Google vs Outlook: Which Calendar Is Best For Executive Assistants?

A well-managed calendar is the key to any executive assistant’s success. Calendars are one of the most important tools any assistant employs. Two of the best and most popular calendars are Google Calendar and Outlook Calendar, both offering powerful management features. We will go over the key differences between the two to help you choose which one best suits your needs.

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Accessibility

Both Outlook and Google Calendars have mobile apps allowing users to access them from either iOS or Android Mobile devices. Both are accessible online and offline, and are free to use.

Outlook 

Outlook Calendar hosts a variety of valuable features and comes packaged as part of the Microsoft Office suite. It operates via a desktop app and all features are accessible online or offline--except calendar sharing, which requires an internet connection. 

Google 

Google Calendar is a popular and useful program that comes with every Google account and is accessible through any browser. To work offline, the calendar requires that the Google Chrome extension be installed.

Display

Some users choose between Outlook and Google Calendar based on which display interface best fits their professional and personal needs. Both Google Calendar and Outlook allow users to switch between different views, utilize color-coding, viewing different time zones, schedule events, and integrate with their mail app for ease of access.

Outlook

Outlook offers toggling between 5 different views: 

• Day 
• Work Week 
• Full Week 
• Month 
• Schedule 

Outlook Calendar schedule view handily displays the workweek during your personal work hours, which is useful when displaying different calendars at once to compare schedules and locate available meeting slots.

Google

Google calendar also offers 5 views:

• Day 
• Week
• Month
• Year
• 4 Days

Google allows one to easily compare schedules. Simply open separate calendars to which you are subscribed, displaying them in side-by-side columns. More viewing options, such as ‘fade past events’, can reduce on-screen clutter; ‘custom schedule’ options, meanwhile, allow personalized views that you can alternate with the click of a button.

Scheduling

Both Outlook and Google Calendar apps offer comparable scheduling functions, but they differ in terminology and accessibility with other users. Likewise, files can be attached seamlessly from both, and both feature a “quick add” option to create events using keywords or simple sentences (for example: “12/23 4PM Meeting.”) 

Outlook

To schedule on your Outlook calendar, users create a new appointment or meeting. The calendar lets users fill in details such as the title, time, location, notes. Outlook also offers a Skype integration, allowing users to easily organize group video/voice meetings. Anyone invited to the event should confirm their availability, and once the meeting is set the timezone and alerts can be added.

Google

To schedule on Google calendar, users create an event, reminder, or goal. When creating an event, users are able to fill in the title, time, location, notification timers, color coding, and attendees to invite. Adding attachments from Google Drive is straightforward, and the calendar also has a Google Maps integration, ensuring members have the correct location, time, and even departure time recommendations for punctual arrival.

Participation

Google and Outlook calendars utilize different methods for altering events when plans change, and different steps are necessary when modifying ownership of a scheduled event.

Outlook

Outlook does not provide a way to transfer ownership of a meeting or appointment. To transfer ownership of an event, the original user who created the event must delete the calendar and allow a new owner to create the event.

Google

Google calendar offers many different sharing and viewing permissions, allowing users to modify event ownership, participation, and attendance easily. Upon transferring ownership to a new host, the new owner will have access to all of the features and permissions of that event.

Google Calendar or Outlook? Which One Is Right for You?

Executive management is one of the most important roles in any organization, and a challenging job at that. Being responsible for the day-to-day activities of the business, executive assistants need a calendar that best suits their needs to make the most efficient use of their time each day. Administrative tasks become easier to handle with effective management tools, keeping you organized, and efficient every day. 

Choosing which calendar application is best for you will help you keep time, stay on top of tasks, and alleviate stress.

For more advice on excelling in your position, explore ASAP's training resources.