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- Professional Skills -
making meetings on time
by fergus mellon

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It is your job to manage your time effectively and one of the things you need to manage is making your one-to-ones on time, making team meetings on time as well as any other meeting that is scheduled.  I have worked at companies where my managers have been chronically late for meetings but they have still expected me to arrive on time to theirs.
 
This may seem like a double standard (and in fact it is!), but I do not get hung up on this and neither should you.  Despite what you think about your manager being either lazy, incompetent, stupid or an asshole they are likely way busier than you.  It is an unfortunate fact of life that managers in today's companies have far too much on and are trying to juggle between being focused on the long term and just dealing with the many day-to-day issues (and even a few crises!) that arise.  Often their time is not their own.  Yes, a good manager should use his or her employees' time well and by being late they are not necessarily doing their job well, but that is no excuse for being late yourself.
 
One of my many pet peeves as a manager is that when I am running from back-to-back-to-back-to-back meetings I find that my team members are then late to our meetings.  I am not kidding you, most of my day is taken up in discussions with either my own team or with other teams that I work with.  The pet peeve comes from having to not just manage my own time but then to track down an employee and remind them that there is a team meeting or we have a one-to-one.  I view this as another demand on my time as well as a negative reflection on the employee: I know that they have a far more open day than I do and so the fact that an employee cannot manage a light meeting calendar does make me question their organizational skills.
 
Instead of finding your manager's time keeping skills a peeve, here are a few ideas to make sure their lack of time keeping does not get in your way:
 
Still be on time: this will send a message to your manager that you own your time and that they need to be more respectful of yours.  More importantly it will show that you are on top of things.
 
Shoot them an email: "I am in your office and ready when you are" or get up with your team members and head to your staff meeting on time (a minute or two early would be just fine too!)

Be super prepared: If your manager has too much on, make sure you know the three things you want from them in your meeting and just say "I know you are busy, to help speed this can we go through these important items" and then be prepared to schedule more time with them.
​

Ask them if they would prefer to meet at a different time: early on in the day could be a great solution as they are less likely to be backed up from prior meetings and are more likely to have a clearer head.

Set up another meeting: if you were unable to get everything you needed from your manager then I would recommend being proactive and adding another 15 minutes later on in the week to get time or if they have an assistant ask them to do this.  The goal here is to help your manager and by helping them, they are very likely to be more able to help you.

Don't take up their bad habits:  if your manager is struggling to keep up with all of his or her meetings, let that be their problem.  Do not make it your problem by also taking up the bad habits.  Keeping your day on track and moving efficiently will help mark you out as someone who has their act together.

Always look for tomorrow:  Before heading home each evening, scan your calendar for the next day's meetings.  This may seem elementary but I cannot count the number of times generally high performing employees miss an important, but early-scheduled meeting because they did not think about the next day.  If you have the goal of being seen as a competent, aka organized employee, you will need to attend the meetings that may be scheduled earlier than normal.  Check your calendar for the next day, every day.  Note tomorrow's meetings and if necessary change your alarm clock to make that early start!
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Next section: Business Presentations

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Related columns on managing up: "Manager as Partner", "Mastering Your Manager", "Questions for Your Manager", "Secret Skills of Managing Up", "Your New Manager"

​Got feedback?  Send it to fergus@whattheferg.com

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The Hours

What Time Should I Start? 
What If I am Running Late? 
Taking Vacation
Sick Days
Working Outside Office Hours

Keeping a Level Head

Give it Six to Nine Months to Feel @Home
Be Your-professional-self
Staying Positive

Professional Skills

How to prepare for One/Ones
Making Meetings on Time
Business Presentations 
​
Social Media, Personal Email and Hanging Out on the Web

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  • Home
  • Getting a job
    • Must Do's - Resume
    • Must Do's - Application Letter
    • Must Do's - Internships
    • Groundwork - Informational Interviews
    • Groundwork - Your Network
    • Groundwork - GPA Issues
    • Groundwork - Recruiters
    • Dealing with Rejection - Feedback
    • Dealing with Rejection - Keeping Motivated
    • Closing the Deal - The Interview
    • Closing the Deal - Interview Q's
    • Closing the Deal - Your Questions
    • Closing the Deal - Simulations
    • Closing the Deal - Group Interviews
    • Closing the Deal - References
    • Signing On - Salary Negotiation
    • Signing On - How to Resign
    • Signing On - First Week
  • Crushing It
    • The Hours - What Time Should I Start
    • The Hours - What If I Am Running Late?
    • The Hours - Taking Vacation
    • The Hours - Sick Days
    • The Hours - Working Outside Office Hours
    • Professional Skills - One/Ones
    • Professional Skills- Making Meetings on Time
    • Professional Skills - Business Presentations
    • Professional Skills - Social Media, Personal Email
    • A Level Head - Feeling @ Home
    • A Level Head - Be YourProfessionalSelf
    • A Level Head- Staying Positive
  • Wise Words
    • Achieve - Focus on the Results
    • Achieve - Leading from the Start
    • Achieve - Showcase Your Work
    • Achieve - Small is BIG
    • Achieve - Take Action
    • Achieve - Your New Job. A Plan
    • Career Management - Annual Review
    • Career Management - Annual Review Feedback Meeting
    • Career Management - Annual Review: How to Guide
    • Career Management - Career Contentment
    • Career Management - Careers Happen
    • Career Management - Career Journey
    • Career Management - Choosing a Mentor
    • Career Management - Discomfort Is Good
    • Career Management - Freelancing and Employment Gaps
    • Career Management - Mentorship Explained
    • Career Management - Post Graduate Degrees
    • Career Management - Promotion Frustration
    • Career Management - Promotions. Move out to move up
    • Career Management - Selecting Your Company
    • Career Management - Understand Yourself
    • Finances - Preparing for a Downturn
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (1)
    • Finances - Retirement Saving (2)
    • Hindsight - Balance the Short- with Long -term
    • Hindsight - Embrace Learning & Your Manager
    • Hindsight - Focus at Work
    • Hindsight - Millennial Reflections
    • Hindsight - Regrets: Time, Money & Pride
    • Hindsight - Take a Career Mulligan
    • Hindsight - Take Advice Sparingly
    • Hindsight - Transition from College
    • Hindsight - Winning Nicely
    • Hindsight - Work Hard. Be Honest. Have Fun
    • Managing Up - Manager as Partner
    • Managing Up - Manage Up to Move Up
    • Managing Up - Mastering Your Manager
    • Managing Up - New Manager
    • Managing Up - Questions For Your Manager
    • Managing Up - Secret Skills of Managing Up
    • Managing Up - Yes Power
    • People & Teamwork - Be a Giver
    • People & Teamwork - LinkedIn as Networking
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Hacks
    • People & Teamwork - Networking as Relationship
    • People & Teamwork - Networking Simplified
    • People & Teamwork - Reputations Travel
    • People & Teamwork - Teamwork as Leadership
    • Sliding Doors - Decision Paths
    • Sliding Doors - Success Requires Luck
    • Speed Bumps - Chutes & Ladders
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs & Survivors Guilt
    • Speed Bumps - Laid Off? Take a Breath
    • Speed Bumps - Layoffs. The After Life
    • Speed Bumps - Owning Mistakes
    • Work Life - American Work Culture
    • Work Life - Ask Why
    • Work Life - Be Yourself. Be Genuine
    • Work Life - Browned Out?
    • Work Life - Business Travel Guide
    • Work Life - Calendar Management
    • Work Life - Change is Certain
    • Work Life - Difficult Situations
    • Worklife - Focus on Fiyah
    • Work Life - Ghosting
    • Work Life - Help the Early Stage Professionals
    • Work Life- International Remote Working
    • Work Life - In the Zoom
    • Work Life - Mom Skills
    • Work Life - Office As A Stage
    • Work Life - Office Ghouls
    • Work Life - Pre Vacation Checklist
    • Work Life - Returning to Work
    • Work Life - Smartphones & The Office
    • Work Life - Speak Up
    • Work Life - Stage Fright
    • Work Life - Startup Glamour
    • Work Life - Stress Management
    • Work Life - Take A Walk
    • Work Life - Tasks We Hate
    • Work Life - They Quit
    • Work Life - Unlimited Vacation
    • Worklife - Vacation Overview
    • Work Life - Welcome the Newbies
    • Work Life - "Work" From Home
  • Money
    • Money - The Basics
    • Money - Saving for Retirement
    • Money - Retirement Saving
  • Library
    • Book Reviews
    • Webinar Hub
    • USA Today Columns
    • Buy Early Stage Professional
    • Bureaucracy
  • Help Center
    • Annual Reviews
    • Career Speed Bumps
    • Managing Up
    • Promotions & Career Planning
    • Stress Management