Get Shift Done: Tips and Tricks
For many of us, some parts of each day can feel a bit like the movie Groundhog Day. Why? Because we have to perform the same tasks over and over. For example, we spend lots of time working between our various calendars saying things like, “OK, I’m free at that time on my work calendar, but what about my personal calendar?”
Thankfully, a new service entitled Microsoft Flow changes all that. It features pre-built ‘recipes’ to connect together the different calendars you use, as well as the ability to create custom workflows from scratch. Let’s take the example of ensuring you see all of the events across your calendars in one place.
First, head to https://flow.microsoft.com and sign in. You’ll need to read and accept the license agreement, as you are giving Microsoft access to other accounts so they can pipe data between them
Once you’re signed in, search for ‘calendar’:
In the search results, you’ll see a number of different workflows, including two variants of the same basic workflow:
- Google Calendar to Office 365 Calendar
- Google Calendar to Outlook Calendar
Which one you use depends on your current setup. We’ll use the second, more generic workflow as an example here.
On the next screen, click on the ‘Use this template’ button:
You’ll now be prompted to sign into your Google and Outlook.com accounts. Click on the ‘Sign in’ buttons and follow the instructions to connect both accounts:
Once you’ve connected both accounts, you should see a green checkmark next to your email addresses. Now, click on the ‘Continue’ box:
Microsoft Flow now allows you to select the Google Calendar that you want to sync with your Outlook.com calendar. Select them from the drop-down menus.
Note: you can safely ignore the list of text boxes below those drop-downs!
You’re nearly finished! Click ‘Create Flow’:
Microsoft Flow will process your workflow, and then let you know it’s successfully set up. Now press ‘Done’!
Success! You should get a message telling you that your new workflow is up-and-running:
If you want to test it out, then simply create a new event in Google Calendar and wait for it to appear in your Outlook.com Calendar. No more diary juggling, no more apologizing for double-booking yourself, and all automated! Now that’s what we call working smarter, not harder.
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