Get swiftly organized and minimize complexity with Microsoft Apps.
meeting agendas
✅ Real-time Updates: no need to resend documents
✅ Always Accessible: edits appear across Outlook, Teams, and even Word
✅ Reduces Clutter: no email chains or version confusion
✅ Silent Collaboration: EAs can update in the background without disruption
Here’s a pro tip for all executive assistants who use operate in a Microsoft 365 environment. In the EA role, we are constantly updating calendars, adding or removing colleagues, and attaching agendas or materials. We now have a silent way of adding agendas or notes with out sending the invite out to everyone. Note that you have to be invited to the meeting and have it published to your calendar which is synchronized with your Outlook account to perform this action. Here’s the steps:
- Open Teams and navigate to the calendar and open the meeting you want to update–you do not join the meeting, double click to open the invite.
- Once open, click on the ‘details’ tab and navigate to the notes section.
- Click in the section to activate the loop component and start typing the agenda or any information you want to bring to the key stakeholders that will help them prepare in advance of the meeting.
bookings
✅ Customizable: create a personalized booking page where clients can select services and available times to meet
✅ Integrated with Outlook: syncs with your Outlook calendar [and your executive] to manage free/busy time
✅ Automated: sends confirmations, emails and texts
✅ Staff assignments: allows assigning specific colleagues and allows for managing multiple calendars
Microsoft Bookings is a scheduling tool within the Microsoft 365 suite designed to streamline the process of managing appointments. It offers a customizable web-based booking page integrated with Outlook, allowing clients or colleagues to book time slots based on your availability. Features include automated email and SMS notifications, reducing no-shows and enhancing overall scheduling efficiency. Check-out the success stories.
example use case:
An executive assistant wants to set up recurring office hours for their executive using Microsoft Bookings so that internal team members or external stakeholders can schedule time without the back-and-forth emails.
how to get started:
- Navigate to the Microsoft 365 portal and select the Bookings app.
- Enter your business or department details, including name, address, and contact information.
- List the services offered, specifying details like duration, location, and assigned staff.
- Customize settings and apply the company branding, including logo, scheduling policies, availability, and notification preferences.
- Include team members who will provide services, setting their working hours and permissions.
- Once set up, publish your booking page and share the link with clients or colleagues.
The bookings app defaults to the user’s account. You can add staff to the booking page [i.e. executive you have delegate access right for or a shared mailbox]. Once setup you can toggle on/off the services and staff members you want to show under the bookings page. To get a step by step visual of how to activate a booking page, check-out this Microsoft guide.
live polls
✅ Instant responses: no need to wait for emails or messages
✅ Seamless in Teams: works in meetings, group chats, and channels
✅ Trackable data: see who has [or hasn’t] responded for easy follow-ups
✅ Real-Time insights: view responses instantly to make informed decisions
Microsoft Live Polls is a powerful tool within Office 365 that helps streamline meeting logistics and facilitate real-time collaboration. Whether you need quick input on scheduling, preferences, or decisions, Live Polls enables teams to gather information efficiently within a Teams group, meeting chat, or group chat.
example use case:
You need to determine who plans to attend a meeting in person from three different office locations so you can book the right-sized conference room. Instead of sending emails or messages, use a Live Poll to collect responses instantly. You can also have the names recorded so you can follow-up with anyone directly.
how to get started:
- Open Teams & navigate to the meeting Invite
- Double-click to open the invite [do not join the meeting]
- Go to the Chat tab within the meeting window
- Click the + Apps icon in the toolbar and select Polls
- Enter the question and provide multiple-choice response options
- Click Send to post the poll in the meeting chat
loop component
✅ Live, always–synced information: no more outdated files or version confusion
✅ Cross-app collaboration: whether in a chat, email or document, loops stay interactive and editable
✅ Reduces email overload: instead of sending multiple emails for updates, drop a loop in Outlook or Teams–everyone who has access can see the changes instantly
The Microsoft loop components are a great way to boost productivity and save the Outlook inbox twofold for executive assistants–find out how here loop.microsoft.com and explore the learning guides. The tools combines a flexible canvas with portable components, facilitating real-time collaboration across various applications like Teams, Outlook, Word, and Whiteboard. It’s designed to enhance teamwork by allowing users to create and share components such as lists, tables, and notes that stay synchronized across all platforms.
Loop Components: Portable pieces of content [e.g., tables, task lists, notes] that can be shared and edited in real-time across multiple apps.
Loop Pages: Flexible canvases where you can organize components, links, tasks, and data related to a project.
Loop Workspaces: Shared spaces that allow teams to group everything important to a project, making it easy to track progress and collaborate.
example use case:
Coordinating six demanding executive schedules across multiple time zones can be a logistical nightmare. Instead of sending endless emails or chat messages, use a Microsoft Loop component to streamline the process.
how to get started:
- Sign in with your Microsoft account or access Loop components within apps like Teams or Outlook.
- Within Outlook insert a Loop paragraph to add the details of the ask: meeting duration, required timeframes, essential attendees and additional context to help EAs prioritize the ask. You can do this by activating the ‘Callout’ option in the Loop menu.
- Create a Loop table to source calendar availability from executive assistants. Type the / [backslash] to open the Loop menu and scroll down the list to table. Pre-fill it with a few proposed dates/times and let others add alternatives or confirm availability in real time.
- Send the email in Outlook and it maybe helpful to suggest to the end-users that reply all is not required. Simply add the response in the embedded Loop and everyone will see the synced responses as they arrive.
