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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

ChildHeadache · 04/02/2022 13:23

Im fascinated to know what all these jobs are!

JeffThePilot · 04/02/2022 13:33

My calendar is always a jumble of appointments. I have ADHD so I also use it as a to do list “phone X, write up case note for Y, make appointment to visit Z”

I block out sections of time for report writing, where I know I’m going to need to be undisturbed. And sometimes have a “no people day” where I block out the whole day, switch off my phone, and switch on my out of office, when I really really have to catch up on the admin tasks which are the first thing to slip when I’m busy (which is all the time)

YeOldeTrout · 04/02/2022 13:52

Do you block out your work diary intentionally so nosy people looking
No, not a concern, our work diaries are private by default

Do you literally do it for all your free spaces?
No

I've noticed that some people do it to 'look" like they're busy....
So... you're quite nosy right?
I am just too introverted -- I don't care about other ppl enough to do this.

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

sometimes it's easiest way to set aside time on projects that can't be done efficiently in snippets. Sensible for that purpose. I don't understand feeling like colleagues are 'taking advantage' to ask for meetings with me, though.

ghostyslovesheets · 04/02/2022 14:18

I work a secret day only my boss and I know about!

I officially work 21 hrs to everyone else but I do 28 - because of the nature of my work I used to do Mon-Wed and use Thursday for admin - now we are all remote it's become a bit more tricky as I tend to work my hours across the week - but once we return to normal I will keep my secret Thursday!

There is such a demand in my job for last minute emergency meetings that I get called in to all sorts last minute even if I block things out

Latecomer131 · 04/02/2022 14:37

Are you in a more project management focused role, OP? In my line of work, we have people who are PM focused, technical people, and people who do a bit of both.

I am a wholly technical person, and many Project Managers don't seem to understand that to accomplish my technical tasks, I need large chucks of uninterrupted, meeting-free time. If I only have an hour free between meetings, then sod all gets done, as that means I am stopping just at the point that I am making headway with the task, and it will take a similar time to get back to that point if I have to pick it up again later. This means that I need chunks of three hours or more ring-fenced from meetings.

However, I often am interpreted as being difficult by project managers, because I block out large chunks of my calendar. However, if I didn't do this, I would be in back to back meetings (only 10% of which really require my presence) and I would never have any time to actually do the tasks that I am paid to do.

emsyj37 · 04/02/2022 14:42

Errr, yes I know Outlook allows you to create your own appointments just for yourself . The question refers to people claiming that they have to block out their calendars entirely so that people have to ask before putting in an appointment - the point is that my Outlook settings will show any meeting requests received from others as 'not yet accepted' until such time as I accept or decline them - so I am still in control of meetings that other people may wish to put in my calendar. I have to accept the invite first. The question is why is that system inadequate? Can't people just decline inconvenient meetings??

Latecomer131 · 04/02/2022 14:53

@emsyj37 if you have booked a meeting with yourself in your calendar, then the person trying to schedule the meeting with you will get alerted to their being a conflict in your calendar when they try to invite you at that time, before they send the invite. It's far easier that way, than outlook showing me as "free" when I am not actually "free", I am just not in a meeting and trying to get my actual work done.

It's far more of a pain in the arse, for both me and the person trying to schedule the meeting, for me to have to reply and decline the invite, and explain that I am actually working on a technical task at that time. They can see before they send the invite that it's not an ideal time if I put it in my calendar.

HardbackWriter · 04/02/2022 14:53

@emsyj37

Errr, yes I know Outlook allows you to create your own appointments just for yourself

. The question refers to people claiming that they have to block out their calendars entirely so that people have to ask before putting in an appointment - the point is that my Outlook settings will show any meeting requests received from others as 'not yet accepted' until such time as I accept or decline them - so I am still in control of meetings that other people may wish to put in my calendar. I have to accept the invite first. The question is why is that system inadequate? Can't people just decline inconvenient meetings??

At my work I think it would be seen as a bit off to decline a meeting in a slot that's marked as free in your diary without explanation. And actually, I think if you were intending to decline any meeting put in for that time then it makes sense to block it out to save people the bother of asking!

CirreltheSquirrel · 04/02/2022 14:57

Yes, at my work it can be hard to find a slot where everyone is free not least because we're across several timezones so if a slot is free on my calendar I would try not to decline the invite.

The timezones are also a reason for blocking out lunch so that people don't put a meeting there because it's not their lunchtime!

Itsnotdeep · 04/02/2022 14:58

I block out time or I'd spend 8 hours a day in meetings. I'd be exhausted and my inbox would be unread and I'd never write any letters, papers or documents at all.

I found that 8 hours of zoom meetings a day was just much more exhausting than 8 hours of actual meetings too. So I stopped.

I try to have meeting free Fridays. But that doesn't always work (I'm not working today!).

AllOfUsAreDead · 04/02/2022 14:59

@Avocadoandlemons

I dont use one but lots of my friends have said that its great as now they can book "meetings" at school run time/ when want to go to hairdresser etc so that they don't get disturbed by work when out and about

That's pretty shitty of them. Bet they'll bitch and moan too if they get forced back into the office.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 04/02/2022 15:00

We are actively encouraged to block out Focus Time to pick up tasks pre and post meetings.

I use my calendar mainly as a to do list. I then drag the tasks round as I complete them.

emsyj37 · 04/02/2022 15:00

If I declined a meeting I would usually include a brief explanation. Surely people can't seriously block out whole days without good reason though?? Maybe it is just a role issue. I have a technical job so I don't tend to get invited to 'faffy' type meetings.

Latecomer131 · 04/02/2022 15:00

Aggh "there being a conflict" (should have spotted that typo)

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 04/02/2022 15:01

Using the colour options is a good idea too - all my tasks that are movable are in a certain colour. So I know at a glance I can move them, but also the Office Manager who schedules most of the bigger meetings knows she can book over them.

notanothertakeaway · 04/02/2022 15:02

@DilemmaDelilah

Mine is colour coded. Red means cannot be moved, Amber means can be moved if necessary and after discussion, green means I have blocked it out to do a specific piece of work, meetings can be put in but I will need to find time elsewhere to do it, and grey means I have arranged something for somebody else, I'm not attending. It seems to work with my team.

This seems quite a sensible approach

Latecomer131 · 04/02/2022 15:09

@emsyj37 , it's one of the reasons that I may look for another job. I did a similar technical role in my last job, and most of meetings were quick one-to-ones directly discussing something that I needed to do.

At my current workplace, however, there's an obsession with scheduling weekly meetings where everyone involved in the project is expected to attend just "in case". It drives me bonkers, as I am largely silent for most of these and have to sit through an hour long discussion of the project management aspects of the project that don't involve me.

headintheproverbial · 04/02/2022 15:46

I don't block out all the space, no. I try to block a lunch (half) hour and then if I have 'brain work' I need to do or a presentation to prepare or whatever I block that too.

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