Question or Issue:
How can Scheduling Assistant help me set up a new meeting in Outlook?
Overview:
Outlook tracks meeting requests and blocks out time on each users calendar as they add or accept meeting invitations and enter appointments. Scheduling Assistant shows a view of each person's calendar so you can find a time slot when all the meeting invitees are free.
Instructions:
- Open Calendar: In Outlook, go to the Calendar.
- Create New Meeting: Click on “New Meeting.”
- Access Scheduling Assistant: Click on “Scheduling Assistant.”
- Add Attendees: Type the name of each attendee in the “All Attendees” list. Your name will be included automatically as the meeting organizer.
- Free/Busy Grid: As you add each attendee, the free/busy grid updates with schedules represented as colored blocks:
- Solid Blocks: Indicate the attendee is busy.
- Diagonal Blocks: Indicate the attendee has been invited to another meeting but has not responded yet.
- Green Line: Represents the start of the meeting.
- Red Line: Represents the end of the meeting.
- Adjust Timing: Click and drag the lines to adjust the start and end time.
- Find a Suitable Time: Adjust your meeting time to span a block when most or all attendees are free. Scroll left and right to view schedules on different dates.
- Finalize Meeting: After adding attendees, click “Appointment” on the ribbon to switch back to the meeting request.
- Send Invitation: Click “Send.”