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Google Workspace has become indispensable for many teams. Formerly known as ‘G Suite’, it consists of a series of Google tools that most of us are already using.
Specifically, Google Workspace includes: Gmail, Meet, Chat, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, Sites, Currents, Keep, Apps Script, Cloud Search, and Jamboard.
These are all essential tools that almost every company uses today. Google Workspace also includes security and management features. Endpoint, for instance, makes it easy to keep your data secure. The Work Insights feature also provides more information on work patterns and collaboration across the different apps.
One of the most popular features is Google’s Calendar app.
Google Calendar is one of the most widely used scheduling platforms on the internet. For companies, it is very useful for scheduling events, meetings, and important deadlines. It has features that lets you find a common timing for meetings, or even work across different time zones.
Even better — Calendar also supports Google WorkSpace add-ons that will help supercharge your team management.
Here are the six best Google Workspace add-ons for the Calendar to streamline your team’s scheduling process.
Meeting Details & Notes
We all know that meetings are a crucial part of any workday. Our days are now crammed with back-to-back meetings from start to finish. It can be easy to forget exactly who you are meeting and what you are meeting for.
That is why one of the top must-haves for Workspace is Meetric’s add-on. It automatically shows your next meeting with the most important details. Information like name, time, location, guests, agenda, and a link to meeting notes are all made visible with one simple click.
Furthermore, the add-on leads into a note-taking interface. What makes this from other note-taking apps is that Meetric was specally built with meetings in mind. This means that you can take actionable meeting notes and even assign tasks to each team member. Furthermore, Meetric integrates with Google Meet, so you don’t have to switch windows when taking minutes.
Zoom for GSuite
By now, everyone would have heard of Zoom. The app exploded in popularity when Covid-19 hit. People turned to video calling platforms like Zoom in order to work and study from home. The app boasts clear video and audio, along with features like breakout rooms, live transcripts, and recording that add value to video meetings.
But did you know about Zoom’s Google Workspace add-on? This add-on allows you to add a Zoom meeting to your schedule via your Gmail. In fact, it automatically adds details like topic, attendees, and attachments based on the subject, recipients, and sent documents from the relevant emails. Furthermore, when you create a Google Calendar invite for your team, the add-on includes the Zoom meeting details as well.
Contact Manager
Ever got lost searching through the sea of email addresses? This is where Contact Manager comes in. This add-on, which also works for Gmail, streamlines the process of searching and managing your list of contacts. For Google Calendar, the add-on allows you to insert an attendee’s details, including their address and phone number, into any event.
Some cool features include managing contacts by adding, updating, or deleting them. You can also indicate their social network IDs and create custom fields, such as Skype IDs. You can even search a contact using not-so-obvious details, like their birthday.
Another useful feature is that Contact Manager works across multiple devices. Once you download the add-on, your contacts will be synced to your contact list on mobile as well.
Text Reminders for Google Calendar
With so much going on every day, it can be easy for an important event to slip your mind. But Text Reminders for Google Calendar prevents that. This add-on does that simple but crucial job of reminding you about your next event. The reminder will appear in the form of a text message.
Once you’ve downloaded the add-on, simply left click on an event while the app is open. And you’re done! Even better, you can automate the text reminder. Simply add the mobile number to the event title or description to do so.
Though it sounds simple, the add-on is very useful. It is one of the top rated apps on Google Workspace for a reason. Remind1’s add-on is also customizable. For instance, you can set the message text, time, and sender ID. Using a customizable appointment page, others can also manage their appointments with you, contact you by phone, and even receive payments.
BreakBot
Even though many of us are now working from home, we are busier than ever. The line between work and play is blurred. Meetings are scheduled throughout the day. Even after official working hours, many of us are still stuck at our computers.
This means it is very easy for us to become over exhausted and fatigued. Not only does this affect our productivity at work, it is also bad for our physical, mental, and emotional health.
That’s why BreakBot ensures that you are not overbooked. Instead of having one meeting after another, BreakBot automatically includes breaks in your Google Calendar. The app prevents you from being booked back to back and falling victim to meeting fatigue. With these short 10- to 20-minute breaks, you have time to go to the toilet, grab a coffee, or even reset and refresh. This helps improve productivity and happiness at work, leaving you mentally recharged.
TimeNavi
When was the last time you took a closer look at your schedule? Getting data insights is one of the best ways to improve productivity. TimeNavi analyzes your Google Calendar events to help you understand how your time is being spent. You then become more conscious of what happens day-to-day. This helps improve your time management habits. Ultimately, you can make better decisions and prioritize what truly matters.
As long as your schedule is on Google Calendar, TimeNavi can extract insights for you. The app’s algorithm gathers calendar data. Next, it tells you how well you plan and control your time. Once you have a better understanding of this, you’re then better able to take control of both work and play hours and improve productivity.
