Are you running at 50% all day?

Block some time for yourself around those meetings.

In a recent discussion, the focus was on running our tank on empty. Many of us get asked to attend a “quick” meeting here or plan to attend “this meeting” because there might be a need for you. What happens when we accept all of these, turn our days into back-to-back meetings, and find that the time in between to focus or prepare eventually runs out?

How much am I present and able to give the necessary input and attention at this point?

If you are running at 50% because of everything and everywhere you are being pulled into, you will probably only be able to give 50% of your best to the others in the meetings. This does not seem like the best use of anyone’s time at this point.

One individual I worked with recently developed a method to provide space before or after critical meetings. This allowed them to ensure they had the time to prepare for or capture what they learned. They shared that this allowed them to be fully available and present, on time and ready to start, and actively engaged in meetings. It ended their continuous cycle of having to rededicate time later to catch up to what was discussed in the meeting or go back and share a point with everyone that they could have already pre-read to assist in decision-making.

Some specifics on the space created directly before or after:
-15 minutes before a critical meeting requiring them to present and make decisive decisions. Then, an additional 5 minutes after to ensure they captured everything needed.
-5 minutes before all other meetings to allow for preparation.

I would call this change along the lines of “boundary setting.” Recognizing the most crucial aspect of your day and ensuring you give the proper time and dedicate to it. If someone asks to invade some of that time, find out how meaningful a conversation must be now, and if possible, offer to discuss at a time that better fits your schedule.

Written by Steven Schultze