Branch Manager's Challenge #7: Learning More about Outlook

I'm completing Challenge #7 out of sequence because it is due today. (The other Challenges' due dates occurred before I became a Branch Manager.) I'm continuing to plug away at the challenge at somewhat weird intervals, so please forgive me if future posts are also out of sequence.

Before the Challenge, I knew how to use Outlook's Email functions very well, but I didn't have a grasp of how to set up voting or schedule a meeting. This Challenge helped me develop those skills, and I'm confident that I'll use those functions more in the workplace as a result.

For the voting section, I polled people about what their favorite part of this year's Holiday Breakfast was. The staff members who sang were the clear favorites among the Branch Managers, although my "nifty red sweater" has a strong minority following as well. The food and the Parkway traffic are both tied with 1 vote at present, and I'll leave the reader to draw his or her own conclusions on that.

As for the coursework, I decided to learn how to schedule meetings through Outlook. I found that the online directions for this were clear, and I used them to schedule "a very important imaginary meeting" with my staff members. Their replies went without a hitch, and I feel comfortable doing this task in the future.

The only thing that didn't work for me was recovering permanently deleted items. I was able to find all the buttons and menu commands that the directions listed, but no emails appeared when I opened the "Recover Deleted Items" window. I'm not sure why that is, but I would eventually like to learn how to use this function better.

Challenge #2--Projector Wranglin'

I completed this challenge shortly after becoming a Branch Manager. During the months of May & June, I gave a number of presentations for various staff groups to promote the video game collection I helped to create. Nicole DeMatteo, my gaming partner-in-crime and fellow Branch Manager, watched the presentation I gave to the YA Team. She saw me setup and use the projector, and was amazed by my impeccable public speaking skills and natural charm (ok, maybe I made those last parts up).

I didn't have any problems using the projector. I was a Technology Liaison back when I worked in Lakewood Reference, so I taught myself how to use this type of equipment a few years ago. I find that the most important things about using it are making sure you have enough time to setup the equipment, and knowing which buttons to press if nothing appears on screen. Thankfully, I'm usually good on both counts.

Rechristening the Blog: Starting OCL's Branch Managers' Tech Challenge

With this post, I'm officially starting the Branch Managers' Tech Challenge. I'm starting this much later than most of the other Branch Managers, so I anticipate a little scrambling to get caught up to the same place. I love working with technology, though, so this should be fun.

I originally created this blog when I was a Teen Librarian working with Central Regional Middle School's Technology Club, so I didn't have to worry about creating a new one from scratch. I've also been an avid Google email user for the past couple of years, so I already had an account in place. All I had to do was put a new title up and I was all set to go.

See you in the next posts!