In Harvey Schachter’s blog in the Globe and Mail of February 15th he offered tips on how to keep our New Year’s resolutions in sight as our best intentions  became distant memories of the past. He offered a good tip for trying to control the number of meetings we attend and for managing our ability to arrive at meetings on time. However we are still left with the elephant in the room that is what happens when people actually sit down to think things through together. It seems to me we are still stuck on the edges of getting flashy technology to organize our time, writer our notes on the wall and we miss the big point of needing better ways to actually think through problems and come to decisions more quickly and effectively in ways that engage all the talent in the room. Having spent over 20 years in a variety of workplaces I have fist hand experience in the mind-numbing, soul destroying, productivity crushing meetings that are ill conceived and poorly run.  The challenge from a New Years resolution point of view is to find something that is sustainable over the year, a simple method that people feel comfortable to use every day. Most resolutions start with high hopes and fall by the wayside with the heavy demands of life – including  too much time and energy spent in meetings. Does anybody else see the irony in this? - - - - - - - - - - - Relax! How to regain balance at work by Harvey Schachter Six weeks into the new year, many people are already feeling overwhelmed. The relaxed feeling of the holiday season has become a distant memory, along with their pledges to improve work practices. To regain balance, here are some helpful tips:   Time is flexible There is always time to do what you want - it’s just a matter of priorities, says consultant Mark Harrison in Dumb Little Man blog. If something is really important, you can find the time for it; if you can’t, you probably don’t want to do it, or find it too boring or difficult. “You can’t do everything, but you can do what matters,” he stresses.   The clock wins Don’t try to race against the clock because the clock will always win, Mr. Harrison adds. Deadlines are fine and necessary in many instances, but don’t allow your life to be a series of constant deadlines. Focus on how well you do things, rather than how long it takes, and you will be more effective. Say yes instead of no If you take on too much work because you can’t say no, then say yes instead - but a carefully circumscribed yes, advises consultant Ann Gomez in her e-newsletter. Consider whether you can help someone by doing a piece of what is needed.   Don’t offer prime time If you must say yes to a colleague’s request for a meeting, try to keep it out of prime time, Ms. Gomez also suggests. If you are available only before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m., the individual might be more inclined to keep the conversation tight.   Plan transition time Life will seem less hectic, and you’ll wind up coming later to fewer meetings, if you plan for the transition time - the time it takes to get where you are going or is required to shuffle between meetings, consultant Peter Bregman notes on Harvard Business School blogs.   End on the quarter-hour If you schedule meetings to end 15 minutes after the hour - say, 10:15 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. - you’ll find you’ll get a little breathing room: People who look up your schedule in group calendars won’t set the next meeting they need with you back-to-back, but will leave a few minutes that you can use as a break, consultants Jason and Jodi Womack note. So the next meeting will be set for 10:30, instead of 10:15. “We’re not sure why this is, but it’s true,” they write in their e-newsletter. .

In Harvey Schachter’s blog in the Globe and Mail of February 15th he offered tips on how to keep our New Year’s resolutions in sight as our best intentions  became distant memories of the past. He offered a good tip for trying to control the number of meetings we attend and for managing our ability to arrive at meetings on time. However we are still left with the elephant in the room that is what happens when people actually sit down to think things through together. It seems to me we are still stuck on the edges of getting flashy technology to organize our time, writer our notes on the wall and we miss the big point of needing better ways to actually think through problems and come to decisions more quickly and effectively in ways that engage all the talent in the room.

Having spent over 20 years in a variety of workplaces I have fist hand experience in the mind-numbing, soul destroying, productivity crushing meetings that are ill conceived and poorly run. 


The challenge from a New Years resolution point of view is to find something that is sustainable over the year, a simple method that people feel comfortable to use every day. Most resolutions start with high hopes and fall by the wayside with the heavy demands of life – including  too much time and energy spent in meetings. Does anybody else see the irony in this?

- - - - - - - - - - -

Relax! How to regain balance at work

by Harvey Schachter

Six weeks into the new year, many people are already feeling overwhelmed. The relaxed feeling of the holiday season has become a distant memory, along with their pledges to improve work practices. To regain balance, here are some helpful tips:

 

Time is flexible

There is always time to do what you want - it’s just a matter of priorities, says consultant Mark Harrison in Dumb Little Man blog. If something is really important, you can find the time for it; if you can’t, you probably don’t want to do it, or find it too boring or difficult. “You can’t do everything, but you can do what matters,” he stresses.

 

The clock wins

Don’t try to race against the clock because the clock will always win, Mr. Harrison adds. Deadlines are fine and necessary in many instances, but don’t allow your life to be a series of constant deadlines. Focus on how well you do things, rather than how long it takes, and you will be more effective.

Say yes instead of no

If you take on too much work because you can’t say no, then say yes instead - but a carefully circumscribed yes, advises consultant Ann Gomez in her e-newsletter. Consider whether you can help someone by doing a piece of what is needed.

 

Don’t offer prime time

If you must say yes to a colleague’s request for a meeting, try to keep it out of prime time, Ms. Gomez also suggests. If you are available only before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m., the individual might be more inclined to keep the conversation tight.

 

Plan transition time

Life will seem less hectic, and you’ll wind up coming later to fewer meetings, if you plan for the transition time - the time it takes to get where you are going or is required to shuffle between meetings, consultant Peter Bregman notes on Harvard Business School blogs.

 

End on the quarter-hour

If you schedule meetings to end 15 minutes after the hour - say, 10:15 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. - you’ll find you’ll get a little breathing room: People who look up your schedule in group calendars won’t set the next meeting they need with you back-to-back, but will leave a few minutes that you can use as a break, consultants Jason and Jodi Womack note. So the next meeting will be set for 10:30, instead of 10:15. “We’re not sure why this is, but it’s true,” they write in their e-newsletter. .