Tuesday's Tip #23: Automate and Save Time in Outlook with Custom Quick Steps
Save Time in Outlook with Quick Steps
What are the things you do everyday in Outlook? These are the low hanging fruit for saving time. Odds are you file some messages to folders, you create new emails to the same recipients, forward messages to the same people, among other things.
What is a Quick Step?
Quick Steps in Outlook is a new(ish) feature. In a nutshell - it allows you to automate common tasks. In Outlook - you likely have many repetitive tasks. Quick Steps allows you to save some steps with these common tasks and create a one-click button to do these things for you.
The Quick Steps are located near the center of the Home ribbon when you're in the Inbox.
Default Quick Steps
There are some default Quick Steps already setup for users. Some need customizing and some are ready to go without any further information.
Reply & Delete allows you to reply to an email and delete the original one in just a single click. This doesn't need any further information you can just use it.
Forward to Manager need you to identify the email address of your manager in order to use it.
Message to Team also need you to identify the emails of your team.
Customize a Quick Step
For the Quick Steps that need customizing, simply click on the it and fill in the prompted information.
You can give it a custom name as well as fill in prompted information like email addresses.
Create a New Quick Step
In addition to the default Quick Steps, you can create your own Quick Steps which are unique to how you use Outlook.
- On the Home tab, click Create New button in the Quick Steps area on the ribbon.
- Choose the type of Quick Step to create.
- Depending on which one you choose - you will need to provide additional information.
Using Quick Steps
Whether you decide to use Quick Steps that are already setup for you or you create custom Quick Steps of your own - you can use them simply by clicking on them.
Managing Quick Steps
Once you have Quick Steps created you may want to edit them or delete them. You can do this through the manage screen.
- Click the drop down next to the Quick Steps and choose Manage Quick Steps..
- In the dialog box, select a Quick Step and edit or delete it.
Take Away
Think about the things that you do the most when you're in Outlook and try to identify the repetitive tasks - those are your best candidates for utilizing Quick Steps. Here are some ideas to get you going.
- Do you send new emails to a couple of common recipients? Often times this is a team, department or sub group of people you work closely with.
- Do you forward emails to the same person or people? Maybe certain emails you get always need to be forwarded to certain people.
- Do you create meetings with the same group of people?
- Do you have a filing system for emails and do you file to the same couple of folders? (Hint - if you didn't read one of my earlier tips on how to have only 5 folders - you should) https://www.learningwithkari.com/blog/5folders
Have you checked out my Outlook Course? If you like these tips and want more. Consider taking my Outlook course. It is jam packed with time-saving, productivity tips in Outlook that are guaranteed to save you time. Over my many years of training - I've bundled together some amazing tips that are sure to help you master Outlook.
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