Time is precious, you know that. To optimize it at work, it is important to acquire the knowledge to better use our productivity tools on a daily basis. To launch the 2022 training courses, we therefore decided to offer our team a lunch and learn on effective email management in Outlook. Although we use this platform every day, we have learned a lot of things that will improve our workflow and save us a lot of time. Here is an overview.

Customize the way your Outlook is displayed

Display is what allows us to better find ourselves on the platform. This gives each user the opportunity to customize their Outlook as they wish, so that their use is more fluid. It is possible to change the way in which columns are viewed, but also the email overview. That is what we talked about.

First, it is allowed to replace the way in which certain contacts are displayed. For example, if you want to be able to target messages from a specific relationship more easily, you can add conditional formatting. In this feature, you have the choice to change the color, font, and font size in your email inbox for that specific contact.

By automating the reception of your emails in this way, you ensure that you are always up to date with the latest news!

It is also possible to activate the visualization of a longer part of the email than what is determined by default. The “Show as conversation” function is all the more an interesting option since it gives one-click access to all previous messages in this channel, making it easy for readers to follow up. Exchanges involving multiple communications are identified by a triangular icon, which makes them visible more quickly.

Folders: to put your inbox in order!

Of course, we all have a lot of contacts that we talk to. And all the emails in this beautiful world can get lost and mixed up in no time! For this reason, folders are the ideal tool to use to organize emails in your Outlook.

Automating the process is possible. Target a specific contact, create the folder, and then create an email rule, so that every new email from that person goes directly to the right place. Take the opportunity to move all the exchanges that are already in your inbox with this contact.

It should be noted an interesting option, which, on the other hand, we use less and less since the arrival of Teams in our daily lives. To work collaboratively with your team, you can share a complete Outlook folder with colleagues. It is ideal to create delegated access if you have an assistant, for example.

The categories: we like it or we don't like it!

Categories are super effective when you know how to use them well and appreciate them. They are not for everyone. You can even say that there are two clans when it comes to this feature!

Before creating categories, we need to think about which ones would be beneficial for us. It is possible to have up to 25. Use colors to group your items more visually and therefore more effectively. An email could have several categories.

This feature is available for emails, tasks, tasks, events, notes, calendar and contacts alike. It is an excellent complement to the files. This is a good way to reduce the risk of error (such as the error of replying to the wrong email in the channel!). For example, you might decide to classify emails in a customer folder, grouping them by project or department. You will then be able to organize the view of your emails by category (by default, your messages are displayed by date).

Messaging rules: to automate everything

Of course, if you want to save time with the tools mentioned in this article, you need to get the tasks done automatically. It is therefore with the messaging rules that we will manage to do this.

On the other hand, it is essential to know that the rules are not only used to classify your emails. They can be set up to delete, move or even print your emails according to the conditions chosen (such as the sender of the email, its importance, etc.).

Finally, it must be understood that the categorization procedures are specific to each user and that it is the user who decides whether the classification should respect them to the letter, or not. When properly used, email rules will help you optimize your workflow. A better organization of frequently used tools has a real impact on your productivity and will save you valuable time. What are your other tips for better managing your Outlook?

At PlanAxion, we offer our team monthly training courses that aim to facilitate our daily work. We meet virtually for one hour, at noon, to follow these training courses given by various professionals. It is always much appreciated!