My latest challenge involves using distribution lists when all users access the same “Global” directory.

THE SCENARIO

I work for the State of California. One of my tasks was to manage the Branch’s distribution lists. Adding new staff and removing staff who have left. Quite a few months ago IT created new distribution lists, distribution lists that I did not have permissions to edit in order to keep them current. The distribution lists recreated in the “Global” do not reflect the continual revolving door of staff leaving and coming on. So, in the interim, till IT is able to resolve the issue by giving me the necessary permission or, in the alternative, maintaining the lists themselves, I created distribution lists that I could send to the entire Branch staff for use.

This fix however does not resolve the issue for outside departments and units who do not receive my distribution lists, which are sent by email as attachments and saved in each person’s personal Contacts directory, such as the Receiver’s office.

Nevertheless, I was asked by someone from another department how I was able to send my distribution lists to other people to use and directions on how to transfer them into their own personal Contacts directory. And, yes, I have created a reputation for knowing how to do really unusual computer stuff to people outside of my own department, even so far as departments in other locations outside of my direct sphere of contact, network, or relationship to my department. Word gets out and people let their colleagues know a resource they find valuable. Strange, but true.

So here is the step-by-step on how to save a distribution list that has been sent to you by email.

DIRECTIONS

While in your opened email with the attached distribution lists, using your mouse, you will need to “drag and drop” each distribution list, individually, onto your “Contacts” tab in Outlook. If you hold down the Shift key and mouse click on each distribution list, this will allow you to select them all and drag them collectively to your “Contacts” tab in one fell swoop.

We will use the following example distributions lists as the attached:

• Centralized Hiring (contains individual emails addresses from the “Global” directory)
• Education & Training (contains individual emails addresses from the “Global” directory)
• Planning Northern (contains individual emails addresses from the “Global” directory)
• Planning Southern (contains individual emails addresses from the “Global” directory)
• Recruitment Outreach (contains individual emails addresses from the “Global” directory)
• Selection Services (contains individual emails addresses from the “Global” directory)
• Workforce Development Branch (contains individual emails addresses from the “Global” directory, as well as the six distribution lists above). This will be the master distribution list for the entire Branch.

DIRECTIONS FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BRANCH

This distribution list allows you to send to the entire Branch without having to select each unit distribution lists individually because we are consolidating all of them within this one distribution list. Did that make sense? I hope so.

This particular distribution list will require your edits; otherwise, it will not recognize the referenced distribution lists.

1. With the Workforce Development Branch transferred into your “Contacts,” double-click on it to open it for editing.
2. Delete the existing distribution lists (they are bold). The reason for deleting the existing distribution lists is because your system is looking for them on the global and they don’t exist there. What we need to do is replace them with the ones you transferred to your personal Contact list.
3. With the Workforce Development Branch distribution list still open (only individual names remaining), first, select the tab titled “Select Members.”
4. The “Select Members” dialog box will appear. At the top right hand side of the dialog box, just below the big red X, a drop down menu called “Show Names from the” will display your various directories. Select “Outlook Address Book: Contacts.” This is your personal directory. The “Select Members” dialog will refresh to display all the names and distribution lists that you create in Outlook.
5. Scroll down to the bolded distribution lists that you added earlier and select all the above distribution lists except Workforce Development Branch distribution list, by clicking on and selecting each distribution list and then clicking on the tab “Members” just below the window of names where it says “Add to distribution list.” Once again, If you hold down the Shift key and mouse click on each distribution list, this will allow you to select them all and add by clicking on “Members” in one fell swoop.
6. Click on the OK button located at the very bottom of the dialog box.
7. The dialog box will disappear. One last step. On the Menu Bar, click on Save and Close.

That’s it!

REMINDER

Individual names and distribution lists will transfer as long as they come directly from the community-shared “Global” directory. If the names and distribution lists are unique to your personal “Contacts” directory, they will not transfer.

ANOTHER REMINDER

To use these distribution lists in your email, remember to access them from “Outlook Address Book: Contacts,” where it says “Show Names from the” drop down directory listing.

UPDATE

Tami left me a comment that encouraged me to probe the effect of whether my distribution lists sent by email worked when sent outside the “internal” office global directory network.  This is what I discovered:

I have to admit this would be a “internal” business tip. In researching the effects when the distribution lists are sent outside the office (or office computer network), I sent the distribution lists to my home computer. Two issues arise:
1. I use MS Outlook Standard at home and MS Outlook Professional at work. My attachments come over as email messages, they are no longer distribution lists containing the contact information. This brings us to Point 2.
2. The names provided in the distribution lists come from the “internal” network global directory. Outside the office, they don’t exist.