Meetings remain a frequent challenge for most knowledge workers. While common advice and prior research often focuses on making meetings more effective or reducing the time we spend in them, there is another critical aspect rarely taken into account: the way we schedule and arrange our meetings on a daily basis. Scheduling can, however, aid or impede our energy and productivity at work, and thus warrants a closer look.
Arrange Your Meeting Schedule to Boost Your Energy
Two pitfalls to avoid, according to research.
August 29, 2023
Summary.
Most meeting advice focuses on how to make meetings more effective or how to cut down on the number of meetings you have altogether. But what about how to schedule your meetings alongside other work tasks to best manage your productivity? New research explores this question and finds that many people commit two key errors in organizing their schedules: stacking too many meetings together on the same day or pairing intense meetings with other intense tasks. Both strategies can actually diminish your ability to recharge and replenish during the day, which can be a detriment to your work. Instead, this article offers new tips for how to balance work and meetings and suggests questions you can ask yourself when planning your day.
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Meeting Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Meeting Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to make your meetings matter.
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New!
HBR Learning
Meeting Management Course
Accelerate your career with Harvard ManageMentor®. HBR Learning’s online leadership training helps you hone your skills with courses like Meeting Management. Earn badges to share on LinkedIn and your resume. Access more than 40 courses trusted by Fortune 500 companies.
How to make your meetings matter.