Configuring Outlook for Task Mangmt Instructions

TOTAL WORKDAY CONTROL

Using Microsoft Outlook

The Eight Best Practices of Task and Email Management

Tracking all tasks in Outlook Task System Using a master tasks list kept separate from your daily tasks list Using a simple prioritization system that emphasizes must-do-

today tasks Writing only next actions on your daily list Doing daily and weekly planning to keep your task lists up to

date Converting e-mails to tasks Filing e-mails using Outlook Categories Delegating tasks in an effective manner

Configuring Outlook for Task Management

According to this system; you need to track all your tasks in one location and that’s Outlook’s tasks management system, period. In theory; this means if you are sitting at your computer you should never enter a task anywhere but into your task pad within outlook.

With this configuration, you can now copy emails directly into one place and based on the task’s details a date or not, determines where it is saved (master or daily tasks).

While in calendar view, your taskpad is open with only your tasks for the day.


Master Task – This view has to be configured because it isn’t in

the initial configuration– These are tasks without any dates– Filters out completed tasks


Master Task – Open the task folder– Open the View menu– Choose Arrange By, and at the bottom of its

submenu choose Current View– Select “Define Views…” from Current View

submenu. The Custom View Organizer dialog box opens.


Master Task– The Custom View Organizer dialog box


Master Task– Customer View Organizer

dialog box Then click New…in the

upper right corner. Over-type the phrase

“New View” with “Master Tasks”. Leave the other default settings.

Click OK and the dialog box titled Custom View: Master Tasks opens


Master Task– Dialog box titled Custom View: Master Tasks


Master Task– Adding Some Fields

The columns of information that are displayed in the new view

– Click on Fields, which opens the Show Fields dialog box


Master Task– Adding Some Fields

The field list in the right side of dialog box may be what you initially see, but you will need to change it. Use the Add and Remove buttons to create the following field list on the right side:

– Icon– Complete– Priority– Attachment– Subject

Note, you must match these names exactly. For example the Complete field is not the same as the %Complete field.

Once the field list is correct and in order, click OK, which returns you to the Custom View: Master Tasks dialog box “


Master Task– Setting the Filter:

A logical statement, or test, that limits the tasks that Outlook displays in the new Tasks folder view.


Setting the Filter – On the dialog box that is

now open, click Filter..– Click the Advanced Tab.

You are going to use this dialog box to build a query-like filter to show only certain kinds of tasks.


Setting the Filter – Start by clicking Field in the

middle left of this dialog box.– From the Field list, choose

Date/Time fields, and from its submenu choose Due Date (you have to look under the All Tasks category to find this field.

– Choose Does Not Exist in the Condition box.

– The click Add to List to place this condition in the criteria list at top middle of dialog box

– Leave this dialog box open


Setting the Filter – Repeat steps for Start

date (also set Condition to Does Not Exist).

– Your dialog box should now look like this next figure.


Filtering Out Completed Tasks– Click Field, and from the Info/Status Fields category choose

Status– From the Condition list choose Not Equal To, and from the

Value list at the right, choose a value of Completed.– Then click OK to choose the Filter dialog box, and then click

OK again to get out of the Customize view dialog box– Confirm that the new Master Tasks view has been added to

your list of views in the Custom View Organizer dial box (called Define Views), then click Apply to view to view it


Master Task View


Configure The TaskPad– Sitting adjacent to your appointment calendar,

the TaskPad will be the primary command post for your daily tasks. However, out of the box, the TaskPad in outlook is not configured correctly for use with this system.


Configure The TaskPad– Customomize the TaskPad to do the following:

Show only today’s daily tasks Filter out completed tasks Show a few additional task columns Sort on priority and due date Display some custom formatting


Configure the New View– Right-click anywhere on the TaskPad heading bar – Choose Customize-Current View…from the shortcut menu.

The following dialog box will open. You are going to set a few of the view attributes in this dialog box.


Configure the New View: Adding Some Fields

– Start by clicking Fields – Use the Add and Remove

buttons to create this list in the right side of that dialog box:

– Icon, Complete, Priority, Subject, Due Date


Showing Only Daily Tasks– On that dialog box, click Filter…– The Filter dialog box opens, click the Advanced tab– Start by clicking Field in the middle left of this dialog

box– From the Field list, choose Date/Time fields, and

from its submenu choose Due Date– From the Condition list choose On or Before


Showing Only Daily Tasks cont.– Type the word Today in the Value box; there is no

Today list Choice– Then click Add to List to place this condition I the

criteria list at top middle of the dialog box– Leave this dialog box open; you are going to create

a second query


Showing Only Daily Tasks cont.– Click Field in the middle left of the dialog box– From the Field list, choose Info/Status fields, and

from its submenu choose Status– From the Condition list, choose Not Equal To– In the Value box select Completed– Then click Add to List to add this condition to the

criteria list in the middle of the dialog box


Setting the TaskPad Sort Order– From the Custom View dialog box click Sort– Set the values of the first and second boxes to what you

see below. Then click OK


Disabling the Overdue Tasks Rule, and Formatting Tasks Due Today

– From the Custom View dialog box click Automatic Formatting.

– Clear the check box next to the Overdue Tasks rule


Disabling the Overdue Tasks Rule, and Formatting Tasks Due Today

– Click Add to create a new rule and call it Due Date Today

– With the new rule selected, click Font.., and on the Font dialog box select the Underline check box, then click OK


Disabling the Overdue Tasks Rule, and Formatting Tasks Due Today cont

– Click Condition.. On the left side of the dialog box, and define a filter, as shown here

– Then click Add to List, and then click OK. Click OK again, and then again, to exit all configuration windows


Creating the All Daily Tasks View (The view t hat shows only daily tasks, both current and deferred.)– Creating the New View

This step is required because Outlook creates all custom views within the currently open folder


– Creating the New View cont Open the View menu Choose Arrange By, and at the bottom of its submenue

choose Current View. Choose “Define Views…” from the Current View

submenu. The Custom View Organizer dialog box opens


– Creating the New View cont

Then click New Over-type the phrase

“New View” with “All Daily Tasks”

Leave all other default settings unchanged.

Click OK and the dialog box called Customize View: All Daily Tasks opens


– Adding Some Fields Click on Fields Use the Add and Remove

buttons to create this list in the right side of the dialog box:

– Icon– Complete– Priority– Attachment– Subject– Due Date

Use the Move Up and Move Down buttons to place them in the right order

Click OK…which returns you to the Customize View: All Daily Tasks dialog box


– Setting the Filter – Showing Only Tasks with Dates

On the dialog box that is now open, click Filter…, and the Filter dialog box opens

Click the Advanced tab to build a query-like filter, to show only tasks with dates assigned

Start by clicking Field in the middle left


– Setting the Filter – Showing Only Tasks with Dates cont

From the Field list, choose Date/Time fields, and from its submenu choose Due Date (you might have to look under the All Tasks category to find this field)

Then, from the Condition list in the middle of the screen, choose Exists.

Then click Add to List to place condition in the criteria list at top middle of screen

Leave this window open


– Filtering Out Completed Tasks Click Field, and under the Info/Status category, choose

Status Choose a Condition of Not Equal To, and from the Value

list at right, choose a value of Completed Then click Add to List to place this condition in the criteria

list at top middle of screen Click Ok to choose the Filter dialog box.


– Making Some Formatting Settings Back at the Customize View click Automatic Formatting Clear the Overdue tasks check box. This prevents tasks

whose due date is older than today from being colored red, which is something not needed in this system.

Click Okay to close the Automatic Formatting dialog box. Click OK to close the Customize View dialog box


– Now confirm that the new All Daily Tasks view has been added to your list of views in the Custom View Organizer dialog box, then click Apply View to view it. Your new All Daily Tasks view looks like figure below;


Note: If by chance you found the above step-by-step instructions cumbersome and did not complete them, visit www.workdaycontrol.com for other configuration and training options.

Documents

Configuring Outlook for Task Mangmt Instructions