Accounting Research Workshop Series

Is your inbox running you—or are you running your inbox? In this fast-paced, interactive workshop, "Master Your Inbox: Outlook Tools for Total Control," you'll learn how to take full control of Microsoft Outlook and transform it into a productivity powerhouse.

From smarter email management to calendar mastery and task integration, this session will introduce you to the tools that make Outlook more than just an email app: streamline your day, organize your priorities, and make Outlook work for you.  

What You'll Learn

• Inbox management essentials – Learn how to declutter and organize your inbox using Focused Inbox, flags, follow-ups, and categories.  
• Automation with rules and Quick Steps – Discover how to automate repetitive tasks and streamline your workflow with custom rules and Quick Steps.  
• Calendar mastery – Get hands-on with scheduling tools, recurring events, time zone management, and calendar sharing to make planning effortless.  
• Search and organization – Use advanced search techniques, folders, and archiving to find what you need fast and keep your Outlook tidy.  
• Productivity boosters – Explore features like delayed delivery, email templates, voting buttons, and polls to communicate more effectively.  
• Tasks and Microsoft To Do integration – Turn emails into actionable tasks, use My Day and Priority views, and sync with Microsoft To Do for seamless task management.  

This one-day workshop is perfect for anyone who uses Outlook daily and wants to move beyond basic email and calendar functions. Whether you're managing a busy schedule, coordinating with teams, or just trying to stay organized, these tools will help you reclaim your time and boost your productivity. Discover what you've been missing!

Effective project management is about more than hitting deadlines. It's about delivering results that align with stakeholder needs, managing risk, and driving team accountability. This hands-on Professional Edge training introduces foundational project management tools and mindsets through a dynamic, scenario-based learning experience.

Whether you're aiming for a career in consulting, operations, marketing, tech, or entrepreneurship, learning to analyze a project and develop an actionable plan is a standout skill that employers value across industries.

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What to Expect

• Live scenario walkthrough – Analyze a real-world inspired case study and contract to uncover the key milestones, stakeholders, and risks.  
• Interactive mock interviews – Step into the role of a project team member and engage with a simulated Project Executive Sponsor to practice stakeholder engagement and requirement gathering.  
• Team-based planning – Collaborate with your peers to synthesize documentation and interviews into a complete high-level project plan.  
• Presentation and peer feedback – Present your project plan, justify your decisions, reflect on your approach, and receive instructor feedback.  

What You'll Gain

• Analytical skills – Learn how to extract key deliverables, timelines, and risks from contracts and documentation.  
• Stakeholder mapping – Build a visual stakeholder map that identifies priorities, influence, and communication needs.  
• Project structuring – Translate ambiguous information into high-level project goals, tasks, and dependencies.  
• Risk management – Anticipate potential challenges and design mitigation strategies before they derail progress.  
• Team presentation experience – Practice articulating your plan with confidence—just like you would with a client or project sponsor.  
• Portfolio-ready output – Leave with a professional-quality high-level project plan and reflection you can reference in interviews or future projects. No matter what field you intend to go into, the ability to plan and execute effectively will help you lead with impact and credibility.  

Schedule

• Friday, November 14, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (in-person in Chiles 326)
• Friday, November 21, 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (in-person in Chiles 326)

Participants who attend both days of this program and fulfill all requirements are eligible to earn a digital Project Management Essentials microcredential, validating your newly acquired skills. Microcredentials are portable, verifiable credentials that can be shared on platforms like LinkedIn, showcasing your expertise to potential employers and offering tangible proof of in-demand competencies.  

About the Instructor

Brian Ikei is a seasoned technology executive and digital transformation strategist with a track record of leading complex, high-impact initiatives across higher education and global enterprise. From managing CRM (customer relationship management) modernization at the University of Oregon Foundation to driving large-scale tech programs for The Walt Disney Company at Accenture, Brian is known for building high-performing, resilient teams that thrive in fast-paced, mission-critical environments.

Take your professional and personal skills to the next level during this four-hour, in-person Professional Edge training led by a seasoned industry consultant.

Designed to elevate your professional impact and credibility, this training will equip you with the skills, insights, and tools to amplify your influence, distinguish yourself from your peers, strengthen your organization, and significantly impact your career trajectory. Learn how to take proactive steps to increase your influence, set and achieve challenging goals, and build a solid foundation of credibility within your organization. These skills will not only enhance your immediate job prospects but will also serve as a cornerstone for your long-term professional development.

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Why Participate

In today's competitive job market, distinguishing yourself from your peers and building a strong professional reputation are key to career advancement. This training will provide you with a unique opportunity to develop crucial skills and behaviors that are not only valuable but essential in the modern workplace.

Whether you're preparing for an internship, starting your first job, or looking to enhance your current role, this training will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to excel.  

Skills You'll Gain

• Amplify impact and influence – Learn strategies to make meaningful contributions in your team and organization that set you apart from your peers.  
• Stretch goal planning – Identify a significant stretch goal and create a plan to achieve it, driving success for you and your organization.  
• Feedback implementation – Gain experience soliciting, acknowledging, and implementing feedback to continuously improve your performance.  
• Credibility building – Understand and practice actions that build credibility, thereby enhancing your reputation with colleagues, stakeholders, and managers.  
• Credibility awareness – Recognize behaviors that can diminish credibility and learn how to avoid them.  
• Practical application – Participate in interactive discussions, scenario analyses, and practice that provide real-world context and application of the skills learned.  

Schedule

• Friday, November 14, 1:30–3:30 p.m. (in-person in Chiles 326)
• Friday, November 21, 1:30–3:30 p.m. (in-person in Chiles 326)
• Additional 2 hours of independent work anticipated outside of the training

Participants who attend both days of this program and fulfill all requirements are eligible to earn a digital Workplace Impact and Influence microcredential, validating your newly acquired skills. Microcredentials are portable, verifiable credentials that can be shared on platforms like LinkedIn, showcasing your expertise to potential employers and offering tangible proof of in-demand competencies.  

About the Instructor

Chris Blomquist is the president of Blomquist Consulting, LLC, a role in which he helps companies connect HR functions to executive goals and metrics. Previously, he led HR teams for startups and international technology companies in the life science and media technology sectors. Chris has helped managers and executives build high-performing teams and in doing so has gained valuable insights into the workplace behaviors, attitudes, techniques, and attributes that set high performers apart from their professional colleagues. Chris also speaks at HR symposiums and conferences to help other HR professionals build their organizational competencies.