Calendar Delegation

What's Changing

If you're an executive assistant or manage someone else's calendar, Outlook Delegate Access replaces the delegation you set up in your Notes mail file (under Access & Delegation in mail preferences). The concept is the same, but Outlook offers more granular control over what a delegate can do.

What Stays the Same

• The concept - one person manages another person's calendar
• Viewing permissions - you can see free/busy times or full event details
• Scheduling on behalf - send meeting invites as the other person
• Notifications - get alerts for meetings you manage

Permission Levels

Outlook offers several levels of calendar access:

Setting Up Delegation (For the Executive/Manager)

1. Open Outlook and go to Calendar
2. Click Share Calendar (in the ribbon at the top)
3. Type the name of the person you want to delegate to
4. Choose the permission level (usually Delegate for assistants)
5. Click Share

Using Delegated Access (For the Assistant)

Opening Their Calendar

1. In Outlook Calendar, click Add Calendar > From Directory
2. Search for the person's name
3. Their calendar appears alongside yours

Scheduling a Meeting on Their Behalf

1. Click New Meeting
2. Click the From field
3. Select the other person's name
4. The meeting invite will be sent as if it came from them
5. Attendees will see their name as the organizer

Managing Their Inbox (If Permissions Allow)

1. In Outlook, click File > Open & Export > Other User's Folder
2. Enter their name
3. Select Inbox (or Calendar)
4. You can now manage their email and meetings

Notes Delegation to Outlook Delegation - Quick Comparison

Common Scenario

A director and their assistant: The director delegates full calendar access to their assistant. The assistant can:

• Book meetings on the director's calendar
• Schedule follow-up calls with vendors and partners
• Accept meeting invites on the director's behalf when they're unavailable
• Send meeting invites that show the assistant's name "on behalf of" the director

Attendees see the meeting is coming from the director's office, with the assistant handling the coordination.

Viewing Multiple Calendars

When managing multiple calendars:

1. Add each person's calendar (Add Calendar > From Directory)
2. Use Overlay mode - click the arrow next to a calendar name to stack them on one view
3. Each person gets a different colour so events don't blend together
4. This is great for coordinating between departments (e.g., checking availability across the operations and engineering managers)

Revoking Access

If a delegate changes roles or leaves the corporation:

1. Go to Calendar > right-click My Calendar > Properties
2. Click the Permissions tab
3. Select the person and click Remove or change their permission level
4. Changes take effect immediately

IT can also revoke delegate access centrally if needed.

Accountability

Outlook logs who created, modified, or deleted calendar events. Even with delegate access:

• Meeting invites sent "on behalf of" clearly show both names
• Calendar changes are tracked and visible in event details
• There's a full audit trail if questions arise about who booked or cancelled something

Tips for SLSMC Staff

• Delegates get a copy of meeting requests sent to the person they manage, so you can accept or decline on their behalf
• Colour-code calendars when managing multiple people to tell them apart at a glance
• Use Scheduling Assistant when booking meetings involving your executive and multiple other people - it finds open times automatically
• Set up delegate access from the start - don't wait until you need it urgently
• Delegate ≠ full inbox access by default - calendar delegation and inbox delegation are separate permissions, just like the separate options in Notes

Need Help?

1. Contact the SLSMC IT Service Desk to set up delegation permissions