Tackling a meeting-filled day

We’ve all been there at some point in your career. You can almost picture the scene: it’s 8am, you get to work and check your diary and all there is the dreaded word “meetings” planned all day. Only an hour or two in-between to eat, answer emails and actually get on with your own projects you need to finish.

So, the question is how do you manage your time when your day is full of meetings? Well our team have got a couple of tips to help you.

Research is key

Have you ever come out of a meeting and felt confused than when you first went in? Us too. To avoid wasting your time and extending a meeting, it’s best to prepare a clear journey of what should be discussed. If you’re an attendee, go over the schedule and think about what you are going to contribute. In the meeting it’s best to write down all the appropriate outcomes and actions. Make meetings snappy and to the point when possible to evade talking about one particular topic for to long.

Get vital work done beforehand

Most likely you will know when you have a day of nonstop back-to-back meetings coming up. In the days beforehand, you should think about what you can get done in advance. If you’re prepared to work through lunch one day or leave later than usual one night, you’ll be able to get most your important stuff done and not worry about it in the upcoming days.

Early bird catches the worm   

It’s not going to hurt you by setting your alarm a bit earlier for one day to make sure you get to the office earlier with a bit of extra time to do some work before your meetings. If you just spend some time making a to-do list or planning your time for the week, you will defiantly feel more relaxed and readier to tackle your work.

Make sure you eat food

Anyone had lunch meetings? Those annoying things that are suitably placed over your lunchtime, so you just know you’re going to be starving until about 3pm. But it’s important to make sure you do eat some food. If you can eat some lunch during the meeting, you could probably prompt other people to do the same thing. You could even have your lunch provided for you if you’re one of the lucky ones. You’ll need energy to concentrate in the meeting and for the rest of the day, so make sure you grab a bite at some point.

Sorry, I’m busy…

Make sure you have chunks of time, or certain days in the week, where you have no meetings. Block out a Tuesday and Friday for example. This way, you’re sure to have uninterrupted days where you can get your head down and get important projects done. A meeting-packed day can be a hassle. But it doesn’t have to be if you manage your time right. Follow our tips and you’ll survive a day of meetings w