Assigning Tasks to Others

If you manage others, delegating tasks is a helpful feature. You can assign a task to others and receive status updates from them on your task list.

Assigning a Task to Someone Else

The term assigning a task isn't completely accurate. You cannot assign someone a task and force him to accept it. You can only send someone a task request and either hope or strongly suggest that he accept the assignment. There are two methods for assigning a task to another individual: assigning an existing task or creating a new task request.

To assign an existing task to another person, open the task and click the Assign Task button on the toolbar or select Actions, Assign Task. This turns your existing task into a task request, as shown in Figure 14.11. Use the To button to select the task assignee, enter any notes for the assignee, and click Send. All information contained in the task is sent to the assignee, including any attachments stored with the task.

Figure 14.11. An existing task can be converted to a task request to send to another user.

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After a task request has been sent, its icon changes to show a hand on the bottom of the clipboard, representing handing off the task to another user.

If you change your mind after you've turned a task into a task request, but have not yet sent the task request, you can click Cancel Assignment on the toolbar to return the task to your task list. After you send the task request, you can no longer edit any of the properties of the task. If the assignee rejects the task, you can once again edit the task and reassign it to another individual.

To create a task request from scratch, select Actions, New Task Request and follow the instructions already given on how to assign a task.

To keep a copy of the assigned task on your task list, check the box marked Keep an Updated Copy of This Task on My Task List. This ensures that you always have visibility of the task even though it's been assigned to someone else. If you choose to keep an updated copy of the task on your task list, you'll receive updates whenever the assignee makes a change to her copy of the task. If the assignee records notes or changes the completion percentage of the task, you'll receive an update to your copy of the task. This update is sent to your inbox, processed automatically, and deleted. The copy of the task in your task list is then marked as unread so that you can see at a glance that there has been an update.

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If you aren't receiving task updates in your inbox, see "Disappearing Task Requests" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of the chapter.


The other tracking option you can choose is to be notified upon completion of a task. By checking the box marked Send Me a Status Report When This Task Is Complete, you instruct Outlook to send you an email when the assignee completes the task. This email isn't processed automatically, but stays in your inbox until you manually process the update (see Figure 14.12). Both these options are checked by default in any new task assignment.

Figure 14.12. A task completion notice shows all the standard task information as well as date completed, total work, actual work, and the original requestor.

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If you change your mind about assigning the task after sending the task request, you can open the assigned task in your task list, select the Details page, and click the button to Create an Unassigned Copy. This feature will create a copy of the original assigned task in your task list. Your assigned task will disappear from your task list and you'll no longer receive updates from the assignee. The task will still appear in the assignee's task folder and he can edit his copy of the unassigned task. All task information updated from the assignee prior to the creation of the unassigned copy is preserved in your local copy of the task.

Assigning a Task to a Group

If you need to assign a task request to more than one person, you have several options depending on your requirements. You can assign one task to a group of people by selecting multiple names or a distribution list when assigning your task. The drawback to this approach is that no status updates are sent from any task assigned to more than one person. If you need task status updates from each individual, create a task request with no assignee and save that request as an Outlook template. You can then create identical tasks quickly and assign them to any number of individuals.

For more information about creating Outlook templates, see "Using Templates," p. 483.


Accepting a Task Assignment

The opposite of assigning a task to another person is receiving a task request from someone else. A task request will arrive in your inbox displaying the task subject, status, priority, due date, and percentage of completion. You can accept or decline the task request. If you choose to accept the task, you can select to send the response immediately or edit the response before sending.

You can edit the response before sending in order to communicate with the task owner about the task. For example, if you accept a task from your boss to go to an offsite business meeting, you might want to send her a note reminding her that you won't be able to run the daily bookings report that day.

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If you can't accept task requests, see "Can't Accept Task Request" in the "Troubleshooting" section at the end of the chapter.


Declining and Reassigning Tasks

If you choose to decline the task request, the request is sent to your Deleted Items folder and the owner of the task receives notification that you've declined the task. You can choose simply to decline the task or edit a response to the owner explaining why you declined the task.

After a task has been declined, the owner can assign the task to another individual. If you want to assign a task you received to another person, you can accept the task and then reassign it to another person or assign it directly to another person. If you reassign a task assigned to you, task updates are sent to you and the person who originally assigned the task to you. The Details page of the task form shows two individuals in the Update List field. A manager in charge of a large project can assign a task to a team leader. The team leader can then assign the task to a team member. When the team member completes the task, both the team leader and the manager receive updates. This is an excellent way to keep managers and executives in the loop for complicated projects.

NOTE

Before you reassign a task, you might want to check with the person who originally assigned you the task. Otherwise, that person won't know that you reassigned the task.


Tracking the Status of Assigned Tasks

After you assign a task to another individual, you can track his progress on the task easily. When he accepts the task, you'll receive a message in your inbox informing you that he has accepted the task. When he changes any information about the task, you'll receive another message in your inbox. This message automatically processes and updates the task in your task list. The email message then moves to the Deleted Items folder. To quickly tell whether a task has been updated by an assignee, look in your Tasks folder. An updated task will appear in bold until you have either opened it or marked it as read.



Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Outlook 2003
ISBN: 0789729563
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 426

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