Outlook Part 4: Task Management Features

In the final installment of our Microsoft® Outlook series, we explore the Tasks portion of Outlook. For this article, I will be using Outlook 2007. Your Tasks button should be found on the left side of your screen. Click it to bring up your Tasks, remembering that you can always switch to other Outlook areas by clicking any of the other buttons. You can also access Tasks from the main Toolbar by clicking Go --> Tools or with the keyboard shortcut, "Ctrl + 4."

Different Views

As with any other portion of the application, your view of Tasks is customizable by clicking and dragging the blue lines between sections. The main Toolbar will also allow you to customize your Tasks layout by clicking View and changing your settings therein.

Your current View can be shown by:

• Simple List
• Detailed List
• Active Tasks
• Next Seven Days
• Overdue Tasks (FYI: This is where all my tasks fall!)
• By Category
• Assignment
• By Person Responsible
• Completed Tasks
• Task Timeline
• Server Tasks
• Outlook Data Files
• To-Do List

Tasks can also be shared; a list of sharing options can be found right below the Current View list on the left side of your screen.

Tricks of the Trade

Personally, I like viewing the To-Do Bar on the right side of the screen to get a quick snapshot of my entire monthly calendar, as well as today's tasks. Below are some other great things you can do to make Tasks work for you:

To create a task from the Tasks folder:

• On the toolbar, click the Actions --> New Task, or Ctrl + N.

To create a task from any Outlook folder:

1. Click the down arrow to the right of New.

2. On the drop-down menu, click Task.

To create a recurring task:

1. Create a new task.

2. In the task form, click the Recurrence button.

3. In the Task Recurrence dialog box, set the recurrence options you want, and then click OK.

To set or remove a task reminder:

1. In the Task form, select or clear the Reminder check box.

2. If setting a reminder, set the date and time you want the reminder to occur.

3. Click OK.

To modify task settings:

1. On the tools menu, click Options.

2. In the Options dialog box, click the Task Options button.

3. Set the task options you want and then click OK in the open dialog boxes.

To assign a task to another person:

1. Create a new task.

2. In the task form, click the Assign Task button.

3. In the To box, type the address of the person you want to assign the task to, and add any comments in the comments area.

4. Click the Send button.

To accept a task request:

1. Open the task request or preview it in the Reading Pane.

2. On the task form toolbar, click the Accept button. Click Decline to decline a task request.

To send a status report on a task:

1. Open the task.

2. On the toolbar, click the Send Status Report button.

3. In the message form, type a message if you want, and then click Send.

To mark a task as complete (Yay!):

1. Open the task.

2. On the toolbar, click the Mark Complete button.

To stop a task from recurring:

1. Open the task and click the Recurrence button.

2. In the Task Recurrence dialog box, click Remove Recurrence.

Have fun with this amazing tool and use it to organize and prioritize your daily tasks at home and at the office. Of course, if you're a procrastinator, this will mean that you actually have to hold yourself accountable to complete tasks. But, don't worry - you can do it!