Manage Scheduling in Microsoft Outlook 2016

Practice tasks

No practice files are necessary to complete the practice tasks in this chapter.

Important

As you work through the practice tasks in this book, you will create Outlook items that might be used as practice files for tasks in later chapters. If you haven’t created specific items that are referenced in later chapters, you can substitute items of your own.

Schedule appointments and events

Start Outlook, display your Calendar, and then perform the following tasks:

1. Create a new appointment with the subject SBS Study Session, and configure it as follows:

   • Set the date to one week from today.
   • Set the time from 11:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.
   • Specify the location as Library Meeting Room.
   • Keep all other default settings, and save and close the appointment.

2. Create a new all-day event named National Dessert Day, and configure it as follows:

   • Set the date to the next occurrence of October 14.
   • Keep all other default settings, and save and close the event.

Convert calendar items

Display your Inbox, and then perform the following tasks:

1. Locate the SBS Test message that you sent to yourself in Chapter 3, “Send and receive email messages.”

2. Create an appointment based on the message, and configure it as follows:

   • Change the subject from SBS Test to SBS Rafting Trip.
   • Set the date to next Saturday, and the time from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M.
   • Specify the location as To Be Determined.
   • Keep all other default settings, and save and close the appointment.
3. Display your Calendar.

4. Locate the SBS Rafting Trip appointment, and then do the following:

   • Convert the appointment to an all-day event.
   • Keep all other default settings, and save and close the event.

5. Locate the SBS Rafting Trip event, and then do the following:

   • Invite a friend to the event.
   • In the content pane, enter I’m practicing my Outlook scheduling skills. Please accept this invitation.
   • Send the event invitation.

Configure calendar item options

Display your Calendar, and then perform the following tasks:

1. Locate the SBS Study Session appointment that you created in the first set of practice tasks for this chapter.
2. Open the appointment window, and display the time zone controls.
3. Change the Start time and End time to occur in a time zone that is one hour earlier than your own.
4. Set your availability during the appointment to Out of Office.
5. Set a reminder for 1 hour before the appointment.
6. Configure the appointment to recur Monthly, on the first Monday of each month, and to end after 3 occurrences.
7. Save and close the appointment series.

Schedule and change meetings

This practice task is designed for Outlook users in Exchange environments.

Display your Calendar, and then perform the following tasks:

1. Create a new meeting with the subject SBS Project Review, and configure it as follows:

   • Invite a colleague from your Exchange network.
   • Specify the location as My Office.
   • Set the date to next Thursday.
2. In the Room Finder, look at the Date Navigator and scroll the Suggested Times list for information about availability. In the Suggested times list, click a half-hour time slot that shows No conflicts.

3. Display the Scheduling Assistant page of the meeting invitation, and do the following:

   • Wait for the group calendar to display your colleague’s availability. Notice the color blocks that identify the working hours and availability of each person and of the group.
   • Verify that the selected time is shown as available for both of you. If it isn’t, change the time by dragging the start and end time markers.
4. Return to the Appointment page of the meeting invitation and verify the meeting information. In the content pane, enter I’m practicing scheduling meetings. Please accept this meeting request. Then send the meeting invitation.
5. On your calendar, locate the SBS Project Review meeting, and open the meeting window.

6. Display the Scheduling Assistant page of the meeting window, and do the following:

   • Add another colleague to the attendee list, and wait for the group calendar to display his or her availability.
   • Scroll the group calendar backward and forward a few days to identify times that you and your colleagues are busy or out of the office.
   • If necessary, change the meeting time and date by selecting them in the area below the group calendar.
7. Return to the Appointment page of the meeting invitation and verify the meeting information. Then send the meeting update to all attendees.

Respond to meeting requests

This practice task is designed for Outlook users in Exchange environments.

Display your Inbox, and then perform the following tasks:

1. Ask a colleague to send you a meeting request.
2. When you receive the meeting request, review the information in the Reading Pane, and then open the meeting request.
3. From the meeting request window, display your calendar. Notice the colors and patterns that represent the unaccepted meeting request and your availability during that time.
4. Return to the meeting request. Respond as Tentative, and propose a new time for the meeting.

Display different views of a calendar

Display your Calendar in Calendar view, and then perform the following tasks:

1. Display your calendar for the current month.
2. In the Date Navigator, notice the shading that identifies the current day. Click a different day that shows no appointments, to display your calendar for only that day. Then click the Next Appointment bar on the right side of the day to display the day of the next appointment on your calendar.
3. Switch to the Work Week calendar arrangement, and turn on the display of the Daily Task List below the calendar.
4. Change to the Active view of your calendar to display only your future appointments, events, and meetings.
5. If you want to, add the holidays from your country or region to the calendar. Notice the change in the calendar content displayed in the Active view.
6. Configure the Calendar to display the view and arrangement that you like best.