How Changing Your Work Calendar Could Change Your Work Life

If you work in an office you will be used to meeting requests or informal chats. However if you thought about how much of your working day was being lost as a result of all this collaboration, you would be amazed. Here we look at how constant workplace meetings can be detrimental to work, as well as what you can do to try and solve this problem.

The purpose of workplace meetings is to discuss and share information and ideas with colleagues. They are also a forum for resolving problems as well as improving teamwork and performance. However there can be negative aspects of workplace meetings. Sometimes it seems as if meetings are taking over your life and not leaving you with time to get your work done, or leave work on time. Everyone is entitled to be able to leave work at a reasonable time so that they can 'switch off' and spend quality time with friends and family, without the distraction of work.

Even if you think you are good at time management, some days can be taken up with planned meetings that go on for hours or more impromptu ones that don't last as long and take place at your desk or in a coffee shop. Yet all of these meetings can end up leaving you with little or no time to do anything else. Fifteen or thirty minutes here or there is barely enough time to check emails, or do anything constructive. Added to this is the fact that you end up staying late at the office to play 'catch up' because your day has been filled up with meetings.

If you spend as little as 5 minutes adjusting your work calendar, you can make the time that you spend working work better for you. Most of the time, work meetings are scheduled because people check your calendar and assume that because there is nothing in your calendar that you are free for a meeting. This fails to take into account the fact that you may have 'actual' work to do. By making some simple adjustments and blocking out time in your calendar you will still be available for meetings but you will also have enough time to get through the work you need to do.

If you have regular meetings then try and block off time around those meetings that you can dedicate to work. It is also important to block off other key times which will stop people trying to arrange meetings with you. These can include the time you want to leave the office every day, as well as Monday morning so you can settle back in after the weekend and Friday afternoon so you can get ready to finish for the weekend. Other key times to block off include the first 30 minutes of the day so you can check emails, any time immediately after meetings so you don't end up going straight into another one and making time for lunch.

If you follow some of these calendar tips you can make your working day less stressful and be more productive in the workplace.

Piper Fitzgerald is a Specialist Talent Consultancy operating within Audit, Tax & Advisory Australia wide, recruiting only the Top 15% of candidates. If you are currently looking to recruit for your organisation or are interested in current market opportunities contact Simon on simon@piperfitzgerald.com or 1300 619 510.