Microsoft Outlook tips to boost productivity

What is the first thing you do when you start your workday? For most of us, the day begins with checking our email, making Microsoft Office our first and usually last point of contact during working hours.

Email is also one of the most dreaded aspects of work – it takes time and energy to keep your inbox organised and efficient. To help you get through your workday, we’ve put together some tips on how to tame MS Outlook, allowing it to serve you while boosting productivity.

Automation The key to productivity is a tidy desk, a focused mind and an organised Outlook inbox. Moving messages to their dedicated folders manually might be an option depending on the volume of one’s emails, but Outlook suggests automating this process to save time and avoid missing important information. Right-click a message and select ‘Create Rule’, this function allows all messages from a particular sender or set of senders to be moved to a particular folder.

Shortcuts Shortcuts can increase the efficiency in performing certain tasks; just think about how much Ctrl + C (Copy) / Ctrl + V (Paste) has changed the way we work! Following shortcuts can bring the convenience to the routine of using MS Outlook:

o Ctrl + R (Reply to email)

o Ctrl + Shift + M (Create new email)

o Ctrl + 2 (Open your calendar)

o Ctrl + Shift + N (Create a note on the desktop)

If shortcuts are the key to your productivity, try creating your own with the ‘Quick Steps’ feature.

Calendar MS Outlook Calendar works as an organisation tool to help time-block your own time but more importantly, to connect with other people. Meetings, especially virtual meetings, have become a vital part of the everyday with the rise of remote working. You can even drag the relevant email to the Calendar icon which will prompt the New Appointment window, pre-populated with the information from the email. To further simplify the process, use the ‘Scheduling Assistant’ to eliminate the unnecessary back and forth!

Message Dictation Stay productive on the move with MS Outlook mobile app that allows message dictation and messages to be read out loud.