So Monday We Meet Again Pug
You lot become an e-mail from a colleague.
Howdy Dan: Hashemite kingdom of jordan and I were going over terminal month'due south projects. It seems we could consolidate some of our piece of work and save a lot of effort. Could you look over your work and see where at that place'southward overlap with the rest of the team?
What happens next? Well, if it were me, I would have jotted this downwardly on a pad, circled information technology, and probably written "DO THIS Past MONDAY!" next to information technology.
Invariably, Monday morning would come, I'd go through my pad and see the note. My next thought would be, "Well, Mon morn is technically until midday…"
I've come to realize that the world is divided into 2 types of people. First, some people are about physically uncomfortable with disorder in their workdays; being organized is a state of well-being for them.
And so at that place are the people who are fine with disorder. Still, these people also recognize it'southward impossible to part without some grade of organization, so they've developed strategies and shortcuts for becoming organized.
(If you fall into the second category, it's OK. Merely call yourself a creative and people will nod their heads and say "ah," equally if that explains everything.)
As a member of category two, I've come to embrace shortcuts. And the shortcuts I love the about when it comes to ordering my digital tasks are plug-ins, add-ons, and extensions.
What are plug-ins, add-ons, and extensions?
A plug-in, which can also be called an add-on or an extension, is 3rd-party software that adds new functions to a host program on a computer, without altering the host program. Basically, they allow you to add new components to a host programme or extend its capabilities across its original design.
For example, plug-ins can reduce the number of times yous jump betwixt the computer programs by allowing you to perform simple tasks from one place – whether that'south an internet browser, Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint, etc.
Plug-ins can be a smaller version of a program embedded into another piece of software, to exist called upon when needed (I've downloaded an app for the Commission'south project direction software into my Outlook account). They can also be designed to work alongside y'all, like adding the Grammarly extension to your browser so information technology can suggest grammatical changes as you type.
Now, let's go back to the email.
When I receive that email nowadays, I simply click on the projection management add-in in Outlook, create a task, add together a due date, and move on. Outlook automatically integrates with our project direction platform, so the task is added without me having to toggle betwixt programs.
I simply click the "Create Asana Task."
So fill in the details, assign it to someone, and click "Create Task."
I have the same functionality with Microsoft Teams, the messaging app we use here at the Committee, then a quick reminder IM can get a project task in 10 seconds.
Software developers are increasingly recognizing that users rarely use all of the features a platform has to offer simply rely on a few of its features regularly. That's where the best extension tools shine – by providing ways to automate a few simple tasks that you lot do each 24-hour interval.
Which plug-ins should I use?
And so how practise yous selection which plug-ins to use? Chrome alone has most 140,000 extensions, so it can be a bit overwhelming.
The central is to call back near what yous're trying to accomplish and the tools you already have in place. If y'all're completing a process that takes a few steps – whether it's scheduling an engagement, taking notes, searching contacts, setting up Zoom, reviewing your calendar, etc. – there's probably a tool to assistance you do it more efficiently.
Poke around in the programs that you ofttimes utilize to encounter if whatever app or plug-in options will connect the program to others yous frequently use.
To identify and enable the plug-ins, extensions, or add-ins you've downloaded to your browser, look for an icon or bill of fare at the top of your window.
Chrome has a jigsaw puzzle piece next to the accost bar:
Microsoft Edge uses a bill of fare that can be accessed past clicking on the ellipsis:
Safari houses its extensions in the "Safari" card:
When it comes to Outlook, the software provides a range of add-ins that you tin can browse. Depending on your version, you can admission this "Get Add-ins" menu directly in the Dwelling tab or the Options menu.
For example, hither is a screenshot of my Outlook ribbon. Using add-ins, I can (from left to right) send an email or certificate in Microsoft Teams, create a chore in Asana (the Commission's project direction tool), take notes about a message in OneNote, and get insights on upcoming due dates, e-mail requests, etc.
The key is this: While I could do all this before, I often wouldn't because it would involve moving from ane program to another, potentially losing focus.
A word of alert
It's important to notation that because plug-ins are unremarkably tertiary-party software, they can affect the performance of your browser or applications and some tin can even be actively malicious. If you discover a change in performance after downloading an add-in or extension, simply go back to your add together-ins/extensions menu and disable or remove it.
This brusque Wired commodity (a 2-minute read) outlines some of the threats you lot tin can confront when granting blanket permissions to extensions and add together-ons.
Similar most things online, exercise caution, stick with trusted names and brands, and be conscientious near the permissions you're providing.
Ready to endeavour it out?
So, if you're intrigued by this idea and haven't (at least knowingly) used extensions, plug-ins, and add-ons, where do yous start?
Well, for the plug-in curious, I would start with Outlook. Recall almost a multi-step or inconvenient job you do every twenty-four hours, click the "Get Add-ins" button on the Home tab and browse using the search box.
Another choice is to think about a time you thought "It would be great if I could [insert chore], which would make my life easier." Sometimes someone has thought of exactly that. For case, a Zoom plugin that allows you to instantly meet with team members via Outlook, a chore-list app that keeps all your requests handy, or a grammar/spelling assistant for your emails.
Programs have been talking to each other for years, now information technology's time to get them to work for yous with plug-ins, add-ons, and extensions. And so, embrace your creative side and find those shortcuts that bring a lilliputian joy to your day.
Good luck!
Related Reading
- Seeing Double: The Surprising Reason I Use Dual Monitors
- 5 Tools to Boost Efficiency While Working Remotely
- Reimagining Constabulary: Simple Means Lawyers Can Piece of work Smarter
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Source: https://www.2civility.org/a-beginners-guide-to-plug-ins-add-ons-and-extensions/
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