The Basics of Calendar Management (Part 2 of 2)
December 3rd, 2007This is the second of our casts that describe our recommendations about calendar management.
Last week, we covered some basics of calendar management the most important of which was that effective managers think about managing their priorities a WEEK at a time - thinking in terms of weeks is the most effective way to stay strategic, and therefore effective.
We then covered our first, and perhaps most surprising point - Family First. Simple in practice … schedule time for your family ON YOUR CALENDAR first. And then give THAT commitment the same level of focus as your other priorities.
This week, we cover our remaining points relative to managing your calendar …
- Schedule time for email
- Nail down your strategic objectives
- Block out one-on-ones
- Schedule time for a weekly network building lunch
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December 3rd, 2007 at 1:33 am
Mike, Mark,
Many thanks. I would think this is the podcast that has been released so early Sunday night USA time. I could listen at 9am Indian time as I begin the week on the way to work. That helps a lot.
Thanks
Karthik
Bangalore, India.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:49 am
Karthik,
Thanks for sharing the impact of the podcast release timing with us; something we should consider more often. I’ll keep that in mind.
best regards,
Mike
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:47 am
Same here (Germany) - very happy “Monday morning fresh MT Podcast Listener”
Thanks for everything,
Marc
www.mozartandfriends.com
December 4th, 2007 at 2:08 am
Dear M&M,
For your information, when you release on Sunday night, it is Monday morning here in China. China does not follow daylight savings time, so in the winter there is a 13 hour time zone difference, from the east coast of the US to Beijing. In the summer it is a 12 hour time difference.
I personally don’t mind when it comes out, it is still enlightening to listen to.
December 4th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
How about scheduled time to check in with MT forums?
Works for me. Now that I’ve started doing it.
December 5th, 2007 at 1:42 am
Enterprise Collaboration and Virtual Teams Report (December 4, 2007)…
The People Part of Enterprise Collaboration and Virtual Teams Virtual Groups Better at Brainstorming … “… researchers found that virtual groups, where people brainstormed individually, generated nearly twice as many ideas as the real groups. The r…
December 5th, 2007 at 7:09 am
Great post! In fact I follow many of those principles you’ve named. I orginise my week in Wrike http://www.wrike.com/, it helps me to deal with my personal and business to-dos.
December 6th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Great podcasts!! I had started doing exactly what you had suggested with reference to e-mail (check only 2 to 3 times per day) and it worked great. Must admit I had “fallen off wagon” and this was a great reminder about calendar management and the perils of e-mail. You and the rest of the MT faithful may find Tim Ferris’ manifesto at ChangeThis.com dated May 9, 2007 and titled “The Low-Information Diet: How to Eliminate E-Mail Overload and Triple Productivity in 24 Hours” (http://changethis.com/34.04.LowInfo) very interesting. He has taken e-mail to the real extreme - checking once per week or less, which while not practical for everyone makes checking two or three times per day seem all the more feasible and reasonable.
December 7th, 2007 at 4:24 am
Mike and Mark,
I would include personal health and well being with the family-first priority. I just scheduled a physical for myself and realized that it had been over five years since my last one. I also know that regular physical exercise is important to my mental and emotional state at work, but still find it hard to schedule time to get to the gym. I appeciate your outlook on the priorities of “work” life.
John
December 16th, 2007 at 1:12 pm
very nice, you are doing good work to improve people’s lives!!!
keep it up !!!
December 28th, 2007 at 5:27 pm
Mike and Mark,
This is my first ever post… I’d like to start by saying “THANK YOU”. Two years ago I was promoted from a sales role into a sales management position. Having no previous management experience, I began to look for resources to help guide my learning and develop newly needed skills. I am not sure how I found Manager Tools - but since i have used your casts and reference materials as the foundation of my professional development. Your service to me has been priceless - your insights are spot on - and the information is immediately usable. In two years time, our business has double revenues, increased profitability and grown from a about a dozen employees to a staff of 37! Recently, I’ve been named President of the company - Most importantly, I am a better manager because of both of you - so again THANKS!!.
My question:
I have 10 directs and 37 total employees. Other than my ten one on ones… What are your recommendations for meeting frequencies. I have been conducting a weekly staff that consisted of 17 - all sales and marketing folks. But now that meeting would be 37 people. Too big? If not weekly - should we meet as a company quarterly? We have some company communication issues that I want to address – is a company staff meeting the way to go here…? I also just visited your materials on skips – great stuff I will use…
Any advice you have for a new President would be greatly appreciated.
All the Best in 2008,
Jonathan Lefkowitz
December 28th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Jonathan-
Congratulations SIR! President of the firm - a great achievement anywhere.
And, have you listened to our skip level meetings cast? And why would you include so many in your staff meeting? Generally the staff at your staff meeting are your directs.
Mark
December 29th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
Mark-
Thank you very much. Ok… one staff meeting per week - directs only… Do you recommend having a company wide meeting at all?
Thanks again - I hope to attend one of your seminars in the near future…
Jonathan
December 31st, 2007 at 5:24 am
Jonathan-
Again, what about skip levels? Have you listened to that cast?
Mark