Working Sm@rt with Microsoft Outlook

Take control of your inbox and make Outlook work harder for you

This powerful software is often under-utilized. Receive hands-on skills instruction to help you absorb proven techniques for a total time-management solution that integrates communications, tasks, activities, and planning.

This course will help you:

  • Create a consistent focus on priorities
  • Gain control of your inbox and email
  • Improve your communications
  • Manage your time, tasks, and activities
  • Use Outlook with a 'business planning' approach

Next Steps:

Who Should Attend:

Workgroups and teams including managers, technical and sales professionals, supervisors, administrators and project leaders who currently use MS Outlook, and are not optimizing this powerful software.

Format:

  • 1-day instructor-led session using Outlook or
  • Two 2-hour web-based virtual classroom sessions
  • Optional coaching session to reinforce learning

Tools Provided:

  • Comprehensive Learning Guide
  • Optional Priority Manager Organizer

Related Training:

Working Sm@rt with Microsoft Outlook Case study

EMI Working Sm@rt®er in 2012

Background

EMI Music is one of the world's leading music companies, home to some of the most successful and best known recording artists. EMI traces its history back to the very beginnings of recorded sound and music as one of their original companies was founded by the inventor of the gramophone.

Since then EMI has always been at the forefront of technology and change. EMI scientists invented stereo recording and were closely involved in the development of magnetic tape. They were also behind the birth of electrical television and radar.

EMI streamed the first complete album over the internet and was the first company to release a digital album download. EMI also launched the first internet video single in 2001 and was the first major music company to make its music available without digital rights management (DRM) software.

Challenge to Priority Management

Due to their high profile clients and 24/7 global business, staff at EMI tend to work in a re-active, short deadline driven environment. The management team especially were working long hours, attending non stop meetings and hopping from one deadline to another. Email traffic at EMI is higher than average and often includes large music and video files meaning mail box limits were reached quickly. With a move to new premises EMI wanted to provide their staff with the following:

  • effective processes to better manage workload
  • better work life balance
  • more time to focus on high priority items
  • a reduction in email traffic
  • a more pro-active vs re-active environment

They also wanted to achieve these results without changing their energetic and creative culture.

Priority Management Solution

A tailored version of Priority Management's Working Smart with Outlook programme was chosen as the best solution to the challenges faced by EMI staff. We began by running one-on-one sessions with the executive team, helping them gain better focus on their main objectives and filtering unnecessary diversions and interruptions. In discussions with the Management team we then designed and implemented a roll out of the Working Smart programme across all levels of the organisation. By collating feedback from these sessions, an email and communications charter was then developed (in conjunction with the executive team) and presented to the whole organisation. Each member of the executive team took turns to present a section of the charter to staff. The charter included;

  • work/life balance expectations,
  • email communication guidelines,
  • meeting do's and don'ts,
  • expected email response times.

Following the training EMI implemented a daily "no interruption" hour where staff can work on high priority tasks and items.

EMI's Results

A four stage pre and post course evaluation process showed the following results from the training:

  • 65.6% increase in staff's Outlook skills
  • 41.3% increase in managing communications
  • 55.4% increase in information management
  • 43.9% increase in prioritising and time management

Each person also re-gained an average of 49 mins of productive time per day. (a 10% productivity gain)

Additional, anecdotal feedback indicates an approximate 10% drop in the volume of email sent and received internally and a great improvement in the quality and structure of emails sent.

Working Sm@rt with Microsoft Outlook Testimonials

Client: Chevron Australia

The Working Smart with Outlook course is likely to prove the most useful one day course that I have ever taken part in. I could not wait to get back to my desk next day to implement the strategies that I learnt from the course and have found them helpful right from the outset. Of course, I still have some work to do in planning but am working on changing my actions. The strategies for capturing information to be retrieved at a later date are invaluable.

D.W.
Administration Assistant
Chevron Australia

Client: Blue Cross

Thank you, for an excellent workshop. "Working Smart with Microsoft Outlook" has been one of the most popular classes we've offered at the Association. It always fills up immediately and feedback from participants is overwhelmingly positive. Having taken the course myself, I can vouch for its ability to help move from using Outlook as simply a tool for answering email, to a vehicle for managing time and priorities. It's a great program and we're looking forward to continuing to offer it to our staff.

J. A.C.
Director, Training and Development, BCBSA

Client: Canadian Navy

As the staff here at Maritime Command in Halifax prepare to load another group of personnel on the Working Smart with Outlook Workshop, I wanted to take this opportunity to provide feedback from the training we attended last year. Over the past year, this organization has benefited greatly in our ability to manage several tasks and priorities, follow up on commitments, communicate and delegate effectively, and use this very unique planning process. As indicated in your intro to the team, we definitely took away exactly what was presented and the results have been outstanding. It is for this reason that we have decided to seek your support in providing this unique opportunity to those personnel joining our staff in the new year. I sincerely appreciated your professionalism and the brilliant manner in which you enhanced the performance of this team. Thank you very much and we look forward to a long and healthy relationship with your team.

Best regards

J.H.
Lieutenant Commander/ Captaine de corvette - Senior Staff Officer Military Personnel / Officer de la gestion du personnel militaire de la Formation - National Defence / Défense national

Working Sm@rt with Microsoft Outlook Detailed Synopsis

The Working Sm@rt® with Microsoft Outlook Workshop is an essential management skills program and has been designed to provide you with the knowledge, skills and competencies to effectively use Outlook as your organizational system. This course will help enhance personal and team productivity and performance, while giving you more control over activities and information. By providing immediate access to key business information, you will improve your decision-making. You will become more balanced and reduce stress when you put these essential skills into practice.

Unit 1 The Productivity Process:

In the first unit you will start your Campaign for Working Sm@rt® and learn about what is meant by workload management. You will learn about the Invisible Assembly Line and Productivity Formula, as well as strategies for dealing with Productivity Pirates.

Unit 2 The Outlook Business Solution:

You will gain a deeper understanding of what's available in the Outlook "toolbox" and configure the main components of Outlook. In the office or on the move, we will show you how to consolidate personal, team, corporate and external information.

Unit 3 The Digital Deluge:

We will show you how to manage your Inbox and stay with your priorities, regardless of the volume of email traffic. You will learn how to empty your Inbox daily by converting emails to tasks or appointments, and how to use rules in Outlook to automatically sort and prioritize your email. You will also learn strategies for filing and organizing information you need to keep.

Unit 4 Managing Commitments:

You will learn the importance of the Outlook Calendar and how to avoid becoming a victim of the "planning fallacy". The exercises will help you become a more proficient time manager and begin the process of regaining control over your life and demanding schedule.

Unit 5 Managing Communication:

You will learn the Priority communicating process and how to apply it with Outlook tools. You will practice planning conversations, responding to people, delegating actions and following up on commitments. We will demonstrate that by applying the communication process, it is possible to have total recall! You will also learn best practice influencing and voicemail behaviors.

Unit 6 Managing Activities:

We will show you how to become a master at prioritizing and planning your activities. You will learn how to stay on top of important and urgent activities, and how to solve the "decision dilemma" when managing a myriad of activities.

Unit 7 Priority Planning:

You will discover how the planning process works for you. The planning process will help you become more strategic in your daily choice of activities and restore a feeling of achievement at the end of every day.

Unit 8 TeamTools:

You will expand your understanding of how teams work and create a Communications Charter for your team/organization.

Unit 9 Eliminating DeskStress:

In this unit we will demonstrate how to manage the digital desktop as well as control the clutter on your hardtop too! You will learn important techniques to control both silent and noisy interruptions. You will set up files to help you retrieve sent mail.

Unit 10 Putting Outlook to Work:

Summarizes all the key ideas and provides you with a recipe for learning transfer. You will review the Quick Guide and Outlook Configuration so that you can deploy the new techniques learned today as soon as you return to the job.

Working Sm@rt With Outlook Evaluation Summary 2012

Over 630 companies and 10,400 individuals from around the world have completed our workshop effectiveness questionnaire in the last five years. When asked

"How much time have you gained each day as a result of the program?"

The average of all the respondents, for all companies was +61 Minutes per day per person.

Areas of increased effectivness for graduates. See full report.

Just how Productive is your day?

Have you ever considered how much time you spend on unproductive tasks on a daily basis? More importantly, how much time you could get back each day if you knew how? At Priority, we have created a tool that will give you the answers to these Questions and more. Take the Productivity Challenge here.

ProductivityChallenge

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Get in touch.

We would be delighted to set up an executive briefing for your organization either online or in person at your convenience.

Email or telephone and we can talk about a better way to work.