How To Use Outlook's Out Of Office Assistant

Step 1: Their Needs

What you need to do to avoid getting caught is to keep everyone at work happy. They want the same thing everyone wants in life -- validation. They want to feel like people are listening to them, hearing what they're trying to say. Your goal will be to apply your human sensitivity to your artificial intelligence to virtually keep everyone satisfied and get you out of the office.

Go to the top of the screen and click Tools.

Click on "Out of Office Assistant".

Step 2: Your Assistant

If you don't see it, click on the double arrows at the bottom of the menu to look for it. If it's not there, it may be because you're not using an exchange server, but something like POP mail instead. You'll only see "Out of Office Assistant" if you're using an exchange server.

Step 3: New Rules

When Out of Office Assistant opens, go below and click on Add Rule. The "Edit Rule" page will show up. This is where you start teaching Outlook to be as sensitive as you are.

Step 4: Pick A Co-worker

Type in a co-worker's e-mail address into the "From" box. If that person is in your address book, you can also click on "From". Then select his/her name from your address book by double-clicking it.

Hit "OK".

Under "Subject", type in one of his favorite words to use in his subject lines, like "forms".

Toward the bottom, click the "reply with" box. Click on "Template". Now you're writing an e-mail that will be sent every time Nagging Office Manager writes you an e-mail with "Forms" in the subject line.

Step 5: Get Validating

Write something to make your co-worker feel special. Let him/her know how much the work this person has done helps everyone.

Let him know you heard him loud and clear, even though you haven't -- yet.

Statements like "looking forward to it" or a simple "absolutely" will be a logical response to more than 90% of the e-mails you've been written.

In case the e-mail said he needed something right away, add "I'll look into this by the end of the day or first thing next business day." Even if the person wrote you a note demanding something ASAP, your compliment will soften him/her to you, to the point where the person will make exceptions, just for you.

Tip: Do not make any of your responses too long.

Even though you're having fun preparing to play hooky, remember that when you're normally at the office, you write only enough to get the point across.

Also consider that they'll be getting these responses very quickly after you receive your e-mail, so if they get War and Peace a minute after they send you quick questions, their minds will wander.

Move the arrow to the upper-left corner of the box and click the icon of the disk to save.

Close the window.

Click "OK".

Step 6: Repeat

Do these steps again, for all possible scenarios you can think of. Think of the different subjects your sender likes to send, and write your auto response to each.

Step 7: Advanced Excursion

Click on "Advanced". You'll see additional options, with which you can adjust your response according to file size, date sent, sensitivity level, importance level and more. Adjust accordingly.


When you're done with each rule, click all the "OK's until you again see the "Out of Office Assistant" box.

When you're all done, click on "I am currently Out of the Office.

Click "OK". A box in the lower-right corner will immediately appear, to let you know the "out of the office" mode is on.