How to selectively share tasks

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OUTLOOKPOWER ANSWER TEAM
How to selectively share tasks
By Francine Otterson

Reader Joe Benz asks:

I am currently investigating Outlook's capabilities for task management for my company. I have found it to be reasonably powerful. I have run several tests with task sharing, and the results have generated a question.

Does Outlook have the ability to share a select group of tasks only? That is, if I create a category "test", can I only share those tasks, or do I always have to make my entire task list available to those I choose to share with?

Tasks in Outlook can be a powerful tool for managing jobs/assignments in a company just as our reader Joe Benz is discovering. One question Joe has is whether it's possible to share only specific task items with others.

The good news is yes, this is possible.

If a particular task should not be shared then mark it as private by checking the Private box in the lower right hand corner, as shown in Figure A.

FIGURE A

If you don't want to share the task, mark it private. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Another solution that may be worth mentioning is to create a central location for tasks, particularly if they need to be viewed or accessed by multiple people. This can be accomplished by created a Task Folder in Public Folders and setting up the necessary access rights. This would need to be done by the Exchange Administrator.

If you're not using Exchange, and still want some group resources, you might want to take a look at a product just announced by one of OutlookPower's advertisers, the MAPILab Groupware Server. We haven't tested this yet, but from the news announcement, it does look interesting.

For additional options, tools and resource, visit Slipstick's page about sharing calendars and tasks at http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/share.htm.

Submit your questions to the OutlookPower Answer Team
Submit your Outlook questions to editor@outlookpower.com with the words "OUTLOOKPOWER ANSWER TEAM" in the subject line. Francine Otterson, President of the San Diego Outlook User Group, and its members, make up the OutlookPower Answer Team and are always available to answer your tough Outlook questions.

For more information on the San Diego Outlook User Group, visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sdoutlookug.

Product availability and resources
For more information about MAPILab's Groupware Server, visit http://www.mapilab.com/groupware/server.

For Slipstick's calendar sharing page, visit http://www.slipstick.com/outlook/share.htm.

Francine Otterson is the President of the San Diego Outlook User Group and a Microsoft Outlook MVP. She has been in the IT industry for over 10 years, providing technical support, software customization solutions and training in corporate settings, and as a consultant. She balances her work around her daughter and husband in sunny San Diego, California.