11.2. Adding Meetings

In many ways Outlook meetings work just like appointments. The main difference is that with meetings, you’ve got the tools to email attendees and keep track of who’s coming. If you’ve ever been responsible for setting up committee or Board of Director’s meetings, you’ll love the way Outlook manages the details.

Case example: you’re the Executive Director of an association of 16 restaurant owners. The group meets once a quarter, but the actual date moves around a bit to accommodate members’ schedules. In the interest of unity, you try to accommodate all your members. You send a meeting invitation to all 16 members. Eight confirm that they can attend. You don’t hear anything from three. Two members have gotten together and suggested an alternative date for the meeting, otherwise they can’t attend. One person who said she could make the meeting sends another email changing their confirmation to a “maybe I can attend.” You move on to round two, with the new suggestion, which involves just as many details and messages.