Tag: calendar management

Get More From Your Calendar

Get More From Your Calendar

Last month, my daughter I went on a college tour in New England. In six days, we visited five different schools in seven states. We stayed in four different hotels and attended schedule college information sessions, campus tours and met with coaches. And, I used my calendar to keep track of it all.

Most of us consistently use Outlook, Google or iCal to schedule and keep track of our business meetings. These tools are great for checking schedules, finding meeting rooms and getting group meetings on calendars. But, they can also be very effective in helping you manage your own time and if used properly can actually help you be more efficient and productive.

Here are some ways you can get more value out of your calendaring tool:

INCLUDE THE WHERE

Most calendaring tools have a field for “Where.” Most often this is the conference room. However, for off-site meetings or conference calls, use this field to include the full address of the meeting location for quick access to driving directions or conference call dial-in information so you don’t have to hunt for it.

ENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Take an extra minute to add in phone numbers and email addresses of meeting attendees in the notes section in case you are running late and need to inform someone. This is especially helpful when you’re stuck in traffic and are unable to dig to find contact information. This also comes in handy if you are waiting for someone and want to find out where they are.

ACCOUNT FOR TRAVEL TIME

If the meeting is off-site at another location, block time before and after the meeting for travel. This will ensure that you or someone else doesn’t book something else at the same time you need to get to the meeting. Allow for more time than you think you need. If you get there early, you can use the extra time to reply to a text, quickly check emails, or browse your social networks.

ATTACH AN AGENDA

Most tools allow you to include attachments. Use this feature to attach the agenda so you’ll know what will be discussed. You can also attach any related notes or a list of questions so you can easily access them during the meeting and make the most of the meeting time.

TRY THIS OUT: Take a look at your calendar for the week ahead. What additional information can be added to your meeting appointments now to make your life easier later? Have you accounted for travel times? Check to see what might be missing from your calendar that you can go ahead and schedule in to make sure it gets done.

It’s About Time

It’s About Time

Being productive starts with good time management. Most of us use some sort of calendar to manage our time. We are good about marking down appointments, scheduling meetings and noting deadlines. But, what happens in between those scheduled time slots is our biggest missed opportunity.

For years, I have used a methodology I call “time blocking” or more fondly my own version of “productivity Tetris.” So, here’s how you play.

At the start of the week pick a set time to start the game. First, review your calendar for the week ahead to make sure all of our appointments and meetings have been entered and are up-to-date. Next, make note of the things you must get done that week and start slotting them into the open spaces on your calendar making sure you schedule them ahead of any deadlines.  At the end or beginning of each day, review and confirm your schedule and then pick the Top Three things you need to get done and slot them in between your scheduled items.

Be sure to go ahead and block times to handle recurring tasks such as submitting your timesheet at the end of the week or your expense report at the end of the month, paying your bills weekly, or taking a walk or doing yoga several times a week. By blocking these time slots you’ll have set aside the necessary time to make sure these things get done on time and you don’t forget about them or find yourself rushing to get them done at the last minute.

Once your day is fully time blocked then you simply work through it according to the plan. Always allow for more time to complete a task than you think is necessary. If you finish the task sooner then you can reward yourself with a break – a snack, social media surfing or a quick chat with a friend.

If, and when, something comes up that disrupts your day, then it’s time to play “Tetris” and rearrange your time blocks.  First, determine how to make time for the disruption and then move around the other time blocks. By doing this, you’ll still be sure to have dedicated time for the things you wanted to get done.

If your calendar supports it, try color coding your time blocks so you can visually see how you’re spending your time and to make it easier to identify which blocks can be moved around.