Ask an Admin was created by Office Dynamics to help administrative professionals with their problems through the help of their peers. We don’t always have an answer to each individuals problem but we know some of you might. Please read the question and comment below.
Q: April M. asks:
My executive’s calendar is jam-packed on a daily basis & she’s asking me to come up with a better solution to managing her calendar. She needs time to do work, answer emails, etc, but the requests for meetings are constant and a lot of them are at her request. They are needed. They are necessary to schedule. But how do you balance ‘free’ time with meeting times? I block out time on her calendar, but inevitably a meeting gets put in its place. We’ve tried to do only 5 meetings per day, but more often than not it winds up being 7 or 8 or more! I made the suggestion that decisions/discussions happen over email vs. in person in a meeting – but that’s not possible either most of the time. Does anyone have a good meeting/scheduling hack they use? Any good tips for me?
Thank you!
A: Here are a few suggestions for managing your executive’s calendar more effectively:
- Prioritize meetings: Encourage your executive to prioritize their meetings and only schedule the most important ones. This will free up more time for other tasks and allow them to focus on what’s truly important.
- Block off time for focused work: Set aside specific blocks of time on your executive’s calendar for focused work, such as answering emails or working on a project. This will help ensure that they have dedicated time to complete these tasks.
- Use online tools: There are many online tools, such as video conferencing platforms, that can help streamline the process of scheduling and holding meetings. These tools can save time by eliminating the need for in-person meetings and allowing for more flexibility in terms of scheduling.
- Consider using an assistant: If your executive is struggling to keep up with the demands of their calendar, consider hiring an assistant to help manage their schedule and handle routine tasks. This will allow your executive to focus on the most important tasks and ensure that their time is being used effectively.
- Communicate clearly: Make sure that your executive communicates clearly with their team and stakeholders about their availability and the purpose of each meeting. This will help ensure that meetings are productive and that everyone is on the same page about what needs to be accomplished.
I hope these suggestions are helpful!
Office Dynamics actually has some info on this subject (see below) but we’d love to hear what tips or advice you have. Please leave a comment below.
We have an eBook called, Mastering Your Executive’s Calendar, a blog Calendar Management for Executive Assistants, videos, Calendar Management for Executive Assistants—the Holistic Approach, Administrative Assistant – Complex Calendar Control, Executives & Assistants Working In Partnership: The Definitive Guide to Success and Managing Your Executive’s Day.