Sharing a Calendar in Outlook 2010

Outlook 2010 and Microsoft Exchange provide the ability to share calendars between users. Follow these instructions to either allow other access to your calendar, or open a calendar you have been given access to.
The easiest way to share your calendar is to open your calendar, click Folder, and click Share Calendar:

Share Calendar Command on Folder Ribbon

Now, complete the Sharing Request and click Send:

Sharing invitation

To complete the process, click Yes:

Calendar sharing approval

Calendar Sharing Request

Here is what you will see if you receive a sharing request:

Calendar sharing request message

If you click Allow, you will be asked to confirm the sharing request:

Prompt to share calendar

Viewing Another User's Calendar

When your sharing request has been approved, you will receive a notification email like this:

Open another calendar command

If we click the "Open this Calendar" link, we will see the user's calendar side-by-side with ours:

Outlook calendar view with multiple calendars open

Shared calendars allow you to create a new appointment in the form of a meeting request, which means that they will have to confirm their attendance.
Shared calendars stay in your Calendars list in a Shared Calendars section. To show or hide a calendar, check or uncheck the appropriate box:

Navigation pane calendar options

In order to set more specific permissions for your Calendar go to Calendar > Folder > Calendar Properties.

Calendar properties command, to set calendar permissions

The Calendar Properties will appear, select the Permissions tab.

Calendar properties

Here you are able to set very specific Permissions for each user you wish to have access to your Calendar. You are also able to Add-Remove user access from this screen.

To add a user and assign permissions click Add.
You will be presented with the GAL (Global Address List). Select the user you wish to grant access to and click Add.

Global address book

In this example I will now assign Prospector Pete to have Publishing Editor over my Calendar.

Set permissions in properties dialog

By choosing the Publishing Editor option from the drop down menu you will see some items are automatically selected granting and restricting certain forms of access.

Set permissions in properties dialog

Please note: You do not have to use one of the pre-assigned permission levels; you may assign your own custom level of permissions using the check boxes provided.