As DevOps professionals, we’re constantly juggling a multitude of tasks—deployments, monitoring, automation scripts, and more. With so much going on, it’s easy to forget the basics, especially when it comes to something as simple as managing our calendars in Outlook.
Now, if I had my way, I wouldn’t use calendars or email at all—who needs the extra noise, right? But alas, here we are, navigating the wonderful world of Outlook. And while I’ll admit I’m a Gmail and Google Calendar fan (even though they have their own quirks that drive me nuts), we’ve got to make the best of what we’ve got. So, let’s dive into how to overlay your calendars in Outlook, making sure you can at least keep all those meetings and tasks in view without losing your mind.
Overlaying Calendars in the Outlook Desktop Application
- Open Outlook: Launch your Outlook application—whether you’re on Windows or macOS.
- Switch to Calendar View: Click on the calendar icon in the lower-left corner of Outlook.
- Select the Calendars You Want to Overlay:
- On the left-hand side, under "My Calendars" or "Shared Calendars," check the boxes next to the calendars you want to view.
Overlay the Calendars:
- By default, your selected calendars will display side by side. To overlay them, click the small arrow on the tab of the calendar you want to overlay with the active one.
- If you want to revert to the side-by-side view, click the arrow on the calendar tab again.
Customize Calendar Colors:
- Right-click on the calendar name and choose "Color" to assign a distinct color to each calendar. This makes it easier to differentiate between them when they are overlaid.
Overlaying Calendars in Outlook Web App (OWA)
- Log in to Outlook Web: Open your browser and navigate to your Outlook Web App (OWA).
- Access Calendar View: Click on the calendar icon in the lower-left corner of the screen.
- Select and Overlay Calendars:
- On the left panel, click the names of the calendars you want to see. In OWA, selected calendars are overlaid automatically, giving you a unified view.
Adjust Calendar Colors:
- Right-click on the calendar name and choose a color to make each one distinct in the overlay.
Quick Tips:
- Remember the Arrow: In the desktop version of Outlook, the overlay function is all about that little arrow on the calendar tab. It’s easy to miss if you’re in a hurry.
- Permissions: Make sure you have the appropriate permissions to view and overlay shared calendars. If a calendar isn’t showing up, permissions might be the culprit.
Why This Matters for DevOps
In DevOps, time management isn’t just about scheduling meetings; it’s about efficiently allocating time for sprints, monitoring, deployments, and firefighting unexpected issues. Having an overlaid view of your calendars can help you manage all these aspects without missing a beat. Plus, it keeps your workspace organized, reducing the mental load of flipping between multiple calendar views.
Whether you're planning the next deployment window or just trying to balance work and personal commitments, overlaying your calendars in Outlook is a simple yet effective way to stay on top of everything.
And hey, until someone invents a better way, we’ll just have to do our best with what we've got—even if that means wrangling with Outlook and occasionally dreaming of a world without calendars!