Outlook Search Folders

Last month I wrote about rules and previously I wrote about Quick Steps. Rules operate with conditions and actions, and Quick Steps apply an action to a selected e-mail message. This month we delve into Search folders, which are closely related to rules and Quick Steps but differ slightly in their purpose and use. Search folders save you from having to look through each e-mail folder for e-mails that match a specific condition.

Creating and Using Rules

Most of us don't want more rules in our lives, but in Outlook rules are used manage the flow of e-mails that hit your Inbox. For example, a rule can be set to look for a specific word or words in the subject line and then move those e-mails to a different folder. This is a common, basic rule, but you can create many different types of rules to manage your e-mails.

Creating and Using Signatures

Using signatures in e-mail messages is commonplace and some companies require employees to do so. When most of us think of signatures in relationship to e-mail, we think of the sender's name, company, address, and contact information at the bottom of the message. But, signatures are not limited to this use and can be a valuable, time-saving tool. Signatures might be one of the most underused productivity tools in Outlook.

E-mail and Your Job

Normally, I only make one blog post a month. But, I just read an excellent article about how misuse of e-mail can affect your job or interview chances, and I thought I'd share it with you.

Conquer Your Inbox and E-mail Etiquette

After settling back into a routine in this new year, it's now a good time to think about how to more effectively manage that overflowing e-mail Inbox of yours. For most of us, the volume of e-mails received each day (both personal and business-related) can be overwhelming. Below are some tips to help you control your Inbox rather than letting it control you.

2011 Outlook Review

As 2011 ends and 2012 begins, it's time to look back and review some of the Outlook topics covered in the past year. Over the past year, I have written about new Outlook 2010 features and many other Outlook topics to help you use this software more productively. Enjoy the 2011 recap!

Outlook Categories

Similar to follow up flags, Outlook categories can be used mark and group e-mails. Categories are global in Outlook, in that they can be used on all different types of Outlook items: e-mails, calendar items, contacts, tasks, notes, and journal items.

Suppose you're working on a large project at work and want to mark all Outlook items associated with this project. You can create a category and then categorize all Outlook items that are related to this project. In the different areas of Outlook (Mail, Calendar, Contacts, Tasks, etc.), you can group and view items by category.

Outlook Follow Up Flags

Over the next few months, I will be doing a series of blog posts on Outlook e-mail tools to help you become more efficient, organized, and productive when using Outlook. This month I'll focus on Follow Up Flags. These follow up flags are very useful tools to help keep your Inbox organized. Flags can also be used with other Outlook items; they are not just limited to use with e-mail.

Outlook Jump List

Outlook 2010, when used in conjunction with Windows 7, has added a jump list to its list of new features to help you quickly perform tasks with Outlook. The jump list is similar to a context-sensitive menu available in the other Microsoft Office programs.

Schedule View in the Outlook Calendar

One of the new features added to the Outlook Calendar is Schedule View. Previously in Outlook, you could view your calendar by day, week (work week or full week), or month. The schedule view allows you to display your calendar in a timeline view. This is particularly helpful if you are viewing multiple calendars and trying to schedule meetings or appointments.

People Pane and Outlook Social Connector

This blog continues the series of new features of Outlook 2010 and looks at the People Pane and Outlook Social Connector. The People pane is available on many of the Outlook windows and consolidates all of the Outlook items associated with a contact. The Outlook Social Connector (OSC) allows users to integrate Outlook with Sharepoint, LinkedIn, Facebook, and other social networks, enabling you to manage your professional network within Outlook.

Conversation Arrangement and Clean Up Tools

Conversation arrangement has been available in Outlook in previous versions, but it was very clunky and few people used the feature (or even knew about it). Outlook 2010 has greatly enhanced the conversation arrangement making it a useful feature to help you manage e-mails your Inbox folders.

Conversation arrangement expanded

Outlook 2010 New Features – Quick Steps

Over the next few months, I will be making blogs posts about the new or enhanced features of Outlook 2010. This version of Outlook has some wonderful enhancements to help you manage e-mail and other areas of Outlook. This month's post will be on Quick Steps. Some of the other upcoming topics include:

• Conversation grouping
• People Pane and Outlook Social Connector
• Schedule View and Calendar Groups
• MailTips

If you use Outlook rules, you're going to love Quick Steps.

RSS Feeds: Using Outlook to Get Your Favorite Information

Subscribing to RSS feeds is one of the best and most underused features in Microsoft Outlook. RSS stands for "really simple syndication." Most of us have certain web sites we visit frequently to read current articles. I am a huge cycling fan, and come spring time, I am ready to read about the spring classics in Europe to find out about my favorite racers and to start choosing a virtual cycling team for the Tour de France.

Most commercial web sites give users the ability to subscribe to RSS feeds from their site. This allows us to have new articles delivered directly to us without having to go search for new articles. Outlook can efficiently manage RSS feeds for you. You can even subscribe to this blog, Making Outlook 2010 Work For You (url at the end of this post).