Outlook - Calendar

Background Information

One of the most powerful tools of Outlook is the Calendar.  The Calendar is used to create personal appointments or events that affect your schedule, and to create meetings in which other people or resources are invited. 

Using the Calendar

  • To open the calendar, click Calendar from the Navigation Pane.
  • To change views, choose the desired view from the Home tab in the Ribbon. View by:
    • Day
    • Work Week
    • Week
    • Month
    • Schedule View
  • To view appointment or event info, double-click the Appointment or Event to view the details.

Create an Appointment or Event

  1. In Calendar view, click the New Appointment button from the Home Tab in the Ribbon.
  2. In the Subject box, type a description.
  3. In the Location box, enter the location.
  4. Enter Start and End dates and times.
  5. Select All day event if applicable.
  6. Check the Reminder drop-down arrow under options to adjust the reminder time, if desired.
  7. Type Notes in the body of the Appointment.
  8. Click Save and Close.

Schedule a Meeting

Schedule a Meeting from an Appointment:

  1. If you started an Appointment or Event, and decide to invite attendees, click Invite Attendees from the Appointment Tab to share the meeting with others.
  2. Click the To… button to find and select employees from the Global Address List.

Schedule a Meeting from Calendar View:

  1. Click the New Meeting icon in the Home Tab of the Ribbon.
  2. Add attendees:
    • Click the To… button to find and select employees from the Global Address List.
    • Enter an attendee name in the To… field. If you have sent or received email from this attendee, their name will appear in a pop-up list.
  3. For each name entered, click Required, Optional, or Resources.
    • Required attendees must attend the meeting.
    • Optional attendees can choose to attend the meeting.
    • Resources are used when special equipment is required for a meeting, or if the event is scheduled for a specific room.
  4. Click OK to add attendees and close the Select Attendees and Resources window. Click the Scheduling Assistant button.
  5. Verify that there are no conflicting appointments. Click Send.

Accepting, Declining, or Rescheduling Meet Requests

  1. Open the event from your Inbox or personal Calendar.
  2. Press the appropriate response button from the Calendar Tools Meeting Tab.
    • Accept, Tentative, Decline, Propose New Time
  3. Choose from the following:
    • Edit the Response Before Sending (Send a not along with the response)
    • Send the Response Now
    • Do Not Send a Response
      • Accepts/Declines Meeting and can be tracked. Does not go to sender’s inbox.
  4. If accepted, the meeting will automatically move from your Inbox to your Calendar.

Creating a Calendar Group / Shared Calendar

If you create meeting requests to the same group of people, you may find the Calendar Groups and/or Sharing Calendar feature to be a valuable tool in Outlook. By using this feature, you can view employee availability and quickly determine the best time for scheduling meetings. To create a Calendar Group/Shared Calendar:

  1. Select the Calendar icon from the navigation pane.
  2. In the Manage Calendars tab, select “Add Calendar” and then, “From Address Book.”
  3. To add employees or groups to the calendar:
    1. Search and enter the names of employees or groups you want to add to the calendar.
    2. Double-click their name from the address book.
  4. Select OK.
  5. The employees or groups calendar will now appear under the Shared Calendars tab in the calendar view. Adjust the arrangement of these calendars by day, work weeks, etc. by select the option in the top home ribbon.

Viewing a Calendar Group / Shared Calendar

To view availability of a shared calendar, follow the steps below:

  1. Select the Calendar icon from the navigation pane.
  2. Under the Shared Calendars tab, select the employees or group calendar you wish to view. Adjust the calendar view to desired display, such as day, work weeks, etc.
  3. Meetings, appointments, and other events are color-coded appropriately. If a date/time is scheduled on a calendar, then there is no availability for that time.

 

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