Add Organization to Outlook
PC Magazine

Many people spend a good part of their day in their e-mail program—Microsoft Outlook in particular—so why not use that time for personal organization and planning? That's the premise behind FranklinCovey PlanPlus for Microsoft Outlook ($79.95 list). It takes the well-known FranklinCovey approach to personal planning and merges it with the e-mail, calendar, and task management of Outlook 2000 or Outlook 2002. The mix is a significant enhancement to Outlook.

Installation of PlanPlus generally goes quickly. But because the program makes substantial changes to Outlook, it is possible to have conflicts (as we did) with other Outlook add-ons.

PlanPlus incorporates several new screens and directories: Mission, Goals, Compass, Today, Weekly Planning, and Home. The titles reflect the FranklinCovey approach, which strives to integrate personal improvement with the business of daily planning. Outlook provides the solid framework of services, such as e-mail and group scheduling (for those using Microsoft Exchange). Many people will find that PlanPlus improves Outlook by providing structure and orientation.

A good example of the approach is the Weekly Compass tool that includes personal goals and relationships in the planning process. Another example is the Weekly Planning Tool, which uses a visual four-step progression (Review Mission, Schedule Goals, Schedule Compass, Schedule Tasks) to help focus planning.