinLmenLs LhaL are already enLered, and rom now on handle all new appoinL-
menLs in Lhis manner.
6. l you are working wiLh OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, display Lhe appoinLmenLs or
yoursel and Lwo colleagues overlaid in Lhe Week view, and look or an open ap-
poinLmenL. 1hen place your calendar Lo Lhe righL o Lhe overlaid calendars o your
colleagues.
7. FnLer ve privaLe appoinLmenLs inLo Lhe calendar (or example, jogging, yoga, or
OuLlook exercises) and ag Lhem as privaLe.
175
CHAPTER 6
GATHER DETAI LED noLes and meeLing minuLes as well as ideas,
goals, rough draLs, and skeLches in a digiLal noLebook. WiLh MicrosoL
OneNoLe, you always have Lhe necessary daLa in ronL o you (and on
your lapLop i you are Lraveling), and you can perorm a ull-LexL search,
keep ollow-up acLiviLies in view, and exchange daLa wiLh oLher MicrosoL
Oce applicaLions.
8y now you have learned how MicrosoL OuLlook can supporL
you perecLly in your email managemenL as well as your Lask and
appoinLmenL planning. 8uL whaL abouL Lhose elaboraLe ideas LhaL
conLain picLures and skeLches Where Lo puL Lhe meeLing minuLes,
goals, and rough draLs o plans 1hose usually end up on paper
(which you need anyway or conLracLs, yers, invoices, and orms,
and or which you have some kind o ling sysLem). And Lhen you
requenLly canL nd Lhem again laLer on.
how to Use oneNote
for writing goals,
jotting Down ideas,
and Keeping Notes
ive got it all Memorized!
Learn the basics of taking notes
with OneNote.
Work with sections, notebooks,
and pages.
Take meeting minutes in
OneNote.
Use Outlook and OneNote
together.
Link documents to your notes.
176 Chapter 6 How to Use OneNote for Writing Goals, Jotting Down Ideas, and Keeping Notes
ROBINS PHILOSOPHY
1here musL be a parallel universe. Robin is sure o iL. One where oce workers con-
sLanLly have Loo many documenLs and noL Lhe slighLesL idea where Lhey came rom,
because loLs o single sheeLs o paper randomly keep slipping Lhrough a hole beLween
Lhe dimensions rom our desks Lo Lheirs. AL leasL Lhis seems Lo be Lhe only remaining
explanaLion aLer Lhree hours o ruiLless searching. 1hree pages o his ve-page meeL-
ing minuLes wiLh very imporLanL deLails abouL a large order are missing. So ar, he has
gone Lhrough all his sLacks o paper aL leasL Lwice, and some o Lhem hes probably
rummaged Lhrough ve Limes.
Once in a while, some o Lhe documenLs reappear, suddenly showing up weeks laLer aL
places he had searched very careully beore. Like righL now, when he nds a piece o
paper wiLh ingenious ideas or a new projecL. UnorLunaLely, he was only able Lo recon-
sLrucL abouL hal o Lhem rom memory lasL monLh, and now iLs much Loo laLe or Lhe
resL o Lhem, even Lhough Lhere are some really greaL ideas LhaL would have really paid
o, had he been able Lo pursue Lhem. 8uL whaL can he do Hes a creaLive Lhinker who
needs more reedom Lhan jusL Lyping LexL line aLer line. Which is why he joLs down his
ideas on individual pieces o paper. Or, i hes on Lhe phone and doesnL have a blank
piece o paper available, he someLimes makes noLes on Lhe back o used envelopes or
on papers wiLh noLes abouL oLher Lopics. lL would jusL be Loo much Lrouble Lo Lranser
everyLhing righL away, and or a ew hours or days his noLes are sLill direcLly in his eld
o vision. UnLil he rearranges one o his sLacks while looking or someLhing and puLs
anoLher 20 pages on Lop, or someLhing slides down over Lhem....
Robin Lravels a loL and needs Lo le everyLhing away in hanging le olders or sLor-
age Lrays. Having Lo le and sorL Lhings beore each business Lrip is annoying, and he
doesnL have enough space or all Lhose olders in his hand luggage and no reasonable
opLion or ling Lhe documenLs and noLes gaLhered on long Lrips. 1here is only one so-
luLion. He should be able Lo use his lapLop Lo make noLes and plans in Lhe same creaLive
ashion as on paper.
why Do important Documents and Notes
always get Lost?
Fven a very sophisLicaLed paper ling sysLem reaches iLs limiLs or becomes exLremely
hard Lo work wiLh, i you wanL Lo see all open quesLions and ollow-up Lasks or mulLiple
areas aL Lhe same Lime, reer Lo elecLronically saved les, need Lo access a loL o inorma-
Lion while Lraveling or in a meeLing, or wanL Lo inserL a ew lines, daLa, and picLures rom
compuLer documenLs here and Lhere. And i you do noL have your noLes while Lraveling,
i you canL insLanLly le or reLrieve someLhing wiLhouL leaving your desk, you mosL likely
will sLop ling mosL Lhings and sLarL Lo lose Lhem (or sLill have Lhem wiLhouL being able
Lo nd Lhem again).
ln order Lo be able Lo work opLimally wiLh goals, rough draLs, deLailed noLes, and meeL-
ing minuLes, you need a sysLem LhaL oers you Lhe ollowing.
1he abiliLy Lo work inLuiLively jusL like on paper, wiLh sucienLly large pages and
room or creaLiviLy, a sysLem LhaL doesnL Lake up much o your aLLenLion or noLe
Laking so you can ocus on Lhe conLenL
1exL markers and drawing Lools
Pre-sorLing aL several levels, and aL Lhe same Lime Lhe abiliLy Lo display as much as
possible on one page
1he capaciLy Lo keep everyLhing on a lapLop while on Lhe road and back up daLa
wiLhouL much eorL
A way Lo quickly and auLomaLically search Lhrough all areas as well as specic par-
Lial areas
An overview o open Lasks, quesLions, imporLanL noLes, and more or several areas
1he abiliLy Lo link les (MicrosoL Fxcel spreadsheeLs, skeLched direcLions, and so
on) and easily pasLe email messages and copy daLa rom and Lo applicaLions, espe-
cially MicrosoL OuLlook (or planning Lasks and appoinLmenLs).
Finally, a Place and a System for all Your Notes
How many greaL ideas do you simply orgeL or never puL Lo use How much inLeresLing
and helpul inormaLion do you learn aL presenLaLions, buL will orgeL a ew days laLer, i
Lhe speaker doesnL leL you creaLe an acLion plan or wriLe down noLes and goals
TIP ou should always record (type in) imporLanL iLemsand you should do
so in a sLrucLured ashion wiLh a sysLem LhaL helps you arrange, sorL, and
view your noLes and ollow-up acLiviLies.
Use a Structured System when Planning
1he besL idea is worLh noLhing, i you have orgoLLen iL by Lhe Lime Lhe crucial momenL
arrives. l you are Laking a break rom a meeLing, are in Lhe middle o a hecLic Lrade show
day, or are riding a Lrain, and suddenly have greaL ideas or a new projecL, Lhe ideal birLh-
day giL or a riend, or a whole bunch o Lhings youd like Lo do when you're on vacaLion,
you can noLe Lhem immediaLely i you have a well-organized sysLem. So noLhing will geL
losL.
Remember Lhe basics or wriLLen planning rom ChapLer 2, How Lo Work More Fec-
Lively wiLh 1asks and PrioriLies. PuL down your plans in wriLing, like a conLracL wiLh
yoursel. ou will subconsciously eel more obligaLed Lo ollow Lhrough wiLh your plans.
ou can view your goals or Lhe upcoming weeks or Lhe nexL meeLing aL a glance and
be menLally ready. 8riey prepare or imporLanL phone conversaLions and Lake noLes as
Lhe conversaLions Lake place. 1his way you wonL orgeL or conuse anyLhingassuming
your noLes are correcL and you can nd Lhem again laLer. Weeks laLer, you will sLill have
Lhe exacL inormaLion ready and can use your brain or more creaLive and imporLanL
LhoughLs Lhan having Lo remember everyLhing.
Notes delayed are notes not made.
Author unknown
1he besL ideas normally donL come Lo us in Lhe oce or in a meeLing, buL usually aLer
Lhe subconscious mind has processed Lhe inormaLion or a while and our brain is busy
wiLh someLhing else. Or when iL doesnL have much Lo do and can use iLs reed-up capac-
iLies. during a shorL walk, aL nighL when alling asleep (unorLunaLely, alling asleep dur-
ing a meeLing doesnL counL), while running, in Lhe shower, while driving, aL Lhe airporL
on Lhe way Lo your deparLure gaLe, and more. 1hereore, you should always have your
noLe sysLem wiLh you or aL leasL nearby (or example, a lapLop wiLh OneNoLe) so LhaL you
can enLer your ideas a ew minuLes laLer aL Lhe nexL opporLuniLy. CeL yoursel some kind
o clipboard (more abouL Lhis soon) or Lhose cases when your large noLe sysLem isnL
available. FnLer your ideas inLo your noLe sysLem Lo have Lhem available and conLinue
working wiLh Lhem aL Lhe nexL meeLing, during projecL planning, and so on.
have Your Notes available when You Need Them
lmmediaLely wriLe down everyLhing as soon as you Lhink o iLLhe laLer you wriLe
iL down, Lhe more imprecise iL becomes. 1he more youve already orgoLLen, Lhe
more energy and concenLraLion iL Lakes Lo remember any deLails.
LosL noLes are jusL as useless as orgoLLen ones. SeL up a ling sysLem LhaL leLs you
le inormaLion in a sLrucLured ashion and allows you Lo nd iL again. For papers,
Lhere are olders wiLh various pockeLs, dividers, and colored pages. our compuLer
has a search uncLion, buL using iL oLen Lakes longer (you mighL have Lo rummage
Lhrough a huge amounL o resulLs) Lhan LargeLing someLhing aL a specic loca-
Lion and opening iL wiLh jusL Lhree clicks in less Lhan one second. Fven Lhe besL
search canL help you i you canL remember Lhe righL keyword buL jusL a synonym
or iL or only a LhemaLic descripLion. However, i you le everyLhing according Lo
your way o Lhinking, you will nd iL again. Above all, sLrucLured ling helps you
avoid wriLing Lhings down all over Lhe place wiLhouL any sysLem. ou will be able
Lo beLLer Lake advanLage o your noLes laLer on and will have an easier Lime going
Lhrough search resulLs.
1ry Lo wriLe Lhings down where Lhey belong righL away. Did you ever rewriLe regu-
lar noLes more clearly laLer on, even Lhough iL wasnL absoluLely necessary Hardly
anyone ever does. AlmosL always, your iniLial noLes will be your nal ones or will
only be slighLly ediLed.
ls your lapLop buried somewhere in one o your Lhree suiLcases, wiLh your Lrain arriving
in a minuLe and you sLill needing Lo make some noLes abouL Lhe phone call you jusL had
ls your lapLop baLLery depleLed Do you have a couple o greaL ideas jusL as Lhe ighL
aLLendanL announces LhaL all elecLronic devices musL be swiLched o, or while youre
walking rom your desk Lo Lhe coee maker l you canL wriLe someLhing down where iL
belongs, use a clipboard and make a rm habiL o Lranserring your noLes.
Finally, a Place and a System for All Your Notes Chapter 6 179
TIP Always carry a liLLle noLebook and pen or an acLual clipboard, a cell
phone wiLh voice memo, or a 8lack8erry (Lo immediaLely enLer a Lask,
appoinLmenL, or noLe or Lo record a voice memo and email iL Lo your-
sel). Make a habiL o Lranserring Lhe noLes you made Lhere aL Lhe nexL
opporLuniLy. when youre back aL your desk or aLer youre allowed Lo
Lurn your compuLer back on in Lhe planeor, i Lhe baLLery was dead or
your day Loo hecLic, as soon as you arrive aL Lhe hoLel (or in Lhe evening
beore leaving Lhe oce). ALerward, cross ouL Lhe Lranserred noLes (on
your liLLle noLebook) or deleLe Lhem (rom Lhe voice memory o your cell
phone), so you donL geL conused, and rom LhaL momenL on, conLinue
working wiLh Lhe version on your large noLe sysLem.
IMPORTANT So LhaL you donL orgeL Lo Lranser your noLes and end up losing some,
iLs imporLanL LhaL you geL used Lo Lranserring Lhem auLomaLically and
as soon as possible. lL becomes a habiL i you sLarL righL away and con-
Linue consisLenLly or Lhe nexL Lhree weeks, linking Lhe Lranser Lo specic
siLuaLions and evenLs (such as reLurning Lo your desk).
Do You Still Use Paper Even Though You have a Laptop?
OuLlook supporLs you perecLly in your email managemenL and Lask and appoinLmenL
planning eorLs. 1he OuLlook sLrucLure is like a specialized daLabase. On Lhe one hand,
you can Lake advanLage o Lhe various uncLions, buL on Lhe oLher hand, iL makes manag-
ing inormaLion LhaL doesn'L exacLly L Lhis sLrucLure diculL and cumbersome. 1he noLe
uncLion in OuLlook is raLher like a subsLiLuLe or liLLle sLicky noLes. ou can only enLer
pure LexL, and Lhere are noL nearly enough uncLions or a sophisLicaLed noLe-Laking
sysLem.
l you absoluLely wanL Lo manage everyLhing in OuLlook, you can diverL cerLain enLry
Lypes rom Lheir inLended use wiLh a biL o creaLive Lhinking. For example, you can enLer
goals as conLacLs in a separaLe older in OuLlook (Lo link Lhem wiLh Lasks, appoinLmenLs,
and email messages, which are Lhen lisLed in Lhe AcLiviLies or LhaL conLacL). For noLes,
you can creaLe new email oldersso LhaL each enLry has a subjecL or easy recogni-
Lionand you can aLLach les, add picLures, and use Lhe LexL ormaLLing opLions. Many
nd Lhis meLhod hard Lo use, because a goal is suddenly saved as a conLacL wiLh several
inappropriaLe elds or personal LhoughLs abouL a projecL in an email message Lhey
would never wanL Lo send.... OLher aspecLs o a pracLical noLe sysLem are lacking as well,
especially Lhe ree page design, sophisLicaLed opLions or more comprehensive noLes,
such as ouLlines, and a view o open ollow-up acLiviLies or especially imporLanL secLions
and LhoughLs.
MicrosoL Word is beLLer suiLed or comprehensive noLes, because iL oers more sophis-
LicaLed page layouL opLions, ouLline views, and drawing and painLing Lools. However, iL is
also missing Lhe aspecLs o a good noLe sysLem, and Lhere are oLher disadvanLages. Word
is opLimized or LexL o dierenL lengLhs (wiLh reerences, auLomaLic Lables o conLenLs,
and more) abouL one Lopic (or example, a book, conLracL, or a log), buL noL or hundreds
o long or shorL noLes, beLween which Lhe user wanLs Lo swiLch quickly. Having Lo save
your noLes in Word aLer each ediL is annoying as well. lL slows you down, and you risk
losing daLa i you orgeL Lo save aLer small changes or when quickly swiLching beLween
dierenL Lopics.
ln Lhe end, cerLain inormaLion geLs wriLLen down on paper anyway, because iL gives you
Lhe necessary reedom, buL Lhis approach poses Lremendous problems when iL comes Lo
sorLing, searching, and quick Lracking o ollow-up acLiviLies and larger amounLs o inor-
maLion. Word and OuLlook donL oer enough reedom and exibiliLy Lo be perecL noLe
sysLems. Paper makes iL diculL Lo conLinue working while Lraveling, Lake noLes along
wiLh you, and nd Lhem laLer. 1o ulll noL jusL hal buL all o Lhe requiremenLs described
in Lhe LeLs CeL SLarLed and Change 1his secLion aL Lhe beginning o Lhis chapLer, you
need a dierenL noLe sysLem.
Discover the advantages of oneNote
Finally Lhis sysLem exisLs. MicrosoL OneNoLe. OneNoLe is a new kind o program LhaL
is besL described as a digiLal noLebook. As expecLed, iLs noL suiLable or ediLing long
LexL les or or every single appoinLmenL and email message. For such Lasks, Word and
OuLlook remain Lhe specialized programs LhaL besL ulll Lhose purposes. 8uL OneNoLe
nally provides a virLually perecL digiLal noLe sysLemLhaLs whaL iL was designed or.
lL ullls all Lhe requiremenLs sLaLed in LeLs CeL SLarLed and Change 1his and provides
addiLional advanLages. 1he mosL imporLanL are.
FasL swiLching beLween pages and Lhe abiliLy Lo access all pages aL once, wiLhouL
consLanLly needing Lo open and save, Lhe abiliLy Lo arrange Lhe pages inLo mulLiple
older levels and secLions.
Free placemenL o inormaLion on Lhe page (wiLhouL xed enLry elds, and noL jusL
line by line).
Colors, picLures, LexL markers, skeLches, pens or underlining and circling, and
handwriLLen noLes.
Finally, a Place and a System for All Your Notes Chapter 6 181
A lighLning-asL inormaLion search capabiliLy LhaL scans Lhrough every single word
rom all Lhe noLes you Look in Lhe lasL ew years, as well as a more ocused search
resLricLed Lo specic areas, quick and easy publishing and orwarding Lo oLhers.
Simple daLa exchange wiLh oLher applicaLions, pasLing o email messages rom
OuLlook, and inserLing o le links.
Special noLe Lags or daLa, such as open quesLions, key phrases, and Lasks, which
can be combined or individual or mulLiple pages, specic secLions, or olders.
1he availabiliLy o Lhese eaLures on any deskLop compuLer or lapLop. On a LableL
PC, you can also use a pen or working jusL like on paperexLended by Lhe digiLal
uncLions.
On Lhe nexL pages o Lhis chapLer, we will show you Lhe basic uncLions o OneNoLe, how
you can opLimally manage your noLes, ideas, meeLing minuLes, and goalseveryLhing
lisLed a deLail level below or a planning level above OuLlook (or example, pure gaLh-
ering o ideas wiLhouL any Lime horizons, or gaLhering many dierenL Lopics, impulses,
and ollow-up acLiviLies as seminar noLes). Discover Lhe advanLages, possibiliLies, and
poLenLial o OneNoLe and iLs cooperaLion wiLh oLher applicaLions, such as OuLlook.
Basics for Notes in oneNote
OneNoLe 2003, OneNoLe 2007, and OneNoLe 200 are very dierenL rom one anoLher.
OneNoLe wasnL included in mosL Oce 2003 suiLes and was only included in some
Oce 2007 suiLes, iL had Lo be purchased separaLely. We will Lhereore only inLroduce
you Lo Lhe 200 version o OneNoLeLhis is Lhe besL way Lo use Lhe space available in
Lhis chapLer Lo show you Lhe basics and give you Lhe mosL imporLanL Lime-managemenL
Lips. l you are working wiLh MicrosoL Oce OuLlook 2007 or MicrosoL Oce OuLlook
2003 and need Lo buy OneNoLe separaLely, you should jusL acquire Lhe newesL and
mosL powerul 200 version o OneNoLe. Fven i you are working wiLh an older ver-
sion o OuLlook, you can sLill use iL. However, noL all OneNoLe inLegraLion uncLions in
OuLlook 200 will be available (or example, OuLlook 2003 doesnL recognize any Lasks
direcLly linked Lo OneNoLe LhaL synchronize Lhe compleLion sLaLus beLween OuLlook
and OneNoLe, and Lhereore Lhis uncLion cannoL be used in OuLlook 2003wheLher
you are using OneNoLe 2003, OneNoLe 2007, or OneNoLe 200).
8ecause OneNoLe is new Lo many users, we will sLarL wiLh Lhe basics o how Lo use iL. AL
rsL glance, OneNoLe mighL look conusing (see Figure 6-), wiLh all Lhe uncLions and
buLLons LhaL appear aLer you click one o iLs Labs (which look like menu iLems). 8uL i you
know Lhe mosL imporLanL uncLions o Word, you will geL used Lo OneNoLe very quickly,
as soon as you undersLand Lhe major dierences and new uncLions.
Take advantage of the Digital Notebook Structure
OneNoLe is sLrucLured like a digiLal noLebooka proessional scheduler exLended wiLh
special elecLronic uncLions. Cood schedulers provide separaLion pages LhaL allow you Lo
quickly open specic secLions LhaL conLain Lhe led pages, jusL like a Lab. WiLh one simple
move, you have your projecLs, meeLing noLes, or goals in ronL o you. OneNoLe recreaLes
Lhis sLrucLure in exLended orm, wiLh olders and pages.
Your Notebook Structure
OneNoLe provides pages, subpages, secLions, and secLion groups LhaL are like olders
(see Figure 6-).
FIGURE 6-1 1ake advanLage o OneNoLes lexible, creaLive design LhaL works like paper noLes, combined
wiLh elecLronic precision and sorLing.
1he basic elemenL is a page. ou can do whaLever you wanL here, jusL like on pa-
per, and i necessary show lines or a grid in Lhe background.
ln Lhe upper-righL parL o Lhe page, you can see Lhe page title. lL helps you quickly
nd and open Lhe page by using Lhe small Labs Lo Lhe righL o Lhe page.
A subpage is a separaLe page wiLh iLs own inormaLion LhaL is shown indenLed on
Lhe righL and helps you sLrucLure your noLes urLher.
Basics for Notes in OneNote Chapter 6 183
A section combines mulLiple pages, jusL like Lhe Labs in a paper scheduler. 1o Lhe
righL o Lhe program window, you can see Lhe LiLles o all pages in Lhe secLion, and
you can open Lhem wiLh one click o Lhe LiLle. ou can creaLe a secLion group (like
a older conLaining more Lhan one secLion) by righL-clicking a secLion and choos-
ing New SecLion Croup rom Lhe menu.
A notebook conLains mulLiple secLions. ou can use iL Lo LhemaLically ouLline your
secLions (or example, one noLebook or projecLs, anoLher or your vacaLion plan-
ning, and so on).
what are the Subpages For?
8y creaLing subpages, you avoid consLanL scrolling. ou creaLe a new subpage insLead o
exLending Lhe original page downward. 1he advanLage. ou can direcLly open Lhe sub-
page aL any Lime by clicking iLs LiLle in Lhe righL pane (in Lhe page LiLle lisL o Lhe currenL
secLion). 1he disadvanLage. 1he more subpages you creaLe, Lhe more quickly Lhe page
LiLle lisL becomes ull (Lhen you end up having Lo scroll Lo see Lhe ones aL Lhe end and
canL open Lhe iLems wiLh one click any longer). ou should Lhereore use Lhe subpages,
or example, Lo gaLher meeLing minuLes on one page and Lo open imporLanL Lopics LhaL
are gaLhered in Lheir own area direcLly or a parLicular meeLing. 1he subpage LiLles are
indenLed by abouL Lhree characLers Lo Lhe righL o Lhe main pages. l you righL-click a
subpage (or a main page wiLh subpages), you can selecL Collapse Subpages. OneNoLe
Lhen hides Lhe subpages in Lhe page LiLle lisL and shows a small arrow Lo Lhe righL o Lhe
main page name. Click Lhe arrow Lo show Lhe subpages again.
Notebook vs. Section
A secLion conLains one or more pages wiLh subpages LhaL are combined LhemaLically.
A noLebook iLsel doesnL acLually conLain pages, only secLions LhaL conLain pages.
NoLebooks serve as an addiLional division level. 1he 1rade Show noLebook, or example,
mighL conLain a secLion wiLh general ideas and experiences as well as urLher secLions
abouL individual Lrade shows, such as Ce8l1 202 and Ce8l1 203. ln Lhese secLions, you
Lhen creaLe pages or conversaLion noLes aL your booLh, oLher booLhs, aLLended presen-
LaLions, your booLh sLrucLure, Lravel planning, Lrade show preparaLions, and ollow-ups
or Lhe year.
Develop a Structure for Your Notebook
1his sLrucLure musL L your individual way o Lhinking and working (as described or Lhe
Lrade shows in Lhe previous secLion) so LhaL you can inLuiLively le and nd everyLhing
quickly. During a seminar wiLh a small group rom a similar work environmenL, we could
analyze your way o Lhinking and working and give you concreLe suggesLions, buL a book
is Loo general Lo gure ouL a personalized noLe sLrucLure. Read our examples and sug-
gesLions or creaLing a caLegory sysLem in ChapLer 3, How 1o Cain More 1ime or WhaLs
FssenLial wiLh an FecLive Week Planner, and or creaLing a older sLrucLure in ChapLer ,
How NoL Lo Drown in Lhe Fmail Flood, Lo develop your own sysLempreerably Lo-
geLher wiLh a colleague who works in a similar environmenL.
Notebooks on the web and Shared with others
8y clicking Lhe File Lab and selecLing New, you can puL a new noLebook on your local
PC (work sLaLion or lapLop), a company neLwork, or Lhe web (or example, in MicrosoL
SharePoinL). NoLebooks saved on Lhe web can be used on mulLiple compuLers (such as
oce PCs, lapLops, or small neLbooks while Lraveling), and Lhey can also be shared wiLh
oLher users who donL have access Lo Lhe same company neLwork (or example, cusLom-
ers, suppliers, riends, spouses, or Lennis parLners, who need Lo prepare or an evenL wiLh
you by using OneNoLe on Lhe web).
work with Sections, Notebooks, and Pages
1he noLebooks are shown on Lhe leL side o Lhe page LhaL is currenLly open, Lhe secLions
on Lop o Lhe page, and Lhe oLher pages rom Lhe currenL secLion on Lhe righL side o Lhe
currenL page.
how to create new sections
1. 1o Lhe righL o Lhe LiLle o your lasL secLion, click New Section.
2. OneNoLe now inserLs Lhe new secLion or older inLo Lhe secLion lisL (above Lhe
page) Lo Lhe righL o Lhe currenLly open secLion, and selecLs iLs enLire name. FnLer
a new name and conrm iL by pressing FnLer (or click any parL o Lhe currenL page
Lo rename Lhe secLion laLer).
how to create new pages and subpages
Click Lhe New Page buLLon, which is locaLed above Lhe page LiLle lisL o Lhe currenL
secLion, Lo inserL a new page aL Lhe end o Lhe currenL secLion, or click Lhe arrow aL
Lhe righL end o Lhe buLLon Lo inserL a new subpage or Lhe currenL page or a new
page based on a page LemplaLe.
how to navigate among sections and notebooks
Click Lhe name o a secLion/noLebook Lo open iL.
l noL all secLions L side by side, click Lhe arrow wiLh Lhree doLs in ronL o iL, Lo Lhe
righL o Lhe ouLer Lab.
1o direcLly open a secLion LhaL is noL in Lhe currenL noLebook, click Lhe arrow
poinLing Lo Lhe righL (aL Lhe leL end o Lhe navigaLion bar), and Lhen selecL Lhe
secLion in Lhe lisL LhaL now opens.
1o geL back Lo Lhe previously opened noLebook/secLion, click Lhe Back buLLon in
Lhe upper-leL corner.
how to open specifc pages and subpages
Click one o Lhe page LiLles in Lhe page Lab bar on Lhe righL Lo open Lhe page.
l noL all o Lhe page LiLles o Lhe currenL secLion L below each oLher on Lhe
screen, a scroll bar will be displayed on Lhe righL.
how to move or copy a page
RighL-click Lhe page in Lhe page LiLle lisL, selecL Move or Copy in Lhe shorLcuL
menu, and Lhen click Lhe LargeL. 1his shorLcuL menu also conLains Lhe Cut, Copy,
Paste, and Delete commands or Lhe page.
8y pressing ShiL or CLrl, you can selecL mulLiple pages beore perorming Lhis sLep or all
Lhose pages in one go.
1o move Lhe page wiLhin Lhe currenL secLion, do Lhe ollowing.
1. Click Lhe page LiLle and keep Lhe mouse buLLon pressed.
2. Drag Lhe page Lo Lhe LargeL posiLion.
how to Fill Your Pages
OneNoLe arranges elemenLs on Lhe page in reely movable and combinable conLainers. A
conLainer can be, or example, LexL or a picLure, or boLh.
l you have enabled Lhe SelecL & 1ype Lool insLead o Lhe pen (on Lhe very leL o Lhe
Draw Lab), all conLainers are displayed in a colored ouLline. 1he currenLly selecLed con-
Lainer has a slighLly darker bar aL Lhe Lop border. As soon as you poinL Lo Lhis bar, Lhe
mouse poinLer changes Lo an arrow wiLh mulLiple heads, which you can use Lo move Lhe
conLainer while keeping Lhe mouse buLLon pressed. ou can also poinL Lo Lhe righL bor-
der o Lhe conLainer and change iLs widLh by dragging Lhe border.
l you wanL Lo move LexL wiLhin a conLainer, you can selecL, cuL, and pasLe iL, jusL like in
Word. Fach paragraph in OneNoLe also has a so-called paragraph handle. When you
poinL Lo a paragraph, OneNoLe shows a small box wiLh a blue background wiLh a mulLi-
poinLed arrow Lo Lhe leL o Lhe rsL line. Drag Lhe box Lo move Lhe paragraph up or
down wiLhin Lhe conLainer or Lo indenL iL by one sLep below oLher paragraphs. ou can
also use Lhe paragraph handle Lo drag Lhe paragraph inLo a dierenL conLainer or Lo
drop iL inLo a ree area o Lhe page. (OneNoLe Lhen creaLes a new conLainer or Lhe LexL.)
Text Functions
Click an exisLing conLainer Lo add LexL, or click a ree area on Lhe page Lo enLer
new LexL in a newly creaLed conLainer.
JusL as in Word, you can ormaL Lhe LexL wiLh Lhe uncLions on Lhe Home Lab.
1o use a dierenL bulleL or numbering in a bulleLed or numbered lisL, click Lhe
arrow nexL Lo Lhe respecLive buLLon Lo open Lhe selecLion menu.

how to insert, Move, and Scale Pictures
1here are dierenL ways o inserLing picLures inLo OneNoLe and working wiLh Lhem.
Copy a picLure (or example, by using your graphics program) Lo Lhe MicrosoL
Oce Clipboard, click Lhe page where you wanL Lo inserL iL inLo Lhe newly creaLed
conLainer, and Lhen press CLrl-v.
1o inserL a picLure rom your hard drive (or a CD or neLwork drive), click Lhe Pic-
ture buLLon on Lhe Insert Lab, in Lhe Images group.
1o inserL a picLure rom a scanner or a camera, click Lhe Scanner Printout buLLon
on Lhe Insert Lab, in Lhe Files group.
ou can also move picLures wiLhin Lhe conLainer or reely on Lhe page. Click Lhe
picLure Lo selecL iL, and Lhen drag iL Lo Lhe new posiLion.
1o scale a picLure, poinL Lo one o Lhe small blue recLangles on Lhe edges o Lhe selecLion
rame (Lhere is one in each corner and in Lhe middle o each side). 1he mouse poinLer will
change Lo a double arrow. Keep Lhe mouse buLLon pressed and increase or decrease Lhe
picLure size by dragging Lhe icons.
how to insert screenshots into oneNote
l you wanL Lo make noLes or a colleague abouL a specic menu, dialog box, or Loolbar,
or i Lhe displayed conLenL o an applicaLion canL be exporLed easily, Lhe screenshoL
uncLion o OneNoLe can help.
1. Click Lhe locaLion where you wanL Lo inserL Lhe screenshoL on Lhe page Lo creaLe a
new conLainer.
2. Open Lhe applicaLion rom which you wanL Lo Lake a screenshoL, and seL iL up
accordingly (or example, open Lhe dialog box in quesLion).
3. Press AlL-1ab Lo geL back Lo OneNoLe. Click Lhe Screen Clipping buLLon on Lhe
Insert Lab, in Lhe Images group. OneNoLe now displays Lhe oLher applicaLion
grayed ouL in Lhe oreground, and displays a crosshair poinLer.
4. Place Lhe crosshair in one corner o Lhe secLion you wanL Lo Lake a screenshoL o
(or example, Lhe lower-righL corner o Lhe dialog box), and click Lhe mouse buLLon.
5. 1hen drag iL Lo Lhe opposiLe corner o Lhe secLion you wanL Lo Lake a screenshoL o.
OneNoLe will show a rame around Lhe currenLly selecLed area, and Lhe selecLed
area will no longer be grayed ouL.
6. As soon as you release Lhe mouse buLLon, OneNoLe comes back Lo Lhe oreground
and inserLs Lhe screenshoL o Lhe selecLed area aL Lhe currenL cursor posiLion on
Lhe (OneNoLe) page.
Use Pens, Text Markers, and Colors
Use dierenL colors or clariLy, Lo nd iLems easily on a page, Lo highlighL keywords or
passages, and Lo disLinguish various ideas. For example, you can Lake noLes during a
seminar by using Lhe ollowing our colors.
8lack or general inormaLion
Red or everyLhing you deniLely need Lo work on or review rsL beore any oLher
conLenL
Creen or examples or ideas on how Lo apply iLems direcLly Lo one o your
projecLs
8lue or LhoughLs you have while lisLening Lo Lhe Lopics and meLhods covered (i,
or example, during a presenLaLion abouL ergonomic work sLaLions, you wanL Lo
remember a greaL way o illusLraLing issues and use iL similarly during your nexL
producL presenLaLion aL a cusLomer siLe)
how to color entered text
1. SelecL Lhe LexL you wanL Lo color so LhaL OneNoLe displays iL wiLh a blue
background.
Click Lhe conLainer bar (upper border) Lo selecL Lhe enLire conLenL.
LeLLers, words, or parLial words can be selecLed by clicking beore Lhe rsL leLLer
in Lhe LexL and Lhen moving Lhe mouse Lo Lhe lasL leLLer, keeping Lhe mouse
buLLon pressed.
ou can selecL a whole word by double-clicking iL.
8y Lriple-clicking a word, you can selecL Lhe enLire paragraph in which Lhe word
is locaLed.
2. Click Lhe arrow on Lhe Font Color buLLon on Lhe Home Lab, in Lhe Basic Text
group, and selecL Lhe color you wanL rom Lhe color paleLLe.
AlLernaLively, you can do Lhe ollowing. As soon as you selecL Lhe LexL, OneNoLe
shows Lhe semi-LransparenL Mini 1oolbar or LexL ormaLLing above Lhe currenL
mouse poinLer posiLion. (See Figure 6-2, Lhe Loolbox is a biL hard Lo see, and
as soon as Lhe mouse is moved in a direcLion oLher Lhan direcLly Loward iL, Lhis
ghosLly Loolbox vanishesmany people Lhereore donL even noLice iL when Lhey
are in a hurry, some Lhink iLs an opLical illusion or a programming error.) Move
Lhe mouse poinLer Loward Lhis Loolbar. As soon as you reach iL, iL becomes opaque.
Now jusL click Lhe arrow on Lhe Font Color buLLon and selecL Lhe color you wanL.
FIGURE 6-2 Use Lhe Mini 1oolbar Lo add color Lo LexL or quickly change LexL sLyles.
3. l you donL wanL Lo color Lhe LexL iLsel buL raLher Lhe background, you can use
Lhe color paleLLe o Lhe Text Highlight Color buLLon, which can be opened wiLh
Lhe buLLons arrow. (1o remove Lhis color highlighLing, selecL No Color below Lhe
paleLLe.)
how to use text markers and pens
1. Click one o Lhe pens on Lhe Draw Lab, in Lhe Tools group.
1he mouse poinLer now becomes a pen o Lhe selecLed Lhickness and color. 1exL
markers are simply very Lhick pens in a slighLly lighLer color.
2. As soon as you click wiLh Lhe mouse, you are drawing aL Lhe mouse posiLion on Lhe
screen unLil you release Lhe mouse buLLon. (l you are using a LableL PC, you can
draw wiLh Lhe pen direcLly on Lhe screen, jusL like on paper.)
1o exiL Lhe pen mode, click Select & Type on Lhe Draw Lab.
1o deleLe an enLire drawing, enable Lhe Select & Type Lool (click Select & Type),
draw a rame around Lhe drawing while keeping Lhe mouse buLLon pressed, and
Lhen press DeleLe.
1o deleLe only parL o Lhe drawing (or i iLs Loo diculL Lo draw a rame around
someLhing LhaLs locaLed beLween oLher drawings), click Lhe Eraser buLLon rsL.
Click Lhe buLLons arrow Lo see Lhe dierenL eraser sizes. 1he eraser works like a
pen LhaL removes pen and LexL marker drawings wherever you move iL while keep-
ing Lhe mouse buLLon pressed.
For all Lhe insLrucLions in Lhis chapLer, we are assuming you are in SelecL & 1ype mode
unless specically menLioned oLherwise. 1hereore, or Lhe purposes o Lhis book, you
should always go back Lo Lhis mode aLer using Lhe pen (as explained earlier).
how to set a picture as a background
WheLher you wanL Lo add a background picLure Lo make Lhe page look beLLer is a maLLer
o LasLe. However, iL comes in handy Lo label a picLure wiLh Lhe LexL Lool, circle parLs o
Lhe picLure wiLh Lhe drawing Lools explained earlier, mark areas wiLh arrows, add hand-
wriLLen noLes, or highlighL specic parLs wiLh LexL markers. OneNoLe inserLs picLures inLo
a conLainer, so LhaL, or example, i Lhe LexL above Lhe picLure is exLended, Lhe picLure
is auLomaLically moved down Lo keep iL inLegraLed inLo Lhe LexL. ou can circumvenL
Lhis behavior by puLLing Lhe picLure as background on Lhe page, so LhaL you can wriLe
and draw on iL. ou can now also selecL elemenLs surrounding Lhe picLure more easily,
wiLhouL accidenLally selecLing Lhe picLure iLsel or moving iL, because you can no longer
move or selecL Lhe background picLure unLil you remove Lhe anchor.
1. FirsL inserL a picLure as described previously, and Lhen click iL Lo see a selecLion
rame around Lhe picLure.
2. Drag Lhe picLure rom Lhe conLainer Lo Lhe desired posiLion ouLside o Lhe con-
Lainer (lmporLanL. noL Lo a ree space in a dierenL conLainer).
3. RighL-click Lhe picLure and selecL Set Picture as Background rom Lhe shorLcuL
menu.
4. ou can now puL LexL, drawings, LexL marker highlighLing, and handwriLLen noLes
direcLly on Lhe picLure (see Figure 6-3). l you wanL Lo move or deleLe iL laLer,
righL-click Lhe picLure again and clear Lhe check mark nexL Lo Set Picture as
Background.
FIGURE 6-3 SeL a picLure as Lhe background Lo draw or wriLe on iL and Lo mark speciic areas.
how to add documents as pictures
l you requenLly prinL documenLs (such as a long LexL in Word) and Lhen use pens and
LexL markers Lo highlighL iLems on Lhe paper, add arrows, symbols, inserLion marks, and
handwriLLen noLes, or cross ouL lines, you can now do so compleLely elecLronically in
OneNoLe. 1o keep Lhe LexL exacLly where and how iL would be on paper, wiLhouL moving
iL when drawing arrows over iL, simply seL iL as a background picLure.
1. Click Lhe File Printout buLLon on Lhe Insert Lab, in Lhe Files group.
2. ln Lhe Choose Document to Insert dialog box, selecL a Word, MicrosoL Power-
PoinL, MicrosoL Fxcel or plain LexL le, and Lhen click Insert.
3. OneNoLe now inserLs a hyperlink Lo Lhe les as a source conrmaLion wiLh which
you can quickly open Lhe original. 8elow iL, OneNoLe inserLs Lhe individual pages
o Lhe le as picLures (wiLhouL a conLainer). SeL individual picLures as a background
(as explained earlier), and deleLe Lhe parLs o Lhe documenL you donL need.
ou can now work on Lhe documenL by using LexL markers, pens, LexL enLries via
Lhe keyboard, and handwriLLen noLes in all available colors, as i iL were paper Lo
wriLe on, and Lake advanLage o all Lhe addiLional OneNoLe uncLions, such as Lhe
8ack uncLion (CLrl-Z), Lhe eraser, and much more.
ADvANTAGES OF A TABLET PC
OneNoLe is even more pracLical on a LableL PC (a lapLop compuLer LhaL has a
Louchscreen you can use wiLh a special pen or your ngersLhough a pen is
more precise). ou can use a LableL PC pen in addiLion Lo Lhe mouse.
8ecause you use Lhe pen Lo wriLe and draw direcLly on Lhe screen, iL eels like
you are working on paper when youre adding noLes Lo picLures and documenLs
or wriLing someLhing downonly Lhis Lime, youre doing iL in a digiLal ormaL.
Making handwriLLen noLes requires less aLLenLion, you only need one hand or
wriLing and a loL less space (Lhan or a lapLop wiLh a keyboard).
1he search uncLion o OneNoLe also nds numbers and words wriLLen by hand
on OneNoLe pageseven i you leave Lhem LhaL way. When making handwriL-
Len noLes, Lry Lo ollow Lhe background lines as much as possible. 1his increases
Lhe recogniLion accuracy.
l you wanL Lo enLer a loL o LexL aL Lhe same Lime and need a Lable Lo wriLe on,
you can swiLch Lo Lhe keyboard (much asLer and easily idenLiable or every-
one). HandwriLLen enLries on a LableL PC LhaL is siLLing on a Lable do noL pose
any barrier beLween you and Lhe person opposiLe you (unlike an open lapLop
on which you are Lyping), allow you Lo lisLen careully andunlike wiLh a key-
boardmake no noise while wriLing.
Using a LableL PC in LableL mode (wiLh Lhe screen olded down on your key-
board so iL looks like a LableL) makes Lhe compuLer a liLLle bigger Lhan an iPad,
buL a small LableL PC is sLill jusL as porLable while being much asLer, much more
powerul (or example, wiLh all Lhe OneNoLe eaLures) and allows Lhe very ac-
curaLe use o a pen or real drawings and handwriLing.
Meeting Minutes in oneNote
OneNoLe is perecLly suiLed or Lhe preparaLion and ollow-up o meeLings, Lrade show
Lalks, imporLanL phone calls, negoLiaLions, and more. ln Lhe ollowing secLion, you will
nd Lhe mosL imporLanL Lips, which are also useul or oLher purposes, such as preparing
a projecL or gaLhering inormaLion LhaL you donL need or a meeLing buL jusL or your
own work.
CreaLe a page or each imporLanL conversaLion and use OneNoLe Lo gaLher ideas,
LhoughLs, and noLes beorehand Lo prepare yoursel beLLer. During Lhe conversaLion,
Lake noLes abouL agreemenLs, &A, resulLs, and relevanL inormaLion in OneNoLe. A-
Lerward, dene ollow-up acLiviLies wiLh Lags or preerably as a single Lask or each one,
synchronized wiLh OuLlook. l necessary, disLribuLe your noLes Lo oLhers, and use Lhem
or ollow-up and archiving o inormaLion so you will have all Lhe deLails available, even
monLhs laLer.
Use outlining for Preparation
A LexL ouLline consisLs o mulLiple levelsor example, several agenda iLems LhaL Lhem-
selves conLain mulLiple pieces o inormaLion, quesLions, and suggesLions. For each sug-
gesLion, Lhere are mulLiple sLaLemenLs, consequences, examples, and so on.
1o gain a quick overview o Lhe agenda iLems and Lhe suggesLions perLaining Lo Lhem,
or Lo see which Lhree major Lopics you have chosen or Lhe brieng o your Lrade show
Leam, you can collapse Lhe ouLline so LhaL only Lhe Lop level wiLh Lhe agenda iLems is
visible. ou can also show all Lhe deLails abouL a subiLem you are looking aL, while all Lhe
oLher inormaLion is hidden (see Figure 6-4).
AparL rom deLailed agendas, you can also use ouLlines or Lhe ollowing.
Preparing presenLaLions, reporLs, and comprehensive documenLs
CaLhering/evaluaLing argumenLs and counLer-argumenLs, pros and cons, require-
menLs, condiLions, meeLing cosLs and resulLs, and decisions
WriLing progress/resulL reporLs and seminar/meeLing minuLes
WriLing a sLrucLured summary o ideas and noLes abouL a specic Lopic
Dening parLial goals, small sLeps, and individual Lasks or long-Lerm goals, plans,
and large underLakings, as well as rough draLs o projecL plans
FIGURE 6-4 Use ouLlining Lo give presenLaLion preparaLions a clear sLrucLure.
how to create an outline
1. Click direcLly beore Lhe rsL characLer in a line (you may need Lo creaLe a new LexL
conLainer Lo do Lhis i you havenL enLered any LexL yeL).
1he cursor is now locaLed aL Lhe beginning o Lhe line. So ar, all lines are on level .
2. 1o indenL a line one level Lo Lhe righL (level 2, Lhen 3, and so on), press 1ab. AlLer-
naLively, in Lhe Basic Text group o Lhe Home Lab, click Increase Indent. ou can
do Lhis rom anywhere in Lhe line.
3. 1o add bulleLs or numbering, use Lhe corresponding buLLons in Lhe Basic Text
group on Lhe Home Lab.
4. 1o creaLe a new enLry on Lhe currenL level, puL Lhe cursor aL Lhe end o Lhe line (or
a specic posiLion wiLhin Lhe line, Lo divide Lhe currenL line) and Lhen press FnLer.
5. 1o puL a new or exisLing line one level Lo Lhe leL (or example, aLer Lhe sub iLems on
level 3 are nished, Lo work wiLh Lhe nexL parenL iLem on level 2), press ShiL-1ab.
ou can also click Lhe Reduce Indent buLLon.
how to Collapse and Expand Levels, and how to Select Text on a
Specifc Level
1o collapse or expand Lhe subiLems o a specic ouLline iLem while leaving Lhe
oLhers as Lhey are, move Lhe mouse poinLer Lo Lhe line wiLh Lhe ouLline iLem and
double-click Lhe paragraph handle in ronL o Lhe line. 1he subiLems are now
Meeting Minutes in OneNote Chapter 6 195
hidden, and a double paragraph handle (iL looks like iL casLs a shadow and signals
LhaL Lhere are hidden subiLems) is now displayed in ronL o Lhe parenL iLem.
Double-clicking Lhe paragraph handle expands Lhe iLem (see Figure 6-5).
FIGURE 6-5 Collapse your ouLline Lo view all iLems on Lhe higher levels aL once.
TIP 1o expand/collapse Lhe enLire ouLline Lo a specic level, selecL Lhe
ouLline (or insLance, by clicking Lhe upper border o Lhe conLainer)
and press AlL-ShiL-3 or Lhe Lhird level (or any number beLween
and 9 or Lhe dierenL levels). l you donL selecL Lhe enLire ouLline,
buL click Lhe line conLaining one o Lhe parenL iLems, Lhis shorLcuL
only leLs you expand/collapse Lhe subiLems or Lhis parenL iLem.
1o selecL all LexL on a specic level, selecL Lhe enLire ouLline (or example, by
clicking Lhe upper border o Lhe ouLline conLainer) and Lhen righL-click iL. ln Lhe
shorLcuL menu, click Select and Lhen All at level (number) in Lhe submenu. 1his
way you can, or example, selecL all iLems on level 3 Lo seL Lhe LexL color Lo blue
jusL or everyLhing on LhaL level. 1o selecL everyLhing on a specic level, Lhe level
has Lo be visible (expanded). l you collapsed Lhe ouLline Lo level , you canL selecL
everyLhing on level 3.
l you add handwriLLen noLes or skeLches Lo LexL in an ouLline and Lhen expand or col-
lapse Lhe ouLline, Lhe LexL in Lhe ouLline changes posiLion. 1he skeLches, however, sLay aL
Lhe same posiLion (Lhe same goes or areas highlighLed wiLh LexL markers). ou can avoid
Lhis behavior by doing Lhe ollowing.
DonL collapse Lhe iLem i you have made noLes wiLh Lhe drawing Lools.
l Lhe LexL wonL change any more, selecL Lhe ouLline, copy iL by pressing CLrl-C,
and inserL a copy o Lhe ouLline by pressing CLrl-v urLher below or on a dierenL
subpage or page, which you can expand/collapse while Lhe copy wiLh Lhe noLes
always remains compleLely expanded.
l you donL need any noLes, buL only wanL Lo highlighL Lhe LexL in color, you can
use Lhe Text Highlight Color Lool in Lhe Basic Text group on Lhe Home Lab, in-
sLead o a LexL marker. 1his way Lhe posiLion o Lhe color in Lhe LexL wonL change.
how to create a table in oneNote
1o clearly display inormaLion (or insLance, your revenue goal or each monLh o Lhe year
and Lhe achieved revenue up Lo now), you can add a Lable Lo Lhe currenL OneNoLe page.
Use Lhe commands on Lhe menu o Lhe 1able buLLon on Lhe lnserL Lab, or you can use
Lhe shorLcuL keys.
1. PosiLion Lhe cursor Lo Lhe righL o Lhe LexL or Lhe skeLch you wanL Lo puL in Lhe rsL
Lable cell (Lhe upper leL). lmporLanL. 1he cursor musL be Lo Lhe righL o Lhe LexL.
(l Lhe cursor is Lo Lhe leL o Lhe LexL or noLhing has been enLered yeL, OneNoLe
generaLes Lhe nexL level o Lhe ouLline.)
2. Press 1ab Lo inserL a Lable and jump Lo Lhe nexL cell. (1he Lable iniLially has only
one row and Lwo columns, OneNoLe sLarLs Lhe second cell Lo Lhe righL o Lhe
currenL cursor posiLion.) AlLernaLively, you can click Insert Table rom Lhe Table
buLLon menu on Lhe Insert Lab.
3. lnserL Lhe daLa or Lhe nexL cell, press 1ab Lo enLer a new column/cell, and aL Lhe end
o Lhe lasL row press FnLer Lo inserL a row below Lhe currenL row and move Lo Lhe
rsL cell o Lhis row. l your cursor is noL in Lhe lasL row o Lhe Lable, buL inside one o
Lhe oLher cells above, pressing FnLer inserLs a line break wiLhin Lhe currenL cell.
4. l Lhe currenL cell is in Lhe lasL row o Lhe Lable and you wanL Lo inserL a line break,
press AlL-FnLer.
5. ou can press 1ab Lo move beLween Lhe exisLing cells o Lhe Lable (Lhis jumps Lhe
cursor inLo Lhe nexL cell and selecLs Lhe enLire conLenL), and ShiL-1ab (Lhis jumps
Lhe cursor a cell back and selecLs Lhe enLire conLenL).
6. 1o inserL a column Lo Lhe leL or righL o Lhe currenL column, press CLrl-AlL-F or
CLrl-AlL-R, respecLively.
7. 1o inserL a new row below Lhe currenL row anywhere in Lhe Lable, press CLrl-FnLer.
8. When you click inside Lhe Lable or when your cursor is sLill in Lhe Lable, OneNoLe
displays Lhe Table Tools/Layout conLexL Lab. ou can click Lhis Lab Lo selecL
specic rows/columns, hide Lhe border, or change Lhe LexL alignmenL rom leL-
jusLied Lo cenLer, and more.
Keep Follow-Up activities and important information
in View
1ags help you display inormaLion LhaL is disLribuLed among mulLiple pages, such as un-
answered quesLions or Lhe mosL imporLanL key phrases. 1hese elemenLs are marked wiLh
a small colored Lag. ou can search or Lhese Lags across pages and gaLher all LexL LhaL is
marked wiLh Lhem.
how to set and remove tags
1. Click a line o LexL or a handwriLLen noLe, or selecL a drawing.
2. On Lhe Home Lab, in Lhe Tags group, selecL one o Lhe Lags Lo assign iL. 1he Lwo
arrows Lo Lhe righL o Lhe Lag lisL leL you scroll Lhrough Lhe lisL, and Lhe arrow be-
low Lhem (wiLh Lhe small line above iL) leLs you expand Lhe lisL ully.
AlLernaLively, you can use Lhe shorLcuL keys shown nexL Lo Lhe Lag names, CLrl-
Lhrough CLrl-9, Lo assign Lhe corresponding Lags.
3. RepeaL sLep 2 or Lhe same Lag wiLh an enLry you have already marked, Lo deleLe
Lhe assignmenL. ou can deleLe all Lags seL or Lhe currenL enLry wiLh Lhe Remove
Tag command in Lhe ully expanded Lags lisL, or by pressing CLrl-0.
4. When you have seL a check box (or example, Lhe To Do Lag), you can enable
iLor example, Lo mark Lhe Lask as compleLed. Assigning Lhe same Lag again (a
second Lime) also enables Lhe check box.
how to customize the available tags
1. ln Lhe expanded lisL o available Lags, click Customize Tags.
OneNoLe opens a dialog box or cusLomizing Lhe Lags.
2. Click one o Lhe Lags in Lhe lisL and move iL Lo Lhe desired posiLion in Lhe lisL by
using Lhe arrow buLLons (in Lhe upper-righL corner o Lhe dialog box). 1he rsL
nine lisL enLries in your new order can be assigned by using Lhe shorLcuL keys.
3. Click Lhe Change Tag buLLon, change Lhe Lag name i necessary, and assign a
symbol, onL color, and highlighL color (by clicking Lhe arrow or Lhe corresponding
buLLon).
NOTE ou can assign mulLiple Lags Lo an enLry aL Lhe same Lime. A block
o LexL can have several Lags, buL only one onL color and highlighL
color. 1hereore, be careul wiLh color marking so your don'L lose
Lrack.
4. Conrm by clicking OK. (Already-marked elemenLs keep Lheir old seLLings.)
how to Quickly Find Elements Marked by Tags
On Lhe Home Lab, in Lhe Tags group, click Find Tags.
OneNoLe opens Lhe Tags Summary Lask pane Lo Lhe righL o Lhe program window.
1here you can see marked LexL, handwriLLen noLes, and drawings, i Lhey have Lags.
Click one o Lhe lisLed enLries Lo jump direcLly Lo Lhis enLry on iLs page, see iLs con-
LexL, and ediL iL.
JusL like wiLh grouped views in OuLlook, you can show or hide all iLems in Lhe sum-
mary by clicking Lhe small Lriangle in ronL o Lhe name.
ln Lhe Group tags by lisL, you can also choose oLher grouping criLeria.
ln Lhe Search lisL you can, or example, speciy LhaL OneNoLe search Lhe enLire
currenL noLebook, all noLebooks, or all Lhe pages in your noLebooks you have
worked on Lhis week, insLead o jusL Lhe currenL secLion.
When you click Lhe Create Summary Page buLLon, OneNoLe creaLes a new page
LhaL conLains a copy o Lhe LexL (or Lhe drawings and picLures) o all marked iLems
in Lhe original layouL. On Lhe summary page, you can, or example, display Lhe
open Lasks you noLed during a Lrade show LogeLher wiLh Lhe relevanL names and
phone numbers rom a secLion LhaL conLains all Lrade show meeLing noLes, so you
can enLer Lhem inLo OuLlook aLerwards. l you poinL Lo an enLry in Lhe summary
page, OneNoLe displays a link Lo Lhe original Lagged enLry (a small purple OneNoLe
icon Lo Lhe leL o Lhe paragraph handle). Click Lhis icon Lo jump direcLly Lo Lhe
original enLry.
how to take advantage of the full-text search
ln a good noLebook sLrucLure, you can usually nd a Lopic asLer by knowing where iLll
be and jusL clicking Lwice Lo geL Lhere raLher Lhan by looking Lhough search resulLs, buL
Lhe search uncLion is a perecL addiLion, i you know somewhere in Lhe back o your
head LhaL a cerLain Lopic had already been discussed in a meeLing 8 monLhs Lo Lwo
years ago aL some poinL, or example.
1. Click Lhe Search All Notebooks box (upper-righL nexL Lo Lhe secLions).
2. Click Lhe arrow Lo Lhe righL o Lhe magniying glass Lo change Lhe search area, i
necessary.
3. FnLer Lhe LexL you are looking or. 1he search sLarLs immediaLely, and youll see
resulLs appear while you are Lyping.
8elow Lhe search box, OneNoLe now displays Lhe LiLles o all pages LhaL conLain Lhe
specied LexL and iL highlighLs Lhe hiLs in color direcLly on Lhe pages. 8elow Lhe
search box Lhere is a resulL navigaLor.
4. ou can use Lhe arrow keys or Lhe mouse Lo move Lhrough Lhe hiLs (click a page
LiLle in Lhe page Lab bar).
Link Your information: Use outlook and oneNote as a
Team
OneNoLe makes a perecL Leam wiLh Lhe oLher componenLs o Lhe MicrosoL Oce sys-
Lem. For example, you can creaLe a diagram o your currenL quarLers resulLs in Fxcel and
copy Lhis page Lo Lhe meeLing preparaLion page in OneNoLe where, during Lhe pasL ew
weeks, you have been gaLhering ideas LhaL you wanL Lo discuss wiLh your colleagues. Or
somebody sends you a Word documenL conLaining a reporL summary LhaL you inserL as
a picLure. ou use a LexL marker Lo highlighL specic secLions and commenL wiLh hand-
wriLLen keywords (see Lhe How Lo add documenLs as picLures procedure earlier in Lhis
chapLer). During Lhe meeLing, you wriLe down Lhe resulLs and all resulLing Lasks, and Lhen
make Lhe page available Lo your colleagues in Lhe meeLing workspace o a SharePoinL
siLe (see ChapLer 5, How Lo Schedule MeeLings So 1hey Are ConvenienL, FecLive, and
Fun) as Lhe meeLing minuLes. ALerward, you copy Lhe Lasks you are responsible or inLo
your own personal Lask lisL in OuLlook wiLh jusL one click per Lask.
how to transfer tasks to outlook
1. RighL-click Lhe paragraph in OneNoLe you wanL Lo LranseriLs especially helpul
Lo assign a Lag Lo cerLain enLries (such as Lasks) as you wriLe Lhem by using shorL-
cuL keys so LhaL you can recognize Lhem immediaLely by Lheir Lags (or auLomaLi-
cally jump Lo Lhem or gaLher Lhem rom mulLiple pages, as explained earlier).
2. ln Lhe shorLcuL menu, click Outlook Tasks and Lhen Lhe opLion you wanL (or press
CLrl-ShiL- Lo creaLe a Lask LhaL is due Loday (CLrl-ShiL-2 or Lomorrow, and so
on). 1he Lask has now been inserLed inLo OuLlook wiLh Lhe due daLe you specied.
3. l you selecL Outlook Tasks/Custom, an OuLlook Lask orm is displayed where you
can enLer Lhe due daLe manually.
Changes Lo Lhe sLaLe o compleLion and Lhe due daLe are auLomaLically synchronized
beLween OneNoLe and OuLlook. (Depending on Lhe perormance and seLLings o your
sysLem, iL may Lake a ew seconds or up Lo several minuLes unLil Lhe changes arrive in Lhe
oLher program.)
l you open Lhe OuLlook Lask in OuLlook in iLs own window (or example, by double-
clicking iL), you will see a link Lo OneNoLe in Lhe noLe eld. l you double-click LhaL link,
iLll open in OneNoLe. ln OneNoLe, you can righL-click Lhe small red ag in ronL o Lhe
Lask LexL Lo change Lhe due daLe in Lhe shorLcuL menu, mark Lhe Lask as compleLed, de-
leLe Lhe OuLlook Lask, or open iL direcLly in OuLlook.
IMPORTANT ln Oce 200, laLer changes Lo Lhe subjecL are noL synchronized. l you
change Lhe Lask subjecL in OuLlook, OneNoLe keeps Lhe old LexL. ln uLure
ediLs, changes Lo Lhe LexL in OneNoLe will also be ignored in an OuLlook
Lask LhaL has already been creaLed. SLill, boLh enLries remain securely
linked. Changes Lo Lhe due daLe and sLaLe o compleLion are sLill synchro-
nized wiLh Lhe oLher program, and Lhe link Lo Lhe oLher program also
works reliably (Lo open Lhe Lask in OuLlook/OneNoLe).
OuLlook and OneNoLe also communicaLe Lhe oLher way around.
ln OneNoLe, on Lhe Home Lab, in Lhe Outlook group, click Meeting Details and
selecL one o Lhe enLries rom Loday's calendar in Lhe expanded menu or Choose
a Meeting from Another Day Lo inserL Lhe locaLion, parLicipanLs, daLe, Lime,
subjecL, and noLes o a meeLing requesL or an appoinLmenL.
how to Create a Contact/appointment Note from outlook
Open Lhe appoinLmenL or conLacL in OuLlook in iLs own window, or example by double-
clicking iL. On Lhe AppoinLmenL (or MeeLing or ConLacL) Lab, in Lhe AcLions group, click
OneNoLe. OuLlook now creaLes a new page in OneNoLe whose LiLle is Lhe appoinLmenL
subjecL (or Lhe conLacL name), LogeLher wiLh Lhe creaLion daLe and Lime (see Figure 6-6).
ln a Lable on Lhe page, you will also nd Lhe mosL imporLanL deLails, such as daLe, Lime,
and locaLion o Lhe appoinLmenL, as well as oLher noLes.
ou can now use Lhe OneNoLe buLLon in OuLlook Lo direcLly move Lo Lhis page, which
means you can now reLrieve your OneNoLe noLes rom Lhe OuLlook appoinLmenL. On
Lhe OneNoLe page, you can click Lhe Link 1o OuLlook lLem hyperlink Lo open Lhe corre-
sponding OuLlook enLry rom OneNoLe.
FIGURE 6-6 Link OuLlook conLacLs/appoinLmenLs wiLh OneNoLe pages, or example, or a deLailed meeL-
ing preparaLion.
CAUTION UnorLunaLely Lhis link Lakes some geLLing used Lo and no longer works
correcLly i you change Lhe appoinLmenL daLe (aL leasL in Lhe rsL versions
o OneNoLe 200). Remember LhaL by connecLing Lo OneNoLe you are
creaLing a copy o Lhe daLa aL Lhe Lime o Lhe page creaLion LhaL conLains
a link Lo Lhe consLanLly up-Lo-daLe iLem (buL oLherwise doesn'L synchro-
nize Lhe daLa).
BE CAREFUL WITH CHANGES TO LINKED APPOINTMENTS
l you change Lhe daLe or an OuLlook appoinLmenL and have already linked
a OneNoLe page wiLh meeLing noLes, clicking Lhe corresponding buLLon
aLer changing Lhe daLe creaLes a new page in OneNoLe, insLead o opening
Lhe exisLing page (Lhe links rom OneNoLe correcLly Lake you Lo Lhe newly
changed appoinLmenL). Changes Lo essenLial daLa, such as conLacL phone
number, subjecL, locaLion, or Lime o an appoinLmenL do noL geL Lranserred
rom OuLlook Lo OneNoLe. As soon as you have creaLed a page or an
OuLlook elemenL, Lhe old daLa remains Lhere, unchanged. So you may, or
example, calmly prepare your meeLing in OneNoLe in Lhe morning and see
.00 A.M. as Lhe sLarL Lime, even Lhough iL has been changed Lo 9.00 A.M.
in Lhe meanLime. 1o sLay up Lo daLe, you eiLher need Lo Lranser all changes
manually Lo OneNoLe or geL used Lo generally misLrusLing Lhe daLa iL has
received rom OuLlook and checking OuLlook wiLh one click on Lhe link Lo see
wheLher Lhere are any updaLes.
how to Export Email Messages
ln OuLlook, righL-click an email message (in Lhe inbox or any oLher older) and se-
lecL OneNote rom Lhe shorLcuL menu Lo exporL Lhe message Lo OneNoLe. l you
have opened Lhe message in iLs own window, you can use Lhe OneNote buLLon in
Lhe Move group on Lhe Message Lab (conLrary Lo whaL Lhe group name suggesLs,
Lhe message is copied, noL moved).
how to Create hyperlinks to oneNote Pages/Paragraphs
ou can use hyperlinks Lo direcLly open a specic paragraph or page in OneNoLe rom
a dierenL OneNoLe page or rom a program LhaL supporLs hyperlinks (or insLance, Lo
open all budgeL planning deLails rom an overview page or a projecL wiLh one click).
RighL-click in Lhe page Lab bar (Lo Lhe righL o Lhe currenL page) on Lhe name o Lhe
page Lo which you wanL Lo creaLe a link, and in Lhe shorLcuL menu, selecL Copy Link to
Page. 1o creaLe a link Lo a paragraph or picLure, righL-click Lhe LexL (or Lhe picLure), and
in Lhe shorLcuL menu selecL Copy Link to Paragraph. OneNoLe Lhen copies a link Lo Lhe
Clipboard, which you can now inserL inLo a dierenL OneNoLe page aL Lhe currenL cursor
posiLion by pressing CLrl-v. One click on Lhe link Lhen opens Lhe corresponding elemenL
direcLly in OneNoLe.
TIP CusLomize Lhe LiLles o inserLed hyperlinks. lnsLead o using Lhe original
LexL o Lhe hyperlink (which can be quiLe long or consisL o relaLively in-
comprehensible characLer sLrings), you can shorLen Lhe link LexL Lo mean-
ingul keywords or someLhing like FsLimaLed sLorage cosL 200 or See
book deLails. l Lhe program you pasLed your link inLo supporLs ediLing
hyperlinks, righL-click Lhe hyperlink you jusL inserLed and, in Lhe shorLcuL
menu, selecL FdiL Hyperlink. ln Lhe Link dialog box LhaL now opens, keep
Lhe address as iL is, buL change Lhe LexL in Lhe 1exL 1o Display box, and
conrm wiLh OK.
how to share your notes and meeting minutes with others
Send your reporLs and noLes Lo oLhers or inormaLional purposes or Lo exchange ideas.
ALer you have prepared a meeLing in OneNoLe and Laken Lhe minuLes, send Lhem Lo Lhe
oLher parLicipanLs righL away.
1. Do a quick check Lo make sure LhaL all inormaLion on Lhe currenL page is readable
Lo oLhers (ls your handwriLing legible Do Lhe drawings express whaL you meanL,
and can everyone undersLand Lhem), LhaL all necessary deLails are included (Do
you need Lo explain abbreviaLions, background inormaLion, Lime or cosL limiLs),
and LhaL all elemenLs are relevanL Lo Lhe oLhers (i some secLions are only impor-
LanL Lo you personally, copy Lhe page, deleLe Lhose secLions in Lhe copy, and Lhen
orward Lhe copy).
2. l you wanL Lo send mulLiple pages, keep CLrl pressed and selecL Lhe pages by
clicking Lhe page LiLles in Lhe page Lab bar. 1hen release Lhe CLrl key.
3. On Lhe File Lab, selecL Send.
Now selecL wheLher you wanL Lo send Lhe page via email (wiLh OneNoLe iLems
copied inLo Lhe email message LexL), as an aLLachmenL (a le Lhe recipienL can
open in his own copy o OneNoLe while all special uncLions remain available),
or as a PDF (in which Lhe layouL looks close Lo Lhe original and is Lhe besL opLion
or recipienLs who donL have OneNoLe and donL need Lo ediL LexL elemenLs
urLher). OneNoLe creaLes a new email message you can send Lo recipienLs rom
your OuLlook address book.
4. FnLer Lhe email addresses and send Lhe message.
NOTE A quick noLe Lo advanced users (a more deLailed descripLion would go
beyond Lhe scope o Lhis chapLer). ou can share a OneNoLe page wiLh
oLhers so LhaL everyone can see and ediL Lhe same page. An example
is meeLing minuLes in which Lhe individual parLicipanLs can nd Lheir
ollow-up Lasks and laLer enLer Lhe resulLs so LhaL everyone can see Lhem
immediaLely wiLhouL having Lo send dozens o email messages back and
orLh. FveryLhing is locaLed cenLrally in a OneNoLe noLebook (on a Share-
PoinL siLe or a Windows Live SkyDrive, or insLance). WiLh Lhe Share Lab
you can, or example, share Lhe currenL noLebook or creaLe a new shared
one, display all changes since yesLerday or over Lhe pasL seven days, and
search or a specic auLhor (a colleague who has enLered someLhing).
how to See when You (or another User) Last Edited the
Current Element
SelecL an elemenL (such as LexL or a skeLch) and righL-click iL Lo open Lhe shorLcuL menu.
ln Lhe lasL line o Lhe menu, you can see who lasL ediLed Lhe selecLed elemenL and when.
8y righL-clicking a ree area on Lhe page, you can see who lasL ediLed Lhe page and when
(corresponding Lo Lhe inormaLion displayed or Lhe lasL elemenL ediLed on Lhe page).
ou can use Lhis uncLion, or example, Lo check wheLher you have already ediLed LexL on
a page you received rom a colleague. Or i Lhere is reasonable doubL, you can quickly
check wheLher you acLually enLered Lhe laLesL numbers on Lhe currenL page back in De-
cember or i you orgoL all abouL iL due Lo holiday season sLress and Lhe resulLs are Lhose
rom beore 1hanksgiving.
Create Page Templates and Checklists
For checklisLs or orms you need requenLly, you can creaLe empLy LemplaLes in OneNoLe
under Lhe name 1emplaLes. ou can, or example, creaLe Lrade show meeLing minuLes
or a checklisL or preparing a seminar LhaL you and Lhe organizer go Lhrough over Lhe
phone.
how to create a template
1. CreaLe Lhe page wiLh all Lhe headings, Lags or ollow-up Lasks, and so on.
2. On Lhe New Page buLLon menu, selecL Page Templates.
3. Now click Save Current Page as Template in Lhe Task pane Lo Lhe righL o Lhe
program window.
4. ln Lhe dialog box LhaL now opens, enLer a name and conrm iL wiLh Save. l you
selecL Lhe Set as Default Template for New Pages in the Current Section check
box, each newly creaLed page in Lhe secLion will be based on Lhe saved LemplaLe
rom now on.
1he DeaulL 1emplaLe uncLion is very pracLical i, or example, you creaLe a secLion each
or Lrade show Lalks, preparaLion, &A caLalogues or new cusLomers, and damage
survey orms. Fach new page in Lhe currenL secLion is Lhen auLomaLically based on Lhe
LemplaLe. 1o seL Lhe uncLion laLer on, repeaL sLeps and 2, and selecL Lhe LemplaLe or
Lhe new pages in Lhe currenL secLion in Lhe 1emplaLes Lask pane, in Lhe DeaulL 1emplaLe
lisL. Or click No DeaulL 1emplaLe i you wanL Lo work wiLh blank pages again.
how to create a new page based on a template
1. 1o creaLe a new page, click Lhe arrow on Lhe new pages buLLon, and Lhen selecL
Page Templates rom Lhe menu.
2. Click Lhe LemplaLe you wanL.
3. Close Lhe Templates Lask pane by clicking Lhe x in Lhe upper-righL corner.
always Keep Your ideas and goals in Sight
Use deLailed noLes Lo record your long-Lerm goals in OneNoLe, so you can creaLe a plan
Lo puL Lhem inLo pracLice (or insLance, as an ouLline). CaLher resoluLions, visions, mission
sLaLemenLs, and use OneNoLe or your dreamswriLe down whaL youve always wanLed
Lo do, wiLh all your LhoughLs abouL whaL's imporLanL Lo you and how you mighL realize iL.
1he more oLen you see iL direcLly in ronL o you, Lhe more your subconscious mind will
work on iL. l an opporLuniLy presenLs iLsel Lo Lurn your dreams inLo realiLy (maybe a ew
monLhs or years laLer), you already have all Lhe maLerialor example, Lo wriLe your own
book. Or you realize LhaL you can acLually Lake our monLhs o Lo ulll your dream o
Lraveling around Lhe world and can aord iL, i you jusL Lake Lhe remaining Lhree diculL
buL do-able sLeps.
1ake advanLage o OneNoLe as your conLrol cenLer and gaLhering place or all LhoughLs
abouL one Lopic. Combine maLerial rom oLher applicaLions by collecLing LexL secLions
and linking larger documenLs direcLly Lo your noLes.
how to link documents to your notes
WiLh one click, you can open a Lechnical daLasheeL, or example, or a seLup plan or your
Lrade show booLh direcLly rom your noLes. l you donL need Lo see cerLain inorma-
Lion as copied LexL or a picLure on Lhe page, you can save space by inserLing a link Lo iL
insLead. And Lhis way you always have Lhe laLesL version (noL a copy) in ronL o youor
example a MicrosoL PowerPoinL presenLaLion LhaL has been reviewed and ediLed several
Limes.
1. 8ring Windows Fxplorer Lo Lhe ronL, buL donL leL iL ll Lhe screen compleLely
(swiLch Lo window mode insLead o ull screen).
2. Click a le in Windows Fxplorer, such as an Fxcel le or a picLure.
3. Drag Lhe selecLed elemenL Lo Lhe LargeL posiLion in Lhe OneNoLe page Lo inserL a
copy. OneNoLe now oers Lo inserL a link (unless Lhe elemenL is a picLure). Choose
Lhis opLion and conrm by clicking OK. Oce documenLs can also be inserLed as
picLures (or adding handwriLLen noLes, as covered in Lhe How Lo inserL docu-
menLs as picLures procedure earlier in Lhis chapLer).
PrintingExport Data from any Program
Maybe you donL jusL wanL Lo inserL individual LexL blocks and picLures rom oLher
programs via Lhe Clipboard, buL or example would like Lo have comprehensive reporLs
or daLaseLs in ronL o you as i on paper. ou can simply prinL Lhe conLenLs rom any
desired program direcLly inLo a OneNoLe page. And whaLs really greaL is LhaL, jusL like on
paper, you can work wiLh LexL markers, add new LexL, and (rom a LableL PC or wiLh Lhe
corresponding pen also rom oLher PCs) handwriLLen noLes and skeLches (see Use Pens,
1exL Markers, and Colors earlier in Lhis chapLer). ln Lhis way, OneNoLe replaces paper
prinLing and aL Lhe same Lime gives you elecLronic advanLages, such as ull LexL search,
Lhe 8ack uncLion, and linking Lo oLher daLa.
Always Keep Your Ideas and Goals in Sight Chapter 6 209
how to Print from any application to oneNote
1he OneNoLe insLallaLion program auLomaLically adds a virLual prinLer Lo your sysLem.
SelecL Lhe prinL uncLion in a program o your choice and, in Lhe prinL dialog box (name
and seLLings mighL be dierenL depending on Lhe program), selecL Send 1o OneNoLe
200 insLead o sending Lo your deaulL prinLer. Depending on your sysLem seLLings, Lhe
applicaLion rom which you are prinLing mighL sLay in Lhe ronL. AL rsL glance, some
users Lhereore assume noLhing has happened and Lhe exporL has ailed. A shorL while
laLer, OneNoLe opens a window where you can selecL Lhe desired LargeL secLion or your
prinL page.
During prinLing, Lhe LexL is inserLed as a picLure in iLs original layouL. ou Lhereore
cannoL ediL Lhe LexL or cuL secLions aLerwards in OneNoLe. 1o be able Lo laLer look or
specic keywords in Lhe LexL or copy parLs o Lhe LexL or ediLing, use Lhe new uncLion
or opLical characLer recogniLion (OCR) in picLures (see Read 8eLween Lhe LinesOCR
or PicLures laLer in Lhis chapLer).
Save websites from the web Browser in oneNote
During a long ighL wiLhouL an lnLerneL connecLion or a Lrain ride wiLh a bad lnLerneL
connecLion, you can sLill have specic inormaLion consLanLly available Lo you, highlighL
places wiLh Lhe highlighLing Lools o OneNoLe, or save Lhe sLaLe o a websiLe or laLer re-
search (i Lhe conLenL has changed). Simply exporL Lhe websiLe Lo OneNoLe. ln Windows
lnLerneL Fxplorer, you have Lhree opLions or exporLing Lo OneNoLe.
Use Lhe prinL uncLion as explained earlier. 1he advanLage. SLarLing wiLh lnLerneL
Fxplorer 7, lnLerneL Fxplorer adjusLs Lhe page conLenL widLh so LhaL all elemenLs
are scaled correcLly relaLive Lo each oLher and L on Lhe page. 1he original layouL
o Lhe websiLe is reLained. ou have inserLed a picLureand now you can use Lhe
drawing Lools o OneNoLe Lo add noLes jusL like on paper.
lnLerneL Fxplorer has a new buLLon called Send 1o OneNoLe. (Depending on your
version o lnLerneL Fxplorer and your seLLings, you mighL have Lo show Lhe com-
mand bar rsL Lo see Lhis buLLon. righL-click Lhe blue lnLerneL Fxplorer logoLhe
e in ronL o Lhe eld in which you enLer URLsand selecL Command 8ar in Lhe
shorLcuL menu.) WiLh one click, OneNoLe copies Lhe websiLe Lo a page. (lnLerneL
Fxplorer sLays open in Lhe oregroundyou need Lo swiLch Lo OneNoLe Lo see Lhe
resulL.) 1he disadvanLage o Lhis meLhod is LhaL Lhe original page layouL geLs cuL
up, iL wraps dierenLly, picLures change Lheir posiLion, and LexL columns change
Lheir lengLh and widLh (someLimes Lo an exLreme). However, you can ediL Lhe LexL
direcLly, copy picLures rom iL, and search or copy LexL wiLhouL having Lo use ad-
diLional processing or OCR recogniLion or exoLic onLs.
1hirdly, you can selecL parLs o Lhe LexL or picLures on a websiLe and Lhen puL Lhe
selecLed conLenL on Lhe currenL OneNoLe page by dragging or copying and pasL-
ing. OneNoLe auLomaLically inserLs a link Lo Lhe source websiLe below Lhe copied
conLenL. 1he advanLages and disadvanLages o Lhis meLhod are Lhe same as or Lhe
second meLhod. 1his Lhird meLhod works well, however, i you only wanL Lo use
small parLs o a websiLe insLead o iLs enLire conLenL.
read Between the LinesoCr for Pictures
OneNoLe uses Lhe OCR uncLion (opLical characLer recogniLion) Lo read picLures and
make Lhe LexL inside Lhem available as real LexL. 1his is helpul, or example, i you are
scanning paper documenLs or business cards, or are prinLing daLa rom oLher applica-
Lions inLo OneNoLe as a picLure. ou can Lhen search Lhe recognized LexL and copy iL or
uLure ediLing Lo, or example, add Lhe sender o a scanned business leLLer Lo Word as Lhe
recipienL o your answering leLLer or Lo OuLlook as a new conLacL.
RighL-click a picLure and selecL Copy 1exL From PicLure (see Figure 6-7) in Lhe shorLcuL
menu Lo exLracL Lhe LexL and save iL Lo Lhe Clipboard (aLerward, you can press CLrl-v
Lo inserL iL aL a dierenL posiLion). l you don'L wanL Lo use Lhe LexL aL a dierenL place
buL jusL wanL Lo search iL wiLh Lhe OneNoLe search uncLion, selecL Make 1exL ln lmage
Searchable in Lhe shorLcuL menu, and in Lhe submenu selecL Lhe LexL language. (l you
have already chosen Copy 1exL From PicLure or a picLure, OneNoLe has auLomaLically
dened Lhe LexL as searchable.)
FIGURE 6-7 LeL OneNoLe exLracL LexL rom picLures or youwiLh clear conLours over a whiLe back-
ground, Lhis works preLLy well. However, very small iLalic or ornaLe LexL doesnL geL recognized well.
OCR FOR PICTURES TAKEN WITH CELL PHONE CAMERAS
1he OCR uncLion delivers Lhe besL resulLs wiLh LexL senL rom oLher programs Lo One-
NoLe as well as cleanly scanned grayscale or black-and-whiLe picLures LhaL you have
placed exacLly aligned on Lhe scanner. However, i you use your smarLphone camera,
or example Lo Lake a picLure o a business card or a Lrain schedule, recogniLion errors
happen more requenLlymosL inLegraLed cell phone cameras use a relaLively low
resoluLion, make objecLs LhaL are less Lhan Lwo eeL away rom Lhe lens look blurry,
produce a loL o image noise, and save Lhe phoLos in lossy compression ormaLs wiLh a
degradaLion LhaL mighL noL be visible Lo Lhe human eye buL causes an enormous loss in
qualiLy or elecLronic characLer recogniLion. 8uL i you have a recenL smarLphone wiLh a
decenL camera LhaL has good auLoocus (such as a 8lack8erry 1orch), you will geL good
OCR resulLs even or picLures Laken wiLh your smarLphone camera. JusL make sure Lo
noL move your hand while Laking Lhe picLure and Lo have good lighLing or use Lhe ash.
Set goals for YourselfNot just for Your revenue
Many people overesLimaLe how much Lhey can geL done in Lwo or Lhree hours or in one
day. However, mosL o Lhem underesLimaLe how much Lhey can achieve in a ew weeks,
monLhs, and years. 1he key Lo big achievemenLs, realized dreams, balance in lie, and
long-Lerm success is puLLing your goals down clearly in wriLing.
l you know exacLly where you wanL Lo go, you can speciy Lhe paLh and iLs indi-
vidual sLeps.
l you have a goal in sighL, iLs much easier Lo sLick Lo iL during hard Limes and
musLer Lhe energy. lL moLivaLes you Lo Lake even Lhe uncomorLable or grueling
parLial sLeps.
FrequenLly Lhings donL quiLe go as planned. l you have a clear goal, you can look
or a new way Lo geL Lhere. l Lhe leL paLh doesnL lead around Lhe mounLain, Lhen
jusL Lake Lhe righL one.
Clear goals help you conLrol your currenL progress. Have you already successully gone
more Lhan hal o Lhe way, or are you even almosL Lhere Are Lhere areas you should
improve or work on more Lo geL where you wanL Lo be beore iL's Loo laLe Do you need
Lo adjusL your goal, or is iL sLill realisLic
l your goal seems unreachable, you can gure ouL whaL you are missing or whaLs sLand-
ing in your way. 1hen you can eiLher circumvenL Lhese hurdles or make Lhem inLermedi-
aLe goals. For example, are you sLill missing S5,000 1hink abouL wheLher your goal is
worLh iL. l yes. Find a way (or example, waiL our years and puL away S05 each monLh)
or an alLernaLive (can you aord deerred paymenL or Laking ouL a loan LhaL you will pay
back in Lhe nexL ew years).
THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU CAN ACHIEvE IN SMALL STEPS
OvER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME
Does your goal seem Loo ar-eLched For example, can you imagine running a
ull maraLhon (26 miles and 385 yards) WhaL would you say i a man who is al-
mosL 50 years old, 44 pounds overweighL, shorL o breaLh, and in Lerrible condi-
Lion decided Lo run such a maraLhon
Joschka Fischer, ormer Foreign MinisLer o Cermany, began running aL a weighL
o 242 poundsall he did was run 500 meLers around Lhe Cerman 8undesLag
building. Many would consider Lhis disLance ridiculous. One year laLer, he pre-
pared or his rsL maraLhon. Many would Lhink Lhey could never do Lhis sorL o
Lhing. ALer one and a hal years o Lraining in all (in 998 aL Lhe age o 50), he
ran Lhe Hamburg MaraLhon in 3.42 hours and had losL 77 pounds.
1he numbers, converLed Lo pounds, are rom Lhe book Perfektes Lauftraining,
Fifth edition (Munich. SdwesL, 999) by Ulrich Pramann and HerberL SLeny,
who was Fischers maraLhon Lrainer.
Joschka Fischer is noL a born aLhleLe, nor did he have all Lhe Lime in Lhe world Lo Lrain. He
had enough oLher sLu Lo do. WiLh a clear goal, a plan he ollowed consisLenLly Lo reach
Lhis goal in small sLeps, and an iron discipline, he achieved an admirable perormance
(see Lhe previous sidebar), someLhing very ew people would have LhoughL he could
do. WhaL you need or peak perormances are clear goals or which you can seL realisLic
inLermediaLe goals and individual sLeps. ALer LhaL, you jusL have Lo Lake Lhe rsL sLep,
keep Lhe goal in sighL, and keep aL iL wiLh a sLrong will and a huge amounL o discipline.
lLs besL Lo nd somebody Lo supporL youa good riend or an experienced coachor
realiLy checks and above all or consLanL progress checks, encouragemenL, reprimands
and, i necessary, a course correcLion.
DeLermine whaL applying yoursel and sLicking wiLh iL or a long Lime is worLh Lo you.
WriLe down your goal. SLarL working on iL in small sLeps. We all have our limiLs. 8uL we
can all achieve more on a long-Lerm basis Lhan we give ourselves crediL or. Dream big!
And donL jusL dream your dreamslive Lhem!
NoL Lo give you Lhe wrong impression. Coals donL have Lo be peak perormances in
sporLs or your proession, where you go beyond your personal limiLs. SeL small and per-
sonal goals, Loo. Coals donL jusL help you achieve greaL perormances, buL Lo see more
clearly whaLs imporLanL Lo you in Lhe long run, and Lo sLay balanced.
Set goals with the 3M rule: Measurable, Manageable, Motivating
1here are a loL o criLeria or goals. All can be derived rom Lhe Lhree mosL imporLanL
ones. FormulaLe your goals by using Lhe simple 3M rule. Coals are.
Measurable Who WhaL exacLly and WhaL quanLiLy When Where (SomeLimes
Lhe answer is jusL everywhere, while oLher Lhings can only be done in Lhe oce
or aL home, or perhaps you wanL your own house in a parLicular ciLy.) Make Lhem
concreLe and quanLiable.
Manageable Some companies donL handle goals correcLly. Many an employee
receives compleLely unrealisLic direcLives along Lhe lines o. Double lasL years
earnings, even i Lhere is less and less demand, Lhe budgeL has been cuL in hal,
and hal o Lhe employees in Lhe deparLmenL have been red. Oh, you can man-
age iLand woe beLide you i you donL! 1his leads Lo compleLely shorL-Lerm
Lhinking, and somehow you do manage Lo pull Lhe paymenL or a large order rom
nexL year inLo Lhis year, so you donL go Loo ar below Lhe required numbers. ln Lhe
long run, Lhis kind o behavior only makes Lhe problems worse and does damage
Lo Lhe employees and ulLimaLely Lhe enLire company. Fven in Lhe mosL innocenL
o cases, iL discourages you and Lhus lowers your perormance and happiness.
1hereore, you should check in aL regular inLervals aLer you have seL your goals
Lo see wheLher Lhey are sLill manageable, and adjusL Lhem in Lime. 1heres noLhing
wrong wiLh reaching or Lhe sLars as long as you make sure you keep boLh eeL on
Lhe ground. Have big goals! 8uL sLay realisLic. Remember Joschka Fischer and LrusL
in your own abiliLies.
Motivating 1his iLem has several aspecLs.
FormulaLe posiLively (no negaLive phrases) and sLay acLion-orienLed (insLead
o could, should, or would, use a direcL verb and yoursel as Lhe acLing
person). lnsLead o 1his sLupid chaos should really end someLime soon wriLe
On 9/0 l have my desk cleaned up and empLy wiLh aL mosL ve open les siL-
Ling on iL. l wriLe imporLanL noLes in OneNoLe on my LableL PC and l nd Lhem
Lhere again. l nd paper documenLs in my le Lrays and l immediaLely le Lhem
in Lheir correcL order aLer each ediL. 1his way your subconscious mind can geL
Lhe picLure and program you or success.
WiLh some goals, iLs immediaLely obvious why Lhey pay o. For oLhers, you
need Lo add Lhe reason. 1his will help you sLarL and keep doing uncomorL-
able Lhings LhaL are neverLheless imporLanL Lo achieve your dreams or goals. l
you simply canL come up wiLh a reason why Lhis goal is worLh Lhe eorL. Really
Lhink abouL iL, and i you sLill can'L nd a good reason, geL rid o iL.
Make sure your goal really reecLs whaL you wanL (see Lhe Measurable discus-
sion earlier), and check Lhis regularly. Are you LorLuring yoursel by going run-
ning, even Lhough you haLe iL, simply Lo do someLhing or your healLh Maybe
riding a bicycle or dancing salsa is beLLer exercise and more un or you!
1hink o Joschka Fischer again here. Since his maraLhon days, he has gained
a loL o weighL again. 1his is why he makes such a wonderul example or
successul goal seLLing. SeLLing yoursel Lhe goal o running a maraLhon is
much harder Lhan jusL simply losing some weighL. 8uL once you have run Lhe
maraLhon successully, you have reached your goal and are donei you Lhen
conLinue as beore, all Lhe posiLive eecLs on your healLh will vanish aLer a ew
monLhs or years. 1o jusL do someLhing or your healLh and lose weighL is much
easier Lhan Lraining or a maraLhonand wiLh Lhe correcL goals, iL also lasLs
much longer, so you can enjoy conLinuous success.
HOW TO TURN A RESOLUTION INTO A WELL-FORMULATED GOAL
WhaL are you going Lo do when you donL have clear numbers or measuring,
or example, how could you quanLiy l wanL Lo become a beLLer aLher 1hink
abouL how you would dene beLLer aLher. l donL spend enough Lime wiLh
my daughLer, and we hardly have a chance Lo Lalk. Use Lhe 3M rule Lo seL a
goal. From now on, each SaLurday aL lunch l will make a Lennis appoinLmenL
or Lhe nexL week wiLh my daughLer. 1ogeLher we will drive Lo a Lennis courL
LhaL is 30 minuLes away. (1his way you have Lime Lo Lalk wiLhouL Lhe need Lo
inLroduce conversaLion hours LhaL would sound Loo psychological.) 1hen leL
your spouse check youbecome a beLLer aLher was wishy-washy, buL i you
now avoid Lhe weekly appoinLmenL or sLarL choosing oLher Lhings over iL, your
issues become immediaLely apparenL (hopeully Lo you rsL and in Lime, while
you are planning your week).
OneNoLe is a greaL place or your goals. lL provides enough space and reedom o design
Lo puL all relevanL inormaLion, descripLions, moLivaLional LexLs, and picLures (such as a
phoLo o your dream house or a vacaLion spoL you always wanLed Lo visiL) direcLly on Lhe
page wiLh one or mulLiple goals. SeL a cusLomized Lag or your goals Lo keep all pages
in view. Simply lisL Lhe required sLeps or reaching Lhe goal as Lasks below each oLher
(marked as OuLlook Lasks so Lhey also show up in OuLlook) or creaLe an ouLline i your
goal is more comprehensive and complex. 1he individual Lasks are locaLed on Lhe low-
esL level o Lhe ouLline. ConLrol and log your progress on Lhis page. ou can also gaLher
vague resoluLions and ideas in OneNoLe and keep adding Lo Lhem unLil you are ready Lo
ormulaLe your goal.
TIP lLs besL Lo look aL your goals once a day Lo program your subconscious
mind. lnLegraLe your goals (including Lhe masLer plan discussed in Lhe
nexL secLion) inLo your weekly planningsimply pass Lhe nexL sLeps on
Lo OuLlook as a Lask.
Create Your Master Plan
ln ChapLer 3, we inLroduced you Lo Lhe concepL o lie haLs and key Lasks or balanced
Lime planning. Now iLs Lime Lo seL long-Lerm goals or your lie haLs. 1hen you can de-
ne inLermediaLe parLial goals and Lhe corresponding smaller sLeps. 1his becomes your
so-called master planLhe culminaLion o all planning sLeps explained so ar Lo keep
your lie in balance, achieve big Lhings over Lime, and make your dreams a realiLy.
ou can creaLe Lhe masLer plan, or example, as a secLion in OneNoLe, in which each
long-Lerm goal becomes a page wiLh Lhe corresponding inLermediaLe goals as a sub-
page. l you preer a biL more sLrucLure or wanL Lo see everyLhing aL a glance, creaLe an
ouLline (see Figure 6-8) or a beLLer overview (you can quickly expand/collapse parLial
sLeps and Lheir Lasks). ou can also seL up a separaLe page or specic goals. 1he Lime
horizon LhaL works besL depends on many acLors. Depending on age, Lype, amily sLaLus,
proession, and oLher acLors, some people plan a lie goal, oLhers a goal or seven or ve
years down Lhe road. SLarL, or example, wiLh Lhree years as your long-Lerm horizon, one
year as Lhe nexL sLep, and one or Lwo goals per lie haL. NoL each o Lhe enLries has Lo L
rigidly inLo Lhis grid. Maybe Lhe Lhree-year goal or your healLh is Lhe same as Lhe one-
year goal. Some Lhree-year enLries are noL concreLe goals yeL, buL more like resoluLions.
For one lie haL, you have Lhree long-Lerm goals, or anoLher jusL one. 1haLs okay. WhaL's
imporLanL is LhaL you devoLe Lime Lo all areas o lie, dene goals rom your wishes, and
conLinuously work Loward Lhem.
FIGURE 6-8 CreaLe your masLer planLhe ouLline uncLion in OneNoLe is a greaL way Lo do Lhis.
1he ollowing exercise can help you creaLe your masLer plan. lmagine LhaL Lhree years
rom now you are waLching a uneral. lLs your own. Seven people hold shorL and moving
eulogies. your manager, one o your cusLomers, your spouse, one o your children, and
so on (aL leasL one person rom each o your lie areas, or healLh and meaning o lie,
your besL riend or spouse, or example, is allowed Lo speak a second Lime). ln jusL a ew
senLences each, all Lhese speakers summarize why you were so imporLanL Lo Lhem and
whaL you meanL Lo Lhem. WriLe down Lwo eulogies per person. one LhaL conLains whaL
you hope and wish Lhis person would say abouL you Lhree years rom now, and one LhaL
conLains whaL Lhis person would say i you make no changes in Lhe nexL Lhree years and
simply conLinue doing Lhings as you have been up Lo now. (For example, My dad was
always Lhere or his work and his cusLomers, buL he never had Lime or me. He spenL his
whole lie in Lhe oce or in airporLs.) Seeing Lhis in wriLing will hurL enough Lo wake you
up now, so you can adjusL, seL your goal Lo be Lhere or your daughLer, and spend more
Lime wiLh her. We hope youll sLill have a loL more years Lhan jusL Lhree. our answers
will serve as a basis or creaLing your masLer plan. (See Figure 6-8, shown previously, or
some example goals.)
You Try it
1. CreaLe a noLebook sLrucLure and a secLion sLrucLure. For example, sLarL by plan-
ning all your meeLings and long phone calls in OneNoLe and making noLes during
conversaLions rom now on.
2. lnserL a picLure on a page. HighlighL parL o Lhe picLure wiLh a LexL marker.
3. CreaLe an ouLline wiLh aL leasL Lhree levels and Lwo subiLems.
Collapse Lhe enLire ouLline Lo level 2. Fxpand Lhe rsL subiLem Lo level 3. Color all
iLems o level 2 in blue (all aL Lhe same Lime) and ormaL Lhe wriLing in bold.
4. CreaLe a cusLomized Lag or goals (check box Lags can be checked o when done).
Speciy a Lag in a secLion or aL leasL our Lasks and Lwo open quesLions. 1hen
display Lhe Lag summary. From Lhere, jump Lo Lhe displayed Lasks (one aLer Lhe
oLher) and creaLe one linked OuLlook Lask each.
5. CreaLe ve hyperlinks Lo dierenL elemenLs on your OneNoLe pages (one Lo a pic-
Lure rom Lask 2, one Lo an ouLline rom Lask 3, one Lo Lhe Lasks rom Lask 4, and
Lwo Lo oLher elemenLs o your choice somewhere in your OneNoLe pages). lnserL
Lhree o Lhe hyperlinks inLo a dierenL OneNoLe page, one inLo Lhe noLe eld o an
OuLlook Lask, and one inLo an OuLlook appoinLmenL. Use Lhe hyperlinks Lo open
Lhe linked elemenLs.
6. FormulaLe a goal rom one o your unrealized resoluLions or realisLic wishes. Plan
Lhe required Lasks. SLarL on iL Lhis week. Reach Lhe goal in six monLhs aL Lhe laLesL.
7. CreaLe your masLer plan (Lake aL leasL 30 minuLes Lo do so).
219
CHAPTER 7
BY NOW you have learned a loL abouL Lime managemenL and iLs imple-
menLaLion wiLh MicrosoL OuLlook and MicrosoL OneNoLe. Or did you
Lry Lo save Lime by reading Lhe lasL chapLer rsL l LhaLs Lhe case, you
can nd Lhe ollowing conLenL in Lhe previous chapLers. Lhe besL Lime-
LesLed concepLs, sLraLegies, Lechniques, and Lips, based on Lhe pracLical
experiences and successes o our seminar parLicipanLs, rened over and
over. Now iLs up Lo you Lo implemenL Lhem or yoursel. 8uL donL worry.
Were sLill here Lo guide you on how Lo geL sLarLed, and weve already
helped Lens o Lhousands o oLher people Lo successully implemenL Lhese
Lime-managemenL sLraLegies.
1his chapLer is noLiceably shorLer Lhan Lhe oLhers. Make sure you
read all o iL and Lhen sLarL acLing! 1ake 25 quieL minuLes Lo do so.
l you canL do iL righL now, sLop reading and make an appoinLmenL
wiLh yoursel Lo do iL laLer in Lhe righL environmenL wiLhouL any
inLerrupLionsbuL do iL Lhis week!
how to Truly Beneft
from This Book
at Some Point, i Could actually get Started
Apply strategies and techniques
you have learned.
Take control of your time.
Create your own personal action
plan.
220 Chapter 7 How to Truly Beneft from This Book
IN ROBIN'S CASE, MOST THINGS DO NOT WORK ANYWAY
Robin was LoLally blown away during his lasL ighL back rom New ork. NexL
Lo him saL Neil 8lack, who exciLedly showed him his OuLlook calendar and Lask
lisL and explained how hes nally managed Lo be compleLely organized during
Lhe pasL year, especially on all his Lravels. Neil uses his smarLphone as a mobile
companion Lo OuLlook, so he even has everyLhing aL hand when he isnL near his
lapLop compuLer. He and his seven colleagues had Laken a seminar on elecLronic
Lime managemenL held by an experL. 1hey have been supporLing each oLher dur-
ing Lhe implemenLaLion, and iL Look Lhem a ew monLhs Lo implemenL everyLhing
Lhey had learned. 1heyve seen greaL resulLs and a loL o beneLs ever since.
Robin asked Neil Lo Lell him more.
Neil Lold him in deLail how he goL a handle on all his email messages. How he
is now able Lo concenLraLe on whaL really maLLers by using sLrucLured planning
and seLLing prioriLies. How he has ound a balance in lie again, Lhanks Lo weekly
planning. He now spends much more Lime wiLh his amily, nally Lakes Lime or
sporLs, nally sleeps beLLer, and is all-around more happy and condenL. How
he seLs long-Lerm goals and uses weekly, daily, and Lask planning Lo make Lhem
become realiLy. How he now beneLs noL only personally buL also proessionally
by geLLing more done and being more successul, even Lhough he spends less
Lime in Lhe oce Lhan beore.
O course, Robin wanLed Lo Lry iL ouL righL away. He ordered a LableL PC wiLh
OneNoLe and Lhe laLesL version o OuLlook. He is deLermined, and Lhinks, l can
nally process email messages dierenLly, speciy a ew Lasks, plan someLhing or
Lhe week, and somehow plan Lhe day. l could use all Lhose addiLional uncLions aL
some poinL, and o course LhaL LableL PC wiLh Lhis OneNoLe Lhing or handwriLLen
noLes. He Lries Lo L in everyLhing aL once and somehow in beLween during
Lhe nexL hecLic work week. All Lhis in spiLe o Lhe work LhaL has been accumulaL-
ing in his oce during his nine days o Lravel. He is planning Lo Lake a closer look
aL Lhe individual parLs whenever Lhere is a biL more Lime Lo do so...maybe.
ALer Lwo weeks, he gives up. Somehow none o LhaL sLu has worked. He jusL
had Loo many oLher Lhings Lo do, so he never had more Lhan our minuLes Lo geL
Lo know his new planning Lools, and so he couldnL really geL sLarLedappar-
enLly, LhaLs jusL Lhe way iL is wiLh him.
Lets get Started and Change Things!
1hese are Lhe imporLanL sLeps Loward success, Lo prevenL you rom ending up like Robin.
CreaLe an acLion plan. SeL clear goals or yoursel.
Only Lackle one issue aL a Lime, buL do iL righL (insLead o halhearLedly Lrying 0
Lhings aL Lhe same Lime).
Find someone who supporLs you, encourages you, and holds you accounLable.
Check your progress and donL give up. During Lhe nexL monLhs, work consisLenLly
on opLimizing your Lime managemenLin small buL conLinuous sLeps. lmproving
your Lime managemenL and work-lie balance is hard work, and iLs noL or Lhe
ainL o hearLbuL Lhe resulLs are well worLh Lhe eorL!
how to get a handle on Your Time
1he idea LhaL planning, using OuLlook, keeping a schedule, or making noLes kills creaLiv-
iLy is usually someLhing claimed by people who donL do iLby people who requenLly
orgeL essenLial Lasks, miss appoinLmenLs, and canL nd imporLanL inormaLion again
when Lhey need iL, who are Lhereore compleLely overburdened and sLressed, have no
Lime leL or whaLs imporLanL, and end up geLLing Loo involved wiLh small sLu or non-
issues. So, in Lhe end, by NO1 using Lhese Lools, Lhey acLually have NO Lime or only liLLle
Lime leL or creaLiviLy, riends, and whaL maLLers mosL Lo Lhem.
Some Lhink Lhere is noLhing Lhey can do abouL iL (even Lhough, sLrangely enough, oLhers
in Lhe same work environmenL and wiLh Lhe same requiremenLs masLer Lime manage-
menL jusL ne). FveryLhing would go awry i Lhey even Lried. 1hey jusL have Loo many
email messages. ln Lheir case, iLs always Lhe aulL o oLhers (bad clienLs, angry cusLom-
ers, or sLupid coworkers). UnorLunaLe ouLside circumsLances or even aLe are blamed
or Lhe mess. AL rsL glance, iLs much simpler Lo blame your boss, Lhe weaLher, or Lhe
posiLion o Lhe sLars or any ailurei you yoursel couldnL do anyLhing abouL iL, i you
jusL had no choice, i Lhere was jusL no way you could have succeeded no maLLer how
hard you Lried, Lhen nobody can blame you. And Lhen Lheres noLhing you can do Lo
change iL anyway.
How to Get a Handle on Your Time Chapter 7 221
O course, iLs noL your aulL i Lhere is a 0-mile-long Lrac jam on Lhe way Lo your
appoinLmenL and you're sLuck or one hour. Nor is Lhere anyLhing you can do abouL iL.
8uL sLrangely enough, Lhere are people who seem Lo have Lo deal wiLh such problems
consLanLly, who arrive laLe all Lhe Lime and always or a dierenL (albeiL honesL!) reason,
while Lhe same Lhing (almosL) never happens Lo Lheir colleagues wiLh Lhe same Lasks and
rom Lhe same environmenL who are going Lo Lhe same meeLings. 1here is a reason or
Lhis. ou may noL have caused Lhe evenLs LhaL Lrigger a problem or a delay and may noL
be able Lo change Lhe circumsLances, buL you are responsible or how you handle Lhem,
which siLuaLions you prepare or, and how you reacL. 1he acL is LhaL once in a while Lhere
is an unexpecLed Lrac jam.... lL may noL be your aulL, buL you are cerLainly responsible
or noL being prepared or iL. lnsLead o complaining abouL iL, iL makes more sense Lo
ocus on whaL opLions you mighL have. And Lhen Lo admiL LhaL iL requenLly is your own
aulLnoL whaL happens, buL how you reacL Lo iL, and whaL Lhe end resulL is.
1his is a biL uncomorLable aL rsL, which is why we like Lo ool ourselves inLo Lhinking
LhaL iLs noL Lrue. However, aL second glance, a huge advanLage reveals iLsel. l iLs your
own aulL, Lhen you can do someLhing abouL iL nexL Lime by (re)acLing dierenLlyor
example, by leaving earlier. l Lhe meeLing was really imporLanL Lo you, you should have
leL wiLh enough lead Lime Lo make up or any Lrac jams or ighL delays. So when you
have Lhe nexL imporLanL meeLing coming up, give yoursel some buer Lime, jusL in case.
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
ChArleS Swindoll
1his doesnL jusL apply Lo Lrac jams, buL Lo many oLher areas. 1he problem isnL your
email messages or Lhe number o your Lasks (Lhose are jusL Lriggers), nor is iL an over-
owing inbox, orgoLLen replies, or a chaoLic desk (Lhose are resulLs). ou yoursel are
responsible or how you handle Lhis, which is why you can change iL. lL may be a long,
diculL journey, especially i you have goLLen used Lo cerLain behavioral paLLerns over
Lhe years, such as doing everyLhing aL Lhe lasL minuLe, squeezing Lhings in quickly beore
someLhing else, and also leaving Lhe oce aL Lhe very lasL minuLe. 8uL you can change
Lhose habiLs and become consisLenLly puncLual in jusL a ew weeks or monLhs.
GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT
As an example, consider Charlie Keen, who consLanLly loses paper documenLs. AL
rsL glance, a messy desk seems Lo be Lhe reason. 8uL cleaning iL up doesnL help.
1wo weeks laLer, Lhe desk would look Lhe same again. lL is jusL Lhe sympLom o a
problem on a deeper level. So Lhe quesLion is. WhaL is Lhe acLual problem, and
whaL are Lhe causes o Lhis problem
Answer. 1he problem is LhaL Charlie doesn'L have a ling sysLem or incom-
ing paper documenLs. Why hasnL he creaLed one 8ecause hes been Loo busy.
Why 8ecause he preers urgenL simple Lasks wiLh low prioriLy, which are un, Lo
uncomorLable diculL Lasks wiLh high prioriLy and leverage.
1hereore, Lhe soluLion is Lo implemenL a Lask sysLem or seLLing reasonable pri-
oriLies, in which Lhe creaLion o a ling sysLem will geL a high prioriLy. 1his is go-
ing Lo cosL him ve hours (once!), which he will have made up or in a ew weeks,
because now he will no longer have Lo wasLe Lime looking or losL documenLs.
And consisLenL ling is less Lime consuming Lhan consLanL searching.
The Next Steps
OuLlook provides you wiLh a Lime-planning sysLem LhaL supporLs you perecLly and helps
you keep Lrack, even i you are Lackling a large number o Lasks over long periods o
Lime. ou also have Lhis book and Lhe online videos (see Lhe lnLroducLion Lo Lhis book or
inormaLion on how Lo access Lhe videos), which show you how iL all works. All you have
Lo do now is Lo use Lhem consisLenLly. Make sure you allow yoursel enough Lime Lo learn
everyLhing, i you are sLudying on your own. Or Lake a seminar wiLh like-minded col-
leaguesLo beneL rom Lhe eedback o an experL.
1he beginning will be hard. lniLial planning will Lake Lime, and you mighL geL Lhe eel-
ing LhaL all Lhis planning is becoming a hindrance. 8uL aLer abouL Lhree weeks, you will
begin Lo noLice your rsL successes, and planning will slowly buL cerLainly have become
a habiL, geLLing easier and asLer all Lhe Lime. 8y Lhen, your daily planning will only Lake
abouL 0 minuLes each day.
How to Get a Handle on Your Time Chapter 7 223
ALer a ew more weeks, you will be able Lo le away and nd any inormaLion aL any
Lime wiLh jusL one or Lwo clicks. l you have noLed all Lhe essenLials in an orderly ashion
in OuLlook and OneNoLe, you no longer need Lo worry abouL single Lasks. lnsLead, you
can ocus on creaLive Lhinking and adjusL your schedule quickly Lo any changes. ou no
longer have Lo wasLe energy on remembering whaL sLill needs Lo be Laken care o and
whaL you deniLely musL noL orgeL, because wiLh jusL one click you can have iL all in
ronL o you, neaLly arranged and easy Lo read.
WiLh jusL one glance, youll be able Lo Lell wheLher you can L in a sponLaneous or un-
expecLed acLiviLy wiLhouL any problem or wheLher you need Lo move oLher scheduled
iLems. l you run inLo a scheduling conicL because Lhings have changed, you can quickly
evaluaLe wheLher Lhe original plan is more imporLanL Lo you and i iLs beLLer Lo L Lhe
new sLu in or Lo poliLely buL rmly decline.
Test the Current Version of offce for Free
1his book is based on MicrosoL Oce 200OuLlook 2007 and MicrosoL Oce
OuLlook 2003 are also discussed. However, OuLlook 200 oers a ew more pracLical
uncLions. l you are sLill working wiLh an older version o Oce or OuLlook, you can
download a ree Lime-limiLed demo o Lhe currenL version rom Lhe ollowing websiLe
and begin working wiLh iL immediaLely.
http://offce.com/try
l you would like Lo buy Lhe new version o Oce and avoid Lhe cumbersome unpacking
and insLallaLion rom a DvD, you can simply download iL rom here.
http://offce.com/buy
FurLher inormaLion abouL Oce Web Apps and Windows Live SkyDrive is locaLed on.
http://offce.com/web-apps
Take responsibilityDo it Now!
Now iLs up Lo you. ou have a long and diculL journey ahead o you, i you decide
Lo opLimize your Lime managemenL. 8uL i you Lake iL one sLreLch aL a Lime and move
Loward a clear goal wiLh small buL conLinuous sLeps, day by day and week by week, you
will nd ways Lo geL over Lhe hurdles and will nally compleLe Lhe whole journey. lLs well
worLh iL!
ROBIN STICKS WITH ITAND MAKES IT!
1hree monLhs laLer, Robin is nally compleLely ed up wiLh all Lhe sLress and
chaos, and Lhe acL LhaL in Lhe pasL Lhree weeks he has only seen his wie Lwice
and only or ve hours each Lime. Close Lo a nervous breakdown, he jumps up,
bangs his righL sL on Lhe Lable, and yells. 1here musL be a beLLer way!
He dares Lo give iL one more Lry. He hires an experL as a coach Lo improve his
Lime managemenL wiLh his new LableL PC and OuLlook. ALer an analysis o
Robins way o working and his way o handling his Lasks, Lhis experL works ouL all
Lhe deLails wiLh Robin, and Lhen Lhey develop a plan LogeLher. MosL imporLanLly.
He only gives Robin one homework assignmenL or each our-week periodrsL
jusL Lo consisLenLly wriLe everyLhing down. Four weeks laLer, Robin ocuses on
prioriLizing his goals and Lasks. 1hen he works wiLh a Lask lisL wiLh caLegories and
cusLomized views. Once a week, his coach calls Robin Lo Lalk abouL his progress,
and gives him Lips in a Windows Live MeeLing i Robin has quesLions. When
Robin has reached a goal aLer Lhree Lo our weeks, he Lackles Lhe nexL subjecL
wiLh his coachone aLer Lhe oLher, buL consisLenLly. Following Lhis meLhod, Lhey
work or six monLhs on improving Robins Lime managemenL.
8y now, eighL monLhs have passed since Lhey sLarLed working LogeLher. Robin
isnL Lhe man he used Lo be a year agohe works much more ecienLly now.
Hes back Lo Lhe Robin he was a long Lime ago, because his enLhusiasm, eager-
ness Lo Lake acLion, creaLiviLy, and imaginaLion are back. 8uL Lhis Lime, his acLions
are planned and sLrucLured. He even sLarLs his day wiLh uncomorLable Lasks,
which he geLs done beore lunch, insLead o puLLing in overLime or posLpon-
ing Lhem aL P.M. wiLh a queasy eeling in his sLomach. He ocuses on whaLs
imporLanL rsL, which helps him make beLLer headway and geL arLher. Once in
a while, a ew Lhings sLill go wrong, buL ewer Lhan beore. And he doesnL Lake
Lhem Lo hearL as much. Fven now, he sLill needs Lo sLay in Lhe oce a liLLle longer
once in a while, buL each week he reserves Lime or his wie, his daughLer, his besL
riends, and exercise. He keeps Lhese appoinLmenLsand he eels more balanced
and happier Lhan he has in a long Lime.
Take ResponsibilityDo It Now! Chapter 7 225
As youve gured ouL, Lhe characLer o Robin Wood is compleLely made upbuL noL his
various problems and experiences! We donL jusL help well-organized execuLives Lo im-
prove. We also have accompanied a loL o seminar parLicipanLs and coaching clienLs who
had Lo caLch up on even more issues Lhan Robin Wood during Lheir journey Loward suc-
cessul Lime managemenL. No case is hopeless, as long as LhaL person is willing and ready
Lo make changes. ou can do iL, Loo. And when you have conLrol over your Lime. 1ake
Lhe nexL sLep, resolve Lo do someLhing amazing. 1hink o Joschka Fischer (see SeL Coals
or ourselNoL JusL or our Revenue in ChapLer 6, How 1o Use OneNoLe or WriLing
Coals, JoLLing Down ldeas, and Keeping NoLes). ou donL have Lo be a naLuralwhaL
maLLers are clear goals, prioriLies, discipline, and hard conLinuous work.
Time Management is Self-Discipline
FirsL and oremosL, Lime managemenL is a maLLer o sel-disciplineLargeL-orienLed
planning and acLing while ollowing clear prioriLies. No goals, noL knowing whaL Lo do,
unclear prioriLies, or Lrying Lo Lalk onesel ouL o Laking responsibiliLy and blaming oLhers
or exLernal circumsLances are Lhe biggesL hurdles. ALer you have Laken Lhe sLeps we have
Lalked abouL, you have already won parL o Lhe ghL againsL poor sel-discipline. Finally,
Lheres Lhe big and diculL sLep o reusing Lo geL consLanLly disLracLed, buL going abouL
Lhe mosL imporLanL Lhings in a concenLraLed and disciplined ashioneven i Lhose Lhings
are uncomorLable and noL much un. Remember. lLs worLh some hard work and disci-
pline i Lhis leads Lo more reedom and allows you Lo reach higher goals, gain more Lime
wiLh your riends and amily, and have more ree Lime and more un aLerward.
Knowing is not enough; we also must apply. Willing is not
enough; we also must do.
JohAnn wolfgAng von goethe
Create Your own Personal action Plan
Resolve Lo always do only one Lhing aL a Lime. 1haLs beLLer Lhan overburdening yoursel,
becoming unmoLivaLed, and having a seLback. Keep an eye on your own resilience and
Lhe expendiLure o Limesuccess requires Lime and work. Keep your sLeps small, buL
conLinuous.
our acLion plan (see Figure 7-) will help you do Lhis, because you are dening your
goals, and rom Lhere Lhe individual sLeps. lLs also Lhe besL way Lo become more disci-
plined. ou will know whaL acLion is required. Look aL iL daily and acL accordingly. Dene
whaL you will improve abouL your Lime managemenL in Lhe nexL six monLhs. SeL a goal
or each monLh (see ChapLer 6) and speciy parLial sLeps, such as a secLion wiLh six pages
(one or each monLh) or an ouLline in OneNoLe. 1hen speciy Lhe goal or Lhe nexL monLh
and plan Lhe sLeps or Lhe rsL week.
FIGURE 7-1 CreaLe your acLion plan wiLh concreLe goals, and check on your progress.
Check your success each week. l you have reached your goal aL Lhe end o Lhe monLh,
reward yoursel (or example, wiLh your avoriLe chocolaLe or going Lo Lhe movies) and
go aLer Lhe nexL goal. l you didnL reach your goal, nd ouL Lhe cause (see CeL Lo Lhe
8oLLom o lL, earlier in Lhis chapLer).
Find a Buddy
Many people nd iL diculL Lo come up wiLh Lhe required discipline all on Lheir own, es-
pecially in Lhe beginning. Look or someone who will supporL, moLivaLe, conLrol, and en-
courage you. Someone who will hold you accounLable and give you a nudge i necessary.
1his makes everyLhing a whole loL easier. our perecL buddy is an experienced coach.
However, a good colleague or riend can ll Lhis role as well, i you are serious abouL Lhis,
commiL Lo muLual conLrol, are honesL wiLh each oLher, work hard, and sLick wiLh iL. PrinL
your acLion plan wiLh your goals or your buddy, and sign iL like a conLracL. lL will make
you eel more obligaLed. Agree on a reward when you have achieved a monLhly goal (or
insLance, your buddy will bake cookies or you), or a punishmenL i you donL reach your
goal (or example, you need Lo wash his bike wiLh a LooLhbrush)depending on whaL
works besL or you. l you boLh creaLe an acLion plan or geL LogeLher wiLh oLher Lwo-
person Leams, you can moLivaLe each oLher even beLLer and supporL each oLher Lhrough
common experiences.
Take ResponsibilityDo It Now! Chapter 7 227
Start immediately and Keep at it!
1he key Lo more ree Lime, balance, conLenLmenL, success, and sereniLy is in your hands.
ou have Lhe possibiliLy as well as enough Lime Lo change your Lime managemenL and
your whole lie. Fach day, you have exacLly 24 hours availableyou decide how you wanL
Lo use Lhem. DonL posLpone your dreams and your mosL imporLanL proessional and
personal goals or years. AL some poinL, iL may jusL be Loo laLe.
TIP Remember Lhe saying. lLs noL abouL Lhe cards you are dealL in lie, buL
how you play Lhem. Decide where you wanL Lo Lake your lie. Decide
whaL is Lruly imporLanL Lo you. And Lhen acL on iL. l noL now, Lhen when
As Shakespeare wroLe (Julius Caesar, l, ii). 1he aulL, dear 8ruLus, is noL in our sLars, buL
in ourselves 1he same goes or your chances, dreams, and poLenLial. ou are Lhe one
who deLermines your aLe. FiLher you jusL driL and waLchor you swim, someLimes even
againsL a currenL LhaL pushes you in Lhe wrong direcLion. 1ake your uLure inLo your own
hands. And do iL now!
229
APPENDIx
WE vE COMPI LED A LI ST OF BOOKS LhaL we recommend or
urLher reading.
Covey, SLephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful
Lessons in Personal Change. New ork. Free Press, 2004.
Covey, SLephen R., A. Roger Merrill, and Rebecca R. Merrill. First
Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy. New ork.
Simon & SchusLer, 200.
KusLenmacher, 1iki, and LoLhar SeiwerL. How to Simplify Your Life:
Seven Practical Steps to Letting Go of Your Burdens and Living a
Happier Life. New ork. McCraw-Hill, 2004.
McCee-Cooper, Ann, wiLh Duane 1rammell. You Dont Have to Go
Home from Work Exhausted! A Program to Bring Joy, Energy, and
Balance to Your Life. New ork. 8anLam 8ooks, 992.
McChee, Sally. Take Back Your Life: Using Microsoft Outlook to Get
Organized and Stay Organized. Redmond, WA. MicrosoL Press,
2005.
MorgensLern, Julie. Never Check E-Mail in the Morning: And Other
Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work. New ork.
Fireside, 2005.
recommended
reading
230 Appendix Recommended Reading
MorgensLern, Julie. SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life: A Four-Step Guide to Getting
Unstuck. New ork. Fireside, 2009.
SeiwerL, LoLhar. Managing Your Time (Business Action Guides). London. Kogan Page, 992.
SeiwerL, LoLhar. Time Is Money: Save It. Homewood, lL. Dow Jones-lrwin, 989, and
London. Kogan Page, 99.
SeiwerL, LoLhar, wiLh Ann McCee-Cooper. Slow Down to Speed Up: How to Manage Your
Time and Rebalance Your Life. FrankurL/New ork. Campus, 2007.
SLack, Laura. Find More Time: How to Get Things Done at Home, Organize Your Life, and
Feel Great About It. New ork. 8roadway 8ooks, 2006.
SLack, Laura. Leave the Offce Earlier: The Productivity Pro Shows You How to Do More in
Less Timeand Feel Great About It. New ork. 8roadway 8ooks, 2004.
SLack, Laura. Super Competent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best. Hoboken,
NJ. Wiley, 200.
SLack, Laura. The Exhaustion Cure: Up Your Energy from Low to Go in 21 Days. New ork.
8roadway 8ooks, 2008.
231
index
all-day appoinLmenLs, 64
answering email messages, 2, 8
AppoinLmenL orm, 45
appoinLmenLs
appoinLmenLs wiLh yoursel, 63
auLomaLically color your appoinLmenLs, 06
color in OuLlook 2003, 07
converLing email messages inLo, 39
converLing rom email messages, 4
converLing rom Lhe 1o-Do bar/1askPad, 04
creaLing rom individual parLs o an email
message, 6
daily planning, 2629, 34
displaying in Lable views, 26
ediLing, 55
enLering inLo your calendar, 62
agging as privaLe, 65
ormaLLing and color, 73
inserLing email messages and les, 48
inserLing mulLiple email messages, 6
planning LogeLher wiLh Lasks, 0007
ProducLiviLy Hours, 20
redisLribuLing,
Show As eld, 63
Lask bar, 35
versus Lasks, 44
wiLh yoursel, 02
wriLing down, 43
AppoinLmenL view, 46
A prioriLy Lasks
abouL, 40
archiving email messages, 3, 4
SYMBOLS
3M rule, 24
25,000 S MeLhod
abouL, 5559
buer Limes, 34
daily planning, 30
pending acLiviLies, 33
60.40 rule, 35
80-20 rule, 38
, (comma), in caLegory names, 8
% CompleLe eld, 47
, (semicolon), in caLegory names, 8
A
accounLabiliLy
rom planning, 42
Lo yoursel, 2
acousLic new email noLicaLion, 6
AcLionLisL, 4
acLion plans, creaLing your own personal acLion
plan, 226
acLions, Rules Wizard, 30
acLiviLies. See Lasks
AcLual Work eld, 33
adding shorL noLes and reminders Lo a
message, 26
addresses, wriLing down, 43
agenda, ouLlining, 94
alarms
agging email messages, 2427
receiving alarm messages, 25
232 Index
assigning caLegories
in calendars, 68
Lo email messages, 68
Lo Lasks, 67
using Lhe masLer caLegory lisL, 76
assigning Lasks Lo oLhers, 4
AuLoCorrecL opLion, 50
auLomaLically inserLing holidays in OuLlook, 28
auLomaLic color ormaLLing, 23
auLomaLic coloring, 74
auLomaLic downloading o new messages, 7
AuLomaLic FormaLLing dialog box, 06
B
background
color, 90
picLures as, 9
balance, keeping your lie in balance. Kiesel
Principle, 90
8lack8erry
assigning a colored ag Lo a message, 23
deleLing email messages, 2
making noLes, 80
marking email messages as a Lask, 8
blank lines beLween paragraphs in email
messages, 3
blocks
abouL, 7
o email messages,
processing email messages, 2
8 prioriLy Lasks
abouL, 40
breaks during meeLings, 67
buddies, 227
buer Limes, daily planning, 34
8usy value, 63
C
calendars
assigning caLegories in, 68
Calendar buLLon, 52
calendar overlays and meeLings, 4966
calendar views as LhemaLically grouped
appoinLmenL lisLs, 27
displaying side by side, 47
meeLing requesLs, 666
opLimizing or meeLing requesLs, 4
shared calendars or planning meeLings, 43
Lask view or week planning in your
calendar, 03
views, 29
caLegories
abouL, 667
color, 782
lLering and grouping by caLegory, 8290
grouping CompleLed 1his Week view by, 98
grouping Lasks by, 87
hiding all Lasks belonging Lo block building
caLegories, 22
message agging, 22
phone calls, 4
sorLing Lasks by, 87
Lask blocks, 3
using in OuLlook, 47
checking email messages, 4, 7
checklisLs, OneNoLe, 207
circling, digiLal noLebooks, 8
clariLy in wriLing email LexL, 3
cleaning up OuLlook 2003 masLer caLegory
lisL, 77
clipboards, 79
cloud-based Oce applicaLions, 69
collapsing groups, 89
collapsing levels in OneNoLe, 95
color
appoinLmenLs in OuLlook 2003, 07
233 Index
prioriLy classes, 40
Lhis week lLer criLeria, 98
CurrenL view/CusLomize CurrenL view, 30
CurrenL view group, 30
cusLomer numbers, older sLrucLure, 20
CusLomize CurrenL view, 22, 30, 36
CusLomize view dialog box, 06
D
daily perormance curve, 2
daily planning, 0938
appoinLmenLs, 2629, 34
buer Limes, 34
ne Luning, 3033
ocusing on imporLanL Lasks during producLiv-
iLy hours, 92
geLLing sLarLed, 2, 37
journal or semi-auLomaLic Lime proLocols, 5
order musL prevail, 226
perormance curves and disrupLion
curves, 8
Lask blocks, 25
1askPad, 35
1o-Do bar, 3537
daily proLocol, 7
Daily 1ask LisL
cusLomizing, 02
showing or hiding, 02
Daily 1ask LisL 1ools Lab, 00
DANF SysLem, 2
daLa
daLa exchange, 82
noLe Lags, 82
daLe navigaLor, 49
day o resL per week, 05
deadlines, older sLrucLure, 20
DeaulL 1emplaLe uncLion, 208
delays, planning or, 2
delegaLing Lasks Lo oLhers, 4
auLomaLically color your appoinLmenLs, 06
digiLal noLebooks, 8
agging appoinLmenLs, 63
highlighLing LexL, 97
masLer caLegory lisL, 69
OneNoLe, 89
Lracking caLegories, 782
useulness o or Lime managemenL, 2
comma (,), in caLegory names, 8
CompleLed 1his Week view, 97
condiLional coloring, 74
CondiLional FormaLLing, 06, 23
conLacLs
ConLacLs older. phone numbers, 8
creaLing conLacL enLries, 5, 203
Facebook, 47
older sLrucLure, 20
inserLing email messages and les, 48
Linkedln, 0, 47
personal inormaLion and phoLo, 9
SharePoinL Web ParLs, 73
wriLing inormaLion down, 43
conLainers, OneNoLe, 87
conLracLs, planning as creaLing, 42
conversaLions
noLes, 85
pages, 94
converLing email messages inLo Lasks and
appoinLmenLs, 39
copying
email messages, 2
pages, 86
picLures, 88
Copy 1exL From PicLure, 2
cosL o meeLings, 56
counLries, holidays, 28
C prioriLy Lasks, 4
creaLiviLy, 22
criLeria
coloring Lasks, 26
234 Index
moving messages inLo olders, 2
sorLing Lasks by caLegories, 88
drawings
deleLing, 9
on picLures, 92
drawing Lools, 77, 8
due daLes
in email messages, 33
or Lasks, 46
Lasks versus appoinLmenLs, 44
1oday and lLers, 3
duraLion, esLimaLing or pending acLiviLies, 33
E
FdiLor OpLions dialog box, 5
educaLing pushy senders, 5
Fisenhower MaLrix, 3942
elemenLs
nding using Lags, 200
lasien n diLor OpLions i n n
n s,hy sende in 5sLg p
duraLd n i n n i n "n n
dp n n
236 Index
hyperlinks
OneNoLe, 205
LiLles, 206
I
idle Limes
AcLionLisL, 4
planning Lo make producLive use o, 2
imporLanL and urgenL prioriLies, 40
inbox, 9
email organizaLion, 4
making Lime Lo organize, 33
presorLing in OuLlook, 2830
processing your email block wiLh Lhe DANF
SysLem, 2
incoming email messages, deleLing, 2
incompleLe Lasks, 98
inserLing
copies o documenLs, 47
email messages and les inLo appoinLmenLs
and conLacL enLries, 48
links Lo les, 48
mulLiple email messages inLo Lasks and
appoinLmenLs, 6
picLures in OneNoLe, 88
screenshoLs, 88
Lables, 97
lnserL Lab, LexL ediLor in OuLlook 200/OuLlook
2007, 48
lnLerneL Fxplorer, 20
inLerrupLions
during producLiviLy hours, 92
email, , 5
ending o during ProducLiviLy Hours, 20
planning or, 2
inviLaLions, meeLings, 43
goals
caLegories or, 8
long-Lerm goals and weekly planning, 65, 26
or meeLings, 4, 67
ouLlining, 94
seLLing, 22
groups
by caLegory, 8290
CurrenL view group, 30
grouped views, 87
grouping CompleLed 1his Week view by
caLegory, 98
1ags group, 68
Lasks by caLegory, 87
wriLing email messages in 1ags group or
OpLions group, 25
H
handling
disLracLions, 48
email messages, 4
handwriLLen noLes
adding Lo LexL, 96
on picLures, 92
LableL PCs and OneNoLe, 93
hiding
compleLed Lasks, 55, 30
Daily 1ask LisL, 02
Croup by 8ox, 88
individual shorL phone calls reserved or block
building, 22
Lasks inLended or block building, 22
highlighLing LexL in color, 97
H1ML messages, 3
237 Index
ShorLcuL Key lisL, 69
Lask lisLs, 43
1ime lisLs, 30
Live MeeLing, 59
locaLions
as basis or caLegories, 79
older sLrucLure, 20
long-Lerm goals
caLegories or, 8
weekly planning, 65
losL noLes, 79
M
mail. See email
mailboxes, searching, 27
Manage All views dialog box, 27
Manage views, 27
manual coloring, 74
marking Lasks, 23
assigning caLegories using, 76
cleaning up in OuLlook 2003, 77
lling in wiLh OuLlook 2003, 78
revising, 70
masLer Lask lisL, incompleLe Lasks, 99
maLrices, Fisenhower MaLrix, 3942
meeLings, 3974
calendar overlay, 4966
MeeLing RequesL orm, 46
meeLing requesLs, 20, 45
minuLes wiLh OneNoLe, 94208
OuLlook and meeLing requesLs, 4249
preparing, 6673
sharing meeLing noLes, 206
wasLed Lime in, 40
wiLh specic conLacLs, 0
message agging, 22
Message orm, answering meeLing requesLs, 5
J
junk, email,
K
key phrases, 82
keywords, applying Lo Lasks, 66
Kiesel Principle, 9096
keeping your lie in balance, 90
planning your proessional and privaLe lie
LogeLher, 995
Laking Lime or whaL really counLs, 95
L
language LranslaLion, 5
Lee, lvy, on prioriLizing Lasks, 56
leisure acLiviLies, planning, 92
libraries, documenL libraries, 7
lie haLs, 94
Linkedln, 0, 47
linking
documenLs wiLh noLes, 209
les, 77
links
inserLing links Lo les, 48
synchronizaLion o OneNoLe and OuLlook, 204
lisLs
AcLionLisL, 4
caLegory lisLs, 4
conLacL lisLs, 73
cusLomizing Lhe Lask lisL, 37
Daily 1ask LisL, 02
DeaulL 1emplaLe lisL, 208
FnLry 1ype lisL, 5
secLion lisL, 85
238 Index
Limeliness in creaLing, 78
noLe Lags, 82
noLicaLions, disabling new email noLicaLions, 5
O
obligaLions, planning as creaLing, 42
OCR, making LexL inside picLures available, 2
Oce
cloud compuLing, 69
subjecLs and OneNoLe, 203
LesLing or ree, 224
oce workers, Lime spenL on email,
OneNoLe, 7528
abouL, 7882
caLegories (named Lags in OneNoLe), 9820
creaLing/linking Lasks in/Lo OuLlook, 202
email messages, posLing rom OuLlook, 205
exporLing and prinLing, 2092
ollow-up acLiviLies, 98202
goal seLLing, 22, 26
linking OneNoLe rom oLher applicaLions, 203
meeLing minuLes, 94208
OCR or picLures, 2
Lags, 9820
using, 8293
Open A Shared Calendar, 48
opening pages and subpages, 86
open quesLions, 82
OpLions group, wriLing email messages, 25
ouLline views, 8
ouLlining, 9498
OuLlook 2003
message, 26
answering meeLing requesLs, 5
assigning caLegories using Lhe masLer caLegory
lisL, 76
Message OpLions dialog box, 7
MicrosoL Fxchange server, 42
MicrosoL Oce. See Oce
MicrosoL Oce Live MeeLing, 59
MicrosoL OneNoLe. See OneNoLe
MicrosoL ProjecL., 45
MicrosoL SharePoinL, 69
minimizing 1o-Do bar in OuLlook 200/OuLlook
2007, 36
Mini 1oolbar, 50
minuLes
abouL, 68
OneNoLe, 94208
ouLlining, 94
sharing, 206
moving
messages inLo olders, 2
pages, 86
picLures in OneNoLe, 88
mulLilingual spelling checker, 50
mulLiple Fxchange accounLs, 82
My 1asks pane, 60
N
negaLive lLers, 82, 84
New MeeLing RequesL, 48
No!, saying more oLen, 4
noLebooks. See also OneNoLe
paper noLebooks, 80
searching, 20
sLrucLure, 83
noLe eld
ormaLLing LexL, 49
using in 1ask orm, 47
noLes. See also OneNoLe
message, 26
linking wiLh documenLs, 209
sharing, 206
239 Index
displaying mulLiple calendars, 49
expanding or collapsing groups, 89
ne-Luning Lhe 25,000 S view, 30
inserLing copies o documenLs, 47
inserLing mulLiple email messages inLo Lasks
and appoinLmenLs, 7
meeLing workspaces, 7
Mini 1oolbar, 50
mulLilingual spelling checker and oreign lan-
guage dicLionary or Lhesaurus, 50
mulLilingual spelling checker and Lhe oreign
language dicLionary, 5
OneNoLe, 82
OpLions group, 25
planning Lask and appoinLmenLs LogeLher, 00
PrivaLe buLLon, 65
reminders, 24
Scheduling AssisLanL, 45
Send UpdaLe buLLon, 54
calendar, 03
LexL ediLor, 47, 4852
1o-Do bar, 35
1o-Do LisL. viewing Lasks rom mulLiple olders
and email messages aL Lhe same Lime, 60
1racking buLLon, 54
viewing currenL sender inormaLion, 9
views, 52
OuLlook 200
assigning caLegories Lo email messages, 68
Calendar buLLon, 52
calendar views, 29
coloring appoinLmenLs according Lo
caLegory, 72
calendar views, 29
caLegory sysLem, 66, 7582
cleaning up masLer caLegory lisL, 77
color or each appoinLmenL, 07
commas and semicolons in caLegory
names, 8
disabling auLomaLic downloading o new
messages, 7
disabling visual and/or acousLic new email
noLicaLion, 6
expanding or collapsing groups, 89
lling in Lhe masLer caLegory lisL, 78
and appoinLmenLs, 7
meeLing workspace, 7
OneNoLe, 82
PrivaLe check box, 65
calendar, 03
views, 52
OuLlook 2007
assigning caLegories Lo email messages, 68
calendar views, 29
caLegory sysLem, 66
coloring appoinLmenLs according Lo
caLegory, 72
names, 8
CusLomize CurrenL view, 36
messages, 7
noLicaLion, 6
displaying caLegory colors, 7
240 Index
OuL o Oce value, 64
overdue Lasks, Lurning o red color marking, 26
P
pages
creaLing, 86
lling, 87
hyperlinks in OneNoLe, 205
meeLing noLes and conversaLions, 94
moving picLures on, 88
OneNoLe, 83
schedulers, 83
swiLching beLween, 8
LemplaLes in OneNoLe, 207
working wiLh, 85
painLing Lools, 8
paragraph handle, 87
paragraphs, blank lines beLween paragraphs, 3
PareLo Principle, 38
parLicipanLs in meeLings, 4
PasLe command, 49
pending Lasks
25,000 S MeLhod, 30
esLimaLing Lime or, 33
pens
OneNoLe, 87, 89
LableL PCs, 82
using in OneNoLe, 90
People Pane, 46
perormance curves, 8
phone calls
caLegory lisLs, 4
combining inLo caLegories, 2
deacLivaLing during ProducLiviLy Hours, 20
handling in blocks, 2
hiding individual shorL phone calls reserved or
block building, 22
preparaLions and noLes, 78
OuLlook 200 (cont.)
names, 8
messages, 7
noLicaLion, 6
displaying caLegory colors, 7
displaying mulLiple calendars, 49
and appoinLmenLs, 7
meeLing workspaces, 7
mulLilingual spelling checker and oreign lan-
guage dicLionary or Lhesaurus, 50
mulLiple Fxchange accounLs, 43
Open Calendar, 48
People Pane, 47
planning and appoinLmenLs LogeLher, 00
PrivaLe in Lhe 1ags group on Lhe AppoinLmenL
Lab, 65
reminders, 24
Scheduling AssisLanL, 45
1ags group, 25
calendar, 03
LexL ediLor, 47, 4852
1o-Do bar, 35
1racking buLLon, 54
views, 52
view SeLLings, 36
OuLlook Social ConnecLor, 9
ouL-o-oce noLicaLions, 5
241 Index
privacy
personal appoinLmenLs, 65
privaLe Lime. planning or, 9
processing. See handling
procrasLiniLis,
ProducLiviLy Hours
daily planning, 30
ocusing on imporLanL Lasks wiLhouL
inLerrupLions, 92
Lask scheduling, 33
proong Lools, 47
Proong wiLh Lhe Spelling command, 5
ProperLies dialog box, 7
proLocols
daily proLocol, 7
pushy senders, 5
Q
qualiLy o Lime, 93
uick ParLs, 49
uick 1ables, 49
R
reading pane, enabling in OuLlook 20, 52
recipienLs, email messages, 4
recording inormaLion, 78
red color marking, Lurning o or overdue
Lasks, 26
red ags, Lask due daLe, 36
redisLribuLing Lasks and appoinLmenLs,
reerence numbers, older sLrucLure, 20
relaLionships, Lime or, 94
relevancy o email LexL Lo recipienL, 3
reminders
message, 26
versus email, 5
phone numbers
reLrieving, 8
when creaLing conLacL enLries, 6
wriLing down, 43
phoLos o conLacLs, 9
phrasing in email messages, 3
pick up each piece o paper only once rule, 2
picLures
adding as documenLaLion, 92
as background, 9
inserLing, moving and scaling in OneNoLe, 88
OCR, 2
People Pane, 47
planning
handling dependencies, 45
ouLlining, 94
wriLing plans down, 37, 42
pooling Lasks inLo blocks, 2
posiLive lLers, 82
preparaLion or meeLings, 4
presenLaLions, ouLlining, 94
pre-sorLing, inbox in OuLlook, 2830
prinLing, 2092
prioriLies, 3542
25,000 S view, 58
Fisenhower diagram and email messages, 2
Fisenhower MaLrix, 3942
email messages, 5
ne Luning wiLh 25,000 S MeLhod, 5559
older sLrucLure, 20
geLLing sLarLed, 37
imporLance o, 35, 223
PareLo Principle, 38
puLLing ouL res, 36
sorLing Lasks by, 87
Lasks or Lhe ollowing week, 00
week planner, 64
wriLing plans down, 42
242 Index
working wiLh, 85
secLion versus noLebook, 84
SelecL & 1ype Lool, 87
sel-discipline, daily planning, 2
semi-auLomaLic Lime proLocols, journal or, 5
semicolon (,), in caLegory names, 8
sender inormaLion, 9
shared calendars
displaying side by side, 47
planning meeLings, 43
SharePoinL, 69
SharePoinL Web ParL, meeLings, 73
sharing
conLacL inormaLion, 6
noLebooks, 85
noLes and meeLing minuLes, 206
shorLcuL keys, masLer caLegory lisL, 69
Show As eld, 63
showing
Daily 1ask LisL, 02
Croup by 8ox, 88
skeLches
adding Lo LexL, 96
SMS versus email, 5
Social ConnecLor, OuLlook 200. viewing currenL
sender inormaLion, 9
sorLing
email messages, 22
by prioriLies, 87
Lask lisLs, 8
Lasks by caLegories, 87
spelling checker, 50
SLarL DaLe eld, 1ask orm, 45
sLaLus o meeLings, 54
sLaLus updaLes, viewing, 0
sLicky noLes, OuLlook, 36, 80
sLorage, email messages, 3, 4
sLrucLured ling, 79
reminders (cont.)
Rules Wizard and sender-conLrolled
reminders, 26
Leam policy on, 25
removing. See also deleLing
Lags, 98
replying Lo email messages by paragraph, 3
reporLs
ouLlining, 94
versus email communicaLion,
resoluLions, 25
response Lime, email messages, 5
Review Lab, 47
revising Lhe masLer caLegory lisL, 70
RSS eeds, viewing, 0
rules, messages, 29
Rules Wizard, sender-conLrolled reminders, 26
S
scaling picLures in OneNoLe, 88
scanners, picLures in OneNoLe, 88
scheduling
60.40 rule, 35
blocks, 3
meeLings, 4
OneNoLe, 83
Lasks during Lhe day, 32
Scheduling AssisLanL, 39, 45
Scheduling buLLon, 54
Schwab, Charles Michael, on prioriLizing Lasks, 56
screenshoLs, inserLing, 88
search
ull-LexL search in OneNoLe, 20
mailboxes, 27
OCR exLracLed LexL, 2
speed o, 77
secLions
noLebooks, 85
OneNoLe, 84
243 Index
Lasks, 4360
25,000 S MeLhod and pending Lasks, 30
appoinLmenLs wiLh yoursel, 34, 63
assigning caLegories Lo, 67
assigning Lo oLhers, 4
assigning Lo Loday or Lomorrow, 25
combining minor daily Lasks inLo
caLegories, 2
combining wiLh caLegories, 6690
converLing email messages inLo, 39
creaLing rom email messages, 4
creaLing rom individual parLs o an email
message, 6
cusLomizing Lhe Lask lisL, 37
daily planning using Lhe 25,000 S day
view, 32
deLermining impacL rom, 37
lLers, 53
ne-Luning prioriLies, 5559
ocusing on during producLiviLy hours, 9
grouping by caLegory, 87
hiding, 2223, 30
incompleLe Lasks, 98
inserLing mulLiple email messages, 6
marking, 23
ouLlining, 94
OuLlook, 4448
planning LogeLher wiLh
appoinLmenLs, 0007
pooling inLo blocks, 2
redisLribuLing,
scheduling during Lhe day, 32
sorLing by prioriLies, 87
sorLing or lLering Lask lisLs, 8
swiLching Lo, 8
Lask blocks, 25
Lask lisLs, 43
sLyle o wriLing in emails, 3
subolders, creaLing, 9
subjecLs
email, 32
OneNoLe and Oce 200, 203
1ask orm, 45
subpages
abouL, 84
creaLing, 86
OneNoLe, 83
subLasks, dependencies beLween, 45
surveys, SharePoinL Web ParLs, 73
swiLching
beLween pages, 8
Lo Lasks, 8
windows in OuLlook, 5
synchronizaLion, OneNoLe and OuLlook, 204
T
Lables
OneNoLe, 97
LexL ediLor, 49
LableL PCs
OneNoLe, 93
pens, 82
Lable views, displaying appoinLmenLs, 26
1ags group
using, 68
wriLing email messages, 25
Lags, seLLing and removing, 98
1ask orm
caLegories, 67
enLering daLa, 44
opening, 76
1askPad
converLing enLries inLo appoinLmenLs, 04
using, 35
244 Index
Lhesaurus, 50
Lhis week lLer criLeria, 98
Lime allocaLion
lie haLs, 95
limiLs and possibiliLies o, 37
weekly planning, 65, 90
Lime rames, email responses, 5
Lime Lo compleLe, esLimaLing or pending
acLiviLies, 33
Lime use proLocols
LiLles, hyperlinks, 206
1oday due daLe in lLers, 3
1o-Do bar
abouL, 60
OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, 03, 35
1oDo iLems in email messages, 32
1o-Do LisL
1o-Do 8ar, 60
viewing Lasks rom mulLiple olders and email
messages aL Lhe same Lime, 60
1ools/Research command, 50
Lopics
older sLrucLure, 20
handling in email messages, 32
ouLlining, 94
wriLing in separaLe email messages, 32
1oLal Work eld, 33
Lracking email messages, 2
1racking buLLon, 54
Lraining pushy senders, 5
Lranserring Lasks Lo OuLlook, 202
LranslaLion, language, 5
1ranslaLion uick1ip command, 5
Lravel planning
creaLing producLiviLy Lime, 2
noLebooks, 85
1wiLLer updaLes, 0
Lasks (cont.)
calendar, 03
LexL ediLor in OuLlook 200/OuLlook
2007, 4852
Lranserring Lo OuLlook, 202
Lurning o red color marking or overdue
Lasks, 26
versus appoinLmenLs, 44
views in OuLlook, 52
weekly planning using OuLlook, 9700
wriLing down, 43
LemplaLes
creaLing in OneNoLe, 208
pages, 207
1enLaLive reply opLion, 53
1enLaLive value, 64
LexL
adding handwriLLen noLes or skeLches Lo, 96
color, 89
email, 3
ormaLLing in noLe eld, 49
highlighLing in color, 97
moving wiLhin conLainers, 87
mulLiple Lags, 200
OneNoLe, 87
on picLures, 92
prinLing Lo OneNoLe, 20
selecLing in OneNoLe, 95
LexL markers in OneNoLe, 89
LexL ediLor, OuLlook 200/OuLlook 2007, 47,
4852
LexL markers, 77
highlighLing on picLures, 92
using in OneNoLe, 90
LexL messages versus email, 5
Lhemes. See also caLegories
applying Lo Lasks, 66
245 Index
visual new email noLicaLion, 6
voice memos, 80
W
waiLing Lime, email blocks, 8
web, noLebooks, 85
websiLes, saving in OneNoLe, 20
weekly planning, 6308
caLegories, 6690
due daLes, 46
Kiesel Principle, 9096
OuLlook, 9707
whaL really maLLers, 64
Windows Fxplorer, 209
Windows SharePoinL Services, 69
windows, swiLching in ouLlook, 5
workspaces, meeLing workspaces, 6973
wriLing messages LhaL communicaLe beLLer, 3
wriLing noLes down, 79
Y
es!, saying Lo whaLs imporLanL, 4
U
underlining, digiLal noLebooks, 8
undo, grouping o Lask lisL by caLegories, 88
urgency and prioriLizing, 37, 40
v
version hisLory, documenLs, 72
view/Arrange 8y/CurrenL view/CusLomize CurrenL
view menu, 30
viewing
currenL sender inormaLion in OuLlook 200, 9
RSS eeds and sLaLus updaLes, 0
Lasks and appoinLmenLs using Lhe Lask
bar, 35
view ln Overlay Mode, 49
views
25,000 S view, 57, 3, 33, 34
or blocking phone calls, 4
calendar views, 27, 29
CompleLed 1his Week view, 97
creaLing meeLing requesLs, 47
CurrenL view/CusLomize CurrenL view, 30
daily proLocol, 7
Day/Week/MonLh view o Lhe calendar, 68
dening OuLlook, 52
displaying appoinLmenLs in Lable views, 26
lLers, 53, 8286
grouped views, 87
hiding Lasks inLended or block building in Lhe
week/day views, 2223
removing superuous elds, 58
seLLings, 26, 36
calendar, 03
useulness o in OuLlook or Lime
managemenL, 2
virLual digiLal noLe sysLem, 8
247
about the authors
Dr. Lothar Seiwert, CSP, is Furopes leading and besL-known experL in Lhe
eld o Lime and lie managemenL. ln 2007, Lhe Cerman 1raining and De-
velopmenL FederaLion recognized his lies work by presenLing him wiLh iLs
LieLime AchievemenL Award. ln Lhe same year, he received a second im-
porLanL award or eliLe speakers and Lrainers when he was inducLed inLo Lhe
Cerman Speakers Hall o Fame. ln 2008 and in 200 as well, Lhere was no end
Lo Lhe shower o prizes he conLinued Lo receive, and Lhe AssociaLion o Cer-
man FvenL Organizers honored Proessor SeiwerL wiLh Lhe Conga Award or
his excellenL perormance as a business speaker. ln 200 in Orlando, Florida,
he achieved Lhe highesL-earned inLernaLional recogniLion or proessional
speakers, Lhe CerLied Speaking Proessional (CSP) designaLion, conerred by
Lhe NaLional Speakers AssociaLion (NSA).
Millions o people have learned rom LoLhar SeiwerL how Lo beLLer manage
Lheir Lime. 1elevision appearances, press columns, more Lhan our million
books sold, and inLernaLional awards. like no oLher experL, LoLhar SeiwerL
sLands or Lhe Lopics o Lime-lie balance and lie managemenL.
As a celebriLy keynoLe speaker, he is wiLhin Lhe circle o FxcellenL Speakers in
Furope. Audiences o more Lhan 400,000 people have exciLedly lisLened Lo his
Lalks in Furope, Asia, and Lhe UniLed SLaLes. Again and again, his books rockeL
Lo Lhe Lop o besL-seller lisLs. His worldwide mega-seller Simplify Your Life
(wiLh 1iki KuesLenmacher) remained on Lhe Cerman news magazine Spiegels
besL-seller lisL or almosL 300 (!) weeks in a row. ALer having worked in Lhe HR
and Lraining divisions o Lwo corporaLe groups, and as a managemenL consul-
LanL or a renowned consulLing rm, he spenL more Lhan 2 years Leaching aL
various universiLies, among Lhem SL. Callen UniversiLy. 1oday, as a successul
enLrepreneur, he runs his own Lraining and consulLing rm, Lhe Heidelberg-
based SeiwerL KeynoLe-Speaker LLd., which, in Lhe lasL 20 years, has special-
ized in Lhe elds o Lime managemenL, Lie-Leadership, and work/lie balance.
From 2009 Lo 20, he has served as PresidenL o Lhe Cerman Speakers As-
sociaLion (CSA) and is a member o Lhe Clobal Speakers FederaLion (CSF) or
Proessional Speakers. For more inormaLion, see www.Lothar-Seiwert.de.
248 About the Authors
Holger Woeltje is Furopes leading experL in elecLronically aided producLiv-
iLy. When you wanL Lo geL rid o email cluLLer, use MicrosoL OuLlook or your
8lack8erry Lo ocus on whaL maLLers mosL, make more money, have more ree
Lime, and have more un, Holger is Lhe guy you need Lo call!
Hell show you how Lo survive Lhe daily ood o email messages, nd impor-
LanL inormaLion when you need iL, keep Lrack o your Lasks, and geL imporLanL
sLu done in Lime Lo achieve big resulLs and have more Lime or whaL maLLers
mosL Lo you.
Holger began his career working in Lhe securiLy deparLmenL o Furopes largesL
l1 company. He sLarLed his own consulLing and Lraining business in 2002 and
has auLhored seven besL-selling books. He works inLernaLionally wiLh some o
Lhe worlds biggesL and mosL successul ForLune Clobal 500 companies such as
CrediL Suisse, HewleLL Packard, MicrosoL, LuLhansa, and 1hyssenKrupp, mak-
ing Lheir people more producLive.
His presenLaLions are capLivaLing and un. He is passionaLe abouL Lraveling
and making lie easier by using Lechnology. He is also a cerLied salsa dance
insLrucLor. oull love his personal sLyle as he Leaches proessional business
sLraLegies and delivers Lechnology Lips in a humorous manner, packed wiLh
sLories and real-lie examples. He Lakes Lhe mosL complex elecLronic devices,
gadgeLs, and soLware, weaves Lhem LogeLher wiLh proven Lime manage-
menL sLraLegies, and explains Lhem in simple, easy-Lo-undersLand language.
So you can make Lhem work or you, geL more done, and really increase your
producLiviLy!
1o book Holger or a seminar or your company or Lo claim your ree OuLlook
video course, jusL visiL www.technoproductivity.com/outlookvideo.

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