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Outlook helps millions of people manage their email correspondence every day, but assumes you already know how to organize your office correspondence for optimal productivity. What if you don't?
In this article, we’ll give you some of the best Outlook hacks for digital office management, along with some awesome Outlook tips and tricks featured in the program.
My first rule of Office Management is: work less. Sounds like a perfect solution for all of us, but what does that look like in reality?
“Working less” means you touch each piece of correspondence one time only. Whether it’s an actual paper envelope with a letter, or whether it’s an email. Touch it once, handle it once, and move on. “Correspondence” means Incoming Information, not necessarily “follow-up tasks”.
Let's get started with some tips on email filing.
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1. Automatically file an email
To apply the “Work Less” theory, have Outlook automatically file an email. Then you can read them all at one time without distraction.
- Create a Folder: Ctrl + Shift + E
- Automate Filing into the folder
- Right-click the Email, click “Rules”,
- Choose “Always move messages from”
- And select your new folder
2. Use “Favorites” to keep active folders at the top of your Navigation Pane (aka folder pane)
In the days of “paper offices”, (pre-computer age), we had 3 filing systems. These still apply to today’s world but have been lost in the flurry of digital organizing.
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Active files
These are your active customers, most urgent vendors, you name it, these are the files you need at your fingertips. So we don’t file them into the A-Z folder system; instead, we keep them handy in the “Favorites” folder at the tip-top of the Outlook Navigation Pane.
- To add a folder to the Favorites, right-click the Folder and choose “Show in Favorites”
- When you are done with that project, simply right-click the Folder and choose “Remove from Favorites”
Inbox folder system
The second file system was contained in the old and dreaded “4-Drawer File Cabinets”. (I still cringe at the memory of those heavy, metal drawers slamming shut.) Well, these have essentially become the Inbox folder system which automatically alphabetizes the folders.
What if you’d like to cheat and move a “W” folder to the top of the Inbox list, but you can’t pick it up and move it there? Here’s a tip… Just type an underscore, “_”, or a number in front of the folder name. You see, since computers auto-file for us, no one remembers or teaches the old rules of filing: “Symbols and numbers come before everything else'.
Perennial files
The third office file system is the “Perennial file” and I’m not talking about flowers here. Perennial means “forever” files. You just don’t purge these - EVER. These would be your Archive Folders at the bottom of the Navigation (Folder) Pane. They would probably contain contract files, corporate records, tax records, etc.
3. Use “Flags” and “Categories” to keep track of important emails in your Inbox
I once taught at a company that had color-coded their internal departments but didn’t apply the same system to their emails. The Categories inside your inbox can serve that purpose. Here is a quick video on how to Flag emails so they don’t get lost and how to add color categories using the Categories column.
4. Use shortcuts
Second rule of Office Management: Type less (and use shortcuts.)Here are some easy-to-remember options:
- Reply to an email: Ctrl + R
- To create a new email: Ctrl + Shift + M
- To open your email: Ctrl + 1
- To open your calendar: Ctrl + 2
- To open your contacts: Ctrl + 3
- To open your tasks: Ctrl + 4
- Or use “Quick Steps” to pre-format and pre-address an email to multiple people.
Want more Microsoft Office shortcuts? Check out our shortcuts for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
5. Drag and drop
Third rule of Office Management: Be open to learning new tricks! These little-known methods can surprise even the pros:
Let’s face it – typing creates typos, which cause repair work and drain your productivity. When an email requires a task or follow up, (i.e.: a contact needs to be created or an appointment is needed based on the information in the email), use the Drag-And-Drop method below:
(Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, or Notes)
- “Drag and Drop”: Simply click and drag the email and drop it onto the bottom left “Contacts” symbol on the Navigation bar. Suddenly you’ve got a brand new contact with the email address and name automatically entered.
Now, inside the Contact window, the Notes portion will have the person’s phone # and address (if included on their signature line.)
- Use Copy (Ctrl C) and Paste (Ctrl V) to get the signature line items into the correct fields in the new contact window. Less typing, no typos, and your contact is created within seconds!
- “Drag and Drop”: the email again onto your “Calendar” and an appointment will be made, plus it keeps all the detail from the email. So you won’t have to re-type into the appointment.
- “Drag and Drop” an email onto the Tasks or Notes symbols on the Navigation bar.
You can also reverse this:
- Drag any Contact to Mail on the Folder Pane to create a new email to that contact.
- Drag any contact to Calendar to create a new appointment
- Drag any contact to Tasks
6. View the calendar and inbox side by side
Save your sanity and move the Calendar to your second monitor to easily view both screens side-by-side.
- Right-click any of the bottom buttons on the Navigation Pane (aka Folder pane)
(Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, or Notes)
- Choose “Open in New Window”
- Now drag that window onto your second monitor
Want more Outlook hacks?
These tips in this article are just the beginning of the tips and tricks to simplify your office management while using Outlook. I’ve used and taught Outlook for 10+ years, and just last month – yes – even I learned a new trick. Check out our full Microsoft Outlook course and you will learn so much more about managing your digital office with Outlook!
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On your phone we feature DejaOffice for Outlook App from the Google Play store. DejaOffice holds Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes together, and with the same internal formats as in Outlook. DejaOffice synchronizes to your Phone's Native Accounts for Contacts and Calendar.
If you don't want to use DejaOffice then simply set it to sync to native Contacts and Calendar.
We also offer sync to Google. Same product. One purchase. Switch your method at any time.
For Outlook for Mac click here.
DejaOffice
On your phone we feature DejaOffice CRM with PC Sync from the Google Play store. DejaOffice holds Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes together, and with the same internal formats as in Outlook. DejaOffice synchronizes to Android Native Accounts for Contacts and Calendar.
If you don't want to use DejaOffice then simply set it to sync to native Android Contacts and Android Calendar.
We also offer sync to Google. Same product. One purchase. Switch your method at any time.
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Compare DejaOffice CRM vs Native Android Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes.
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Compare DejaOffice CRM vs Outlook App Contacts, Calendar, Tasks and Notes.
Sync USB, Wi-Fi, DejaCloud, Exchange, Google
Click here for how to sync Android to Outlook and how to sync iPhone to Outlook.
Supports IMAP and POP3 Accounts
If you use an IMAP email folder in Outlook, you need CompanionLink to sync your data securely to your iPhone and Android.
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Secure Sync - No need to share your data with Microsoft, Google or Apple. Fast and secure sync from your PC to your Phone. The more you use Outlook, the more you need CompanionLink and DejaOffice. Click here for our Privacy Policy and our GPDR Data Processing Agreement
No Exchange Sync
Exchange ActiveSync (EAS) was developed and licensed by Microsoft. There are many limitations of the protocol.
- Exchange based syncs are slow - taking 15 minutes or more to sync changes
- Calendar colors have limited support
- Exchange is not Outlook. You can easily sync Outlook without using Exchange
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Your license is for you, not your PC. When you buy a new computer, you do not need to purchase a new license. With CompanionLink you use your email address to register the software on a new computer.
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CompanionLink is located in Portland, Oregon. Our servers are based in New Jersey to take advantage of proximity to international fiber network. Our servers are high technology and really fast!
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With CompanionLink you can call us at (503)243-5200 for support, Monday through Friday, 7am-3:30pm Pacific Time. For those with special needs, use our RunStart Service gives you a one-time hands on session with a top tier technician. Our technician will log into your computer, set up the sync, and ensure you are completely satisified with the solution. If you want this service regularly, use Premium Support for a full year and up to five service tickets.
Advantages: DejaOffice is a landing pad for PC Outlook data on Android and iPhone. Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Memos, Attachments, Journal. Supports multiple devices and multiple PC's easily. After the initial sync, sync time is instant and automatic.
Notes: DejaCloud is a subscription service. Your purchase covers the first year, and after the first year it costs roughly $5 per month
- Install CompanionLink on your PC
- Install DejaOffice on your devices
- Set DejaCloud sync, Real Time sync
Setup Guides:Android, iPhone, DejaCloud.
Advantages: DejaOffice is a landing pad for PC Outlook data on Android. Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Memos, Attachments, Journal. Supports one device per profile. Use CompanionLink Express or CompanionLink Pro for multiple devices. You can use USB Sync on multiple computers (i.e. Home, Work, laptop). Completely secure; no data is stored in the cloud.
Notes: Requires Android USB driver on PC to work. Slower than DejaCloud.
- Install CompanionLink on your PC
- Install DejaOffice on your devices
- Set USB Sync
Outlook Calendar For Teams
Setup Guides:Android USB, Android ADB Mode, iPhone, DejaOffice.
Advantages: Your PC Syncs to Google, and Google Syncs to your phone. This is a great choice if you require your Outlook data in Google Calendar and Contacts for other reasons. CompanionLink for Google sync can be set automatically and will run in background on your PC.
Notes: Google has limited Task capabilities and no recurring tasks. No Notes Sync. Google Tasks do not go to many Android Phones, and don't go to iPhones.
Steps:
- Install CompanionLink on your PC
- Set Google Sync
- Set Auto-Sync, Timed or Manual Sync
Setup Guides:Outlook Sync to Google, Multiple Calendars Sync.
Advantages: DejaOffice is a landing pad for PC Outlook data on Android. Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, Memos, Attachments, Journal. Supports one device per profile. Use CompanionLink Express or CompanionLink Pro for multiple devices. You can use Wi-Fi Sync on multiple computers (i.e. Home, Work, laptop).
Notes: Requires your PC and Phone to be connected to the same Wi-Fi router in the same mode. Slower than DejaCloud.
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- Install CompanionLink on your PC
- Install DejaOffice on your devices
- Set Wi-Fi Sync
Setup Guides:Android, iPhone,