We’ve all faced the challenge of coordinating meetings and finding a time that works for everyone. It can be frustrating, often requiring multiple emails and coordination of efforts. Many of us have turned to third-party tools like ‘Doodle Poll’ in an attempt to simplify this process.
Recently, I found an existing feature within Outlook that I’d like to share with you that could help streamline your scheduling: “New Scheduling Poll.” This tool is integrated directly into our Outlook email system and offers a convenient alternative to external apps.
**Mac Users – this does exist in your version of Outlook, but it does not come up by default. You will need first to open a ‘New Mail” message. Then, customize the toolbar and drag-n-drop this feature to your toolbar.
To use this feature:
– Create a ’New Meeting’ or ‘New Email’
– Add the necessary people you require
– Click on ‘Scheduling Poll’ in the main toolbar, and a new sidebar will appear.
– Select the days and times that you want to suggest. (keep changing the calendar date to add more days\options)
– When you have all your options, click NEXT
– Review your options, enter a location (physical or virtual Zoom link), and turn Teams on/off.
– Create poll
– Recipients will receive the poll and can vote on their preferred time slots.
– Once your poll has reached consensus, you will receive an email, the meeting will be scheduled, and an invite will be sent to all attendees.

I encourage you to try out this feature for your next meeting. It’s a straightforward way to streamline the scheduling process and make it more efficient for everyone involved.