Short notice meetings

[Bridgertonned]

I don't think IABU, but I'm running out of ideas how to handle this politely!

My manager is responsible for arranging team meetings. As we're a team that work across different sites and have jobs that include lots of meetings with the public, diaries need to be coordinated in advance, as do room bookings. Most managers book monthly meetings for the year for this reason. Manager was very as hoc with meetings, so I volunteered to set them up. All in the diary to 2024.

For the third time in a row, manager has sent an invite for a team meeting meeting last thing for the next working day. Last time they did this and I turned up for the meeting and said I could only attend the first half, they were really arsey with me for not prioritising it, and made me late for my appointment. The clash that I had, had been in my diary for three months.

I know I'm going to get it in the neck on Monday now, but IABU to not turn up to a team meeting at 9am Monday? Who would expect a whole team of staff to all be available at that time anyway?

I feel like I'm losing my mind.

(Yes they have access to all our diaries. Yes I am looking for another job!)

I would ignore manager, do your public appointment on Monday and go over managers head to ask someone more senior if they really think that short notice cancellation or public appointments is right.

Let me guess, your manager is a desk jockey/HR apologist who's new to the NHS. I'm in a team like that at the minute, my immediate manager actually said once that not everyone in the hospital works to support patients. I was so speechless I started looking for another job straight away and will be rid of her very shortly thank God. Your manager evidently hasn't cottoned on yet to the fact the patient comes first - or should do.

YANBU
Your manager sounds badly organised, unable to empathise with their staff and a catastrophiser. Unable to manage their anxiety and unable to process and deal with the demands of their manager in a constructive and calm way.
Agree with pp definitely need to discuss. Do other members of the team feel the same?

Very frustrating OP. I think you need to keep a log of these instances. If your manager continues this pattern you should escalate above them.

Perhaps you could suggest they reschedule the monthly meeting to a few days/a week after their catch up with THEIR manager so that they won't have to wait too long to pass on any new info/new strategies etc?

@Lorac23 how did you guess!

I think this person has been promoted quite quickly too. I'm not against that, but I think that's why they flap, and they seem to have an expectation that because they often get hauled in by the top brass at short notice, which leaves them having to work late and catch up, that we should deal with last minute requests too. Only, they have to deal with that sort of thing because they are a senior manager, in a more strategic job. We're not. But what's more relevant is their work is with other internal people, so while annoying, can be moved (not great, but if you say to someone internal sorry I'm required by [top brass], they'll understand). And the work that gets delayed can be caught up by them taking a laptop home. Whereas we can't exactly say 'sorry ms X I know you had to pay for a taxi here as you can't manage the bus yet, but can you pop back at 6pm because my manager wants to go through a spreadsheet'.

Other team members are just as frustrated but a little bit more patient than me! Probably because I have previously managed teams* and feel that this is a basic middle management skill - manage the pressure from above, treat your team well to get the best out of them. Not push the anxiety down the chain and create drama when there's no need. People are stressed enough as it is.

*Before anyone asks, I'm not jealous and wanting their job - stepped down (in a different dept) years ago for a reason!

I would expect a team to meet at 9am if notice given

Untilitisnt
I would expect a team to meet at 9am if notice given

Even if the reason for not being available was a health care appointment with a member of the public ?
An appointment made 3-6 months previously.

When regular team meetings have been scheduled for the whole of 2024 and there's no emergency reason for a meeting on the next working day.

@Etherealcelestialbeing I did actually try that when I booked them initially, but at their level they seem to have lots of different types of meetings with overlapping groups of people, so they get put on the spot when they come into contact with them.

I don't envy them having to report to the more senior management, I wouldn't like it myself - but if you choose to go into management and move in those circles, that's what you need to expect.

I haven't intentionally kept a record but as it's all done via electronic diaries/email I'd have it - but I think that would only be useful if I needed to defend myself. I can't say I'd feel confident escalating it - I suspect the level above them would be similar in their approach (further away from patients)

I do think part of it is because our system is a little unusual in that we follow up with people and can book appointments directly, so in one sense we can manage our own diaries. But that can just mean a bit of flexibility so that we don't book the patient who needs to tell you their life story every time for the last appointment of the day. It doesn't (shouldn't!) mean we mess around with appointments once they're booked, unless there is a (genuine) emergency. I think when manager is in a good mood they accept that, but when they're in a flap they just think about what's important for them, and that they're the boss so we should follow.

Of course YANBU.
I work in a role (not NHS) but similar in that very few people are in the office / we have appts all over the City / some of those appts are booked a long time in advance.
We have a weekly meeting on-line, at 9am on a Wednesday - just for 30mins.
If it isn't needed / there is nothing to share then it gets cancelled and everyone is very appreciative to have an unexpected 30mins to catch up with 'paperwork'. When it does go ahead, sometimes it is just an information give and we finish in less time.
However, what no-one would try to do is call a meeting with less than about a month's notice.
i) because most of us wouldn't be able to join, due to prior commitments
ii) because there is no need, as everyone knows there is the opportunity to share anything we need to, every week.

I do remember once, about 2 years ago when Manager needed to share something urgent, she did ask as many as could to attend (on-line) meeting with a couple of hours notice, and said she would then call everyone who couldn't attend - she was just trying to cut down the list of 15 calls to about half that number, if people could.

@Untilitisnt they haven't given notice though, that's the point of my post.

I'm not sure if some people are misreading the issue as me not wanting to be in work for 9am. I'm always physically in work at 9am (usually start at 8, we don't all start at the same time), we all commute every day, our level/role don't work from home. The issue is that 9am on a Monday morning is one of the busiest times of the week. Its bizarre to me that anyone would think on a Friday afternoon that none of us would have anything booked in for Monday morning. If I was managing a team and they were all available, I'd be worried about the team! If we're not physically sat with someone, we're writing notes for the last, prepping for the next, making calls etc.

The invite was sent out at a time that some people won't even have seen it before they come in on the day.

Thinking more @Bridgertonned you said that you could respond to manager saying you already have appointments but that they may then be annoyed? I think you have to try and see that as being outside your control.

Your diary is available for them to view. You have set up the monthly meetings and are always available for them. Your manager has requested another meeting but unfortunately you already have an unmovable appointment. This is not your fault.

Surely if you and your colleagues simply stated that, It is your managers choice how they feel/react. You are not in the wrong. That is how your role works.

Can you 'be less bothered' about their reaction? Try not to take it personally but see it as their scheduling issue? As you said, they get paid the big bucks to deal with this stress and you presumably don't.

@Etherealcelestialbeing its a good point, and I'll try to. Last time I was just taken aback - I attended the meeting, reminded at the start that I could only attend the first part (after sending apologies as soon as I'd had the invite), and then was quizzed in front of everyone in quite a stern tone about how the meeting was until X time and that it wasn't acceptable to leave part way through, that I need to prioritise etc. That was in front of the rest of the team.
I knew I wasn't in the wrong but I didn't feel it was appropriate to push back publicly (other than just saying sorry I have a prior commitment). I did bring it up later and reminded them of the regular meetings to try and show I wanted to be helpful, thought the message had got through which is why I was frustrated to have a repeat today, especially last thing on a very busy Friday!

Knowing they'll be annoyed doesn't worry me, it's how they'll react when I see them - they really have a way of making me feel like it's a 'me' problem! I think that's a senior manager skill I haven't learnt!

I would start creating an email trail.
"Dear Manager
You scheduled our last team meeting 2 days in advance. This meant it clashed with m appointment with Mrs Jarvis that was scheduled 3 weeks in advance.
At the meeting you advised that people should attend all of the team meeting. Can I clarify for future occasions, does this mean that in this scenario you are saying I should attempt to rearrange an appointment booked three weeks in advance for a team meeting scheduled with 2 days notice ?"

I've had some wine , so there's a more tactful way of saying that.

OP I knew immediately reading this that you would be frontline HCP and your manager not. I think a lot of the replies are imaging office work in private sector. Totally different ball game. If your manager does not behave as though the service users are the priority, they are failing at their job. It’s common, but sad. Good luck.