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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Blocking out your work diary

93 replies

Quirkyme · 03/02/2022 23:04

Do you block out your work diary intentionally so nosy people looking (let's be honest some people do look at others diaries for the sake of it) and others , don't feel they can use it to their advantage and rope you into things or put things in?

Do you literally do it for all your free spaces?

I've noticed that some people do it to 'look" like they're busy....

But I'm genuinely thinking of doing it so people don't think they can use it to for their own advantage...

Anyone else, any tips?

OP posts:
HardbackWriter · 04/02/2022 00:06

I think blocking out some time for focused work is a good idea, but I think some of my colleagues over use it - their diaries are scheduled for every minute with some medium-priority task or other. That backfires as if there are no free slots in your diary people stop bothering to check whether it works for you when they book meetings.

StarsAreWishes · 04/02/2022 00:10

I try to book out 2 hours of working time each day, but almost always end up sacrificing it for other meetings.

Winds me up no end when people send invites without checking availability, don’t notice when I reject or propose a new time, and then hassle me over Teams messaging when their meeting starts as to why I haven’t joined it.

MsAgnesDiPesto · 04/02/2022 00:12

My work involves travel, site visits, meetings, and follow up research, thinking time and report writing. My diary is open and has all my travel, visits and leave etc in it (for lone worker safety). I block out a one hour lunch every day to try to get a break - I don’t take all of it on most days, but it stops people booking meetings for me. I also have to block out time for some of my research/thinking/writing time or I’d never get the chance to complete casework. My team is very good at respecting each others’ time, so it works well for us.

Tapdancinginthekitchen · 04/02/2022 00:12

A manager in my department was having an affair with his PA, both married. He assumed that his diary automatically defaulted to ‘private’ and block booked ‘meetings’ at the local hotel with said PA during the day, long business lunches supposedly.. He also went into some detail about what was to be ‘discussed’ in these meetings in the meeting notes, including the inventive use of ice cream cones amongst other ideas.

All departmental diaries were actually automatically set to public, including those of senior staff and you had to mark individual meetings as ‘private’ each time, if that’s what you wanted to do. Everyone in the entire division could see their diaries. Not a question of being nosy, we legitimately needed to book time out for genuine meetings. Nobody told them but everybody judged them. They eventually worked it out…

Hawkins001 · 04/02/2022 00:21

@Tapdancinginthekitchen

A manager in my department was having an affair with his PA, both married. He assumed that his diary automatically defaulted to ‘private’ and block booked ‘meetings’ at the local hotel with said PA during the day, long business lunches supposedly.. He also went into some detail about what was to be ‘discussed’ in these meetings in the meeting notes, including the inventive use of ice cream cones amongst other ideas.

All departmental diaries were actually automatically set to public, including those of senior staff and you had to mark individual meetings as ‘private’ each time, if that’s what you wanted to do. Everyone in the entire division could see their diaries. Not a question of being nosy, we legitimately needed to book time out for genuine meetings. Nobody told them but everybody judged them. They eventually worked it out…

How long did the affair last for ? Is it still happening ?
Ajl46 · 04/02/2022 08:17

I block out my MS outlook diary to give me time to complete the actions I get from the meetings I've accepted. If I didn't do that I'd risk being in meetings all day with no time to then actually do the work agreed in the meetings! I thought this was fairly standard procedure...

Ajl46 · 04/02/2022 08:20

@emsyj37

Do some people have calendar systems that allow you to just put meetings in without sending an invite that the person has to accept first?? That is the only way that any of this makes any sense at all, but I have never worked anywhere with such a system.
I use MS outlook & I have the option to accept / reject meeting invites but until I've done that they automatically appear in my calendar.
Kbyodjs · 04/02/2022 08:21

I do for things like admin time, report writing as otherwise I find people don’t realise you’re busy and think you have time to do more than you do.

alwayswrighty · 04/02/2022 08:23

I'm more irritated by the fact my boss can access my emails and interjects with clients sometimes. Especially as he is not skilled in my role and normally screws it up 🤣

Other than that he's a great guy/boss so shouldn't grumble.

DGRossetti · 04/02/2022 08:29

@emsyj37

Do some people have calendar systems that allow you to just put meetings in without sending an invite that the person has to accept first?? That is the only way that any of this makes any sense at all, but I have never worked anywhere with such a system.
Yes, and I have.

Just became a requirement that you kept your diary up to date.

Woe betide anyone who didn't and missed or was double booked for a meeting. Stern words and further action if it happened again (never knew it happen)

The upside is you can book a meeting in seconds, rather than play the spectacularly inefficient ring-round game that I imaging was popular in the last millenium.

Especially with remote working, it's essential.

Adatwistscientist · 04/02/2022 08:34

I block out whole days so I have time to really focus on certain types of work (writing mostly). Otherwise I only get 20-30 minute periods and it's not enough to get your head into things. I've also found it slows the pace. If people have to wait 3 days then the action points from that meeting also wait a few days. Otherwise people want 2-3 meetings in the same week and it all gets a bit much.

XmasElf10 · 04/02/2022 08:37

If you calendar is fully booked all the time I’ll just book a meeting that suits me. Better than you only block specific hours that you really want to reserve so there is room for people to arrange meetings in time slots you’d find convenient

DGRossetti · 04/02/2022 08:41

@alwayswrighty

I'm more irritated by the fact my boss can access my emails and interjects with clients sometimes. Especially as he is not skilled in my role and normally screws it up 🤣

Other than that he's a great guy/boss so shouldn't grumble.

Is that in your own account, or a shared mailbox ?

I would be a little Hmm if they had access to your named mailbox as a matter of course. I would be even more alarmed if they had "send as" privileges.

Shared mailboxes are fair game though.

MustBeDueSomeBetterFeet · 04/02/2022 08:42

God, absolutely, or I'd never get anything done! People I work with always feel that their tasks are the priority, and that I should therefore work to their timeframes. At least if I block the time, I can keep my diary under my control (without having to explain myself!), plus if it is an important (to me) meeting, I can initiate the meeting at a time that suits me.

DillDanding · 04/02/2022 08:43

I book ‘focus time’ most days in the hope my team might leave me alone. Rarely works.

Thehop · 04/02/2022 08:45

My husband does it for school runs, appointments and breaks.

PeeAche · 04/02/2022 08:47

I should be doing this.

I work in science and engineering and, basically, my job is to check other peoples algorithms all day. I look for errors, test formula for ways it can be "broken" and write reports on my findings. (I'm a maths person).

It is mind numbingly boring and desk-heavy. It does not require me to go to 10 meetings a day.

Enter a senior PM. She's concerned by the "lack of bookings in my diary" and has now insisted that I pointlessly attend 6 hours of extra meetings per week.

I looked at her diary and it's nothing but meetings. It's clear to me that she thinks that work is meetings. She's looked at my diary and decided I'm clearly not working hard enough.

I complained to my colleague and they explained that I should have been blocking out my calendar. Apparently this is a thing. I'm such a fool.

CMOTDibbler · 04/02/2022 08:54

I block a lunchbreak through the winter so I can get outside (variable success in people not booking meetings in), and sometimes block 'focus time' so I can put myself not available to try and get on with pressing things that I need to get my head down on and get on with. I would try and push back on meetings requests, but again no one takes any notice anyway

DGRossetti · 04/02/2022 08:54

It's clear to me that she thinks that work is meeting

Activity productivity

MsAgnesDiPesto · 04/02/2022 08:59

@emsyj37

Do some people have calendar systems that allow you to just put meetings in without sending an invite that the person has to accept first?? That is the only way that any of this makes any sense at all, but I have never worked anywhere with such a system.
Of course they do! In MS Outlook you can just create a new appointment and you don’t need to invite anyone to it! That’s how I show my travel time and site visits, and other times I’m unavailable. Teams then picks it up and shows me as busy at those times so I don’t get calls, and it’s clear to anyone looking for a meeting time that I won’t be available.
WheresYourSnickers · 04/02/2022 09:00

I add "Focus Time" to mine for a couple of hours in the mornings, so I can get stuff done. Other than that it's usually booked out with meetings.
If you were to look at mine you'd see I'm either busy or free, so if you want to meet pick a free time.

ChoiceMummy · 04/02/2022 09:00

I'm an avid diary user!
Everything I want and need to do is fit into it so I now what my capacity is in regards to new projects, meetings, mentoring etc.
I also add in private appointments that remain private on it, so that I'm promoted if ever asked could I do something at that time.
I also block out chunks of time that is my "administration" time as well as time for any cpd or issues relating to new products, It, etc. I work in what has been a fast changing world, so I need to build in time to get to grips with all, rather than appearing like superwoman who will just absorb into an already packed week.
Some colleagues comment on it. Most know that if possible, I will change things if I can, but take the approach that if they request a meeting knowing I'm already busy that's their issue to find a compatible time or provide feedback/input time outside of this. Like the op @Quirkyme I have a colleague who studies our diaries and moans about how busy they are and believees like the op that it's some great conspiracy to somehow show her up! For me it's a basic tool I need and use.

KatherineJaneway · 04/02/2022 09:03

Not really. I block out an hour for lunch each day and I block from 4pm on a Friday so no one tries to invite me to a meeting at 5pm on a Friday afternoon (I would of course go if needed but meetings late Friday are rare).

Anyone is free to see what I am up to and send me diary invites. If it is a personal appointment I mark it private so no one else can see what it is.

AlDanvers · 04/02/2022 09:06

I block out 1 afternoon a week so I can catch up without interruptions. I block out lunch and anytime I don't want interruptions. If I need to go to the doctors, I would block that too.

My team can see my diary. They can't see the details. They can see times I am available and times I am not, that's it.

Triffid1 · 04/02/2022 09:07

I've come across people who spend their time nosing on other people's diaries, but I've never understood. Surely your diary/calendar is there for your own benefit? I definitely block time out to do things - work or personal - and it's usually in my calendar as a reminder to me and/or to help my EA when making new diary entries for me. If my diary was open to more people, I'd have to put more in because, for example, my diary doesn't specify school run days unless it's an unusual day for me to do it, but she knows which days I do school run and which ones DH does and also what time I'm usually willing to start meetings - without me having to block out all the time I'm UNWILLING to do meetings. Eg I routinely sit down to work by 8:30 but unless I specifically tell her, she doesn't put anything in my diary before 9:15.