This week, the anonymous career advice form received two questions that were very similar. Being in back to back meetings are taking up all of the work time and two frustrated individuals are facing an uphill battle to actually get their work done and in one case cannot even grab a lunch break.
Dear focus, I’m finding work impossible, Constantly in back to back meetings, I am struggling to even find time to eat let and sometimes struggle to find time for a toilet break. I am never getting any of my work done and the icing on the cake; everyone is stressed and feel there is no way out.
This is something that really is unacceptable and I feel for you.
I have been there personally in a previous role and it is something that took me a few weeks to tackle and get out of the other side.
A trigger warning; this is going to take you 30 extra minutes to review and run through, I suggest doing this when you are fresh and can concentrate like it is deep work.
Exercise 1: Take to list out the meetings and which ones to:
- Keep – essential and have to be a part and running ok
- Kill – unuseful, no one is benefitting and is wasting your time
- Cure – somewhat useful, can be optimised, review and optimise the parts that can be changed, reduce down the amount of chatter and focus around more actionable agendas