Calendar Management = Mental Health
In every single workshop we teach, and in every single coaching conversation I have, people bring up the cognitive overwhelm they feel every time they look at their calendar. It is one of the few 100% predictable conversations I know I am going to have every time I walk into a room or get on a meeting with clients.
Being busy was a problem for a long time pre-Covid. But Covid poured gasoline on the problem. Because one of the “efficiencies” that the pandemic created was the access we have to each other’s calendars, and ease and comfort with which we can just invite lots and lots of people to things. It is easier, and in a twisted way more “inclusive” to just invite people to things, without any thought or care to the impact that invite might have. The net result is the universal creation of a toxic meeting culture that weaponizes access.
One of the other new realities is that workplace status now isn’t about the “corner office.” It’s about whether or not you have someone managing your calendar, and protecting your time.
And if you don’t have that status, that means you need to find ways to protect your own time. Doing so is directly related to the level of your workplace mental health.
This very quickly becomes an organizational issue as well, not just an individual one. Because the other constant complaint I hear is that people don’t feel empowered to protect their own time, and are afraid that declining a meeting is not allowed, or will be interpreted negatively.
At both the individual and organizational levels, this is a massive and expensive issue. At the individual level, there is an epidemic level of cognitive overwhelm and frustration from calendars that are scheduled back-to-back-to-back-to-back all day every day. It never stops.
And at the organizational level, this leads to massive inefficiencies, wasted time, slower decisions, employee burnout, communication gaps… on and on and on.
So what do we do about it? I think the problem can be attacked in ways, top down and bottom up.
Top down? Here are some immediate ideas:
Leadership needs to prioritize time, and empower people to protect their own.
Leadership needs to make it OK to decline an invite.
Leadership needs to prioritize a meeting culture that includes the basics: agendas, start time, end times, and an overall respect for each other.
Leadership needs to make it clear that everyone should respect “do not disturb” time on each other’s calendar.
Bottom up?
Block off time on your calendar to get your work done.
Don’t be afraid to ask about the invites that come your way… do you really need me there?
Set the example with your respect for other people’s time. Treat their time the way you wish yours was treated.
Don’t schedule meetings to the full 30 or 60 minutes. Make 20 or 45 your default.
When you are leading the meeting, make sure it starts and ends on time.
Only invite the essential people to the meeting. Anyone else, list as optional.
This is a conversation that requires more than one short blog post. But I am calling out what I see… this is a massive, exhausting, expensive issue that every organization struggles with. And the solutions are organized into two basic categories: organizations need to prioritize time, and individuals need to prioritize and protect their own sanity.
Have a great day!
If you want to talk to The Latimer Group about conducting a “meeting culture audit” that leads to tangible recommendations and a meeting culture play book, just let us know. We would be happy to partner.
