1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: Good morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 2 00:00:07,960 --> 00:00:12,280 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to try a desk day. In an 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,760 Speaker 1: earlier episode, we talked about being more thoughtful with meetings. 4 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: A related question is when we should schedule meetings, and 5 00:00:19,360 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: just as important, when we shouldn't schedule meetings. Meetings and 6 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:27,040 Speaker 1: appointments are obviously necessary, but when things land on our 7 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: calendars for specific times and involve other people, they don't 8 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: just consume the time allotted to them. We plan our 9 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 1: whole days around them. We stop what we're doing before 10 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:40,519 Speaker 1: meeting start, and when they're done, we cycle back through 11 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:45,480 Speaker 1: our transition rituals, checking email, checking headlines, and so forth. 12 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: The result is that time feels chopped up. We hesitate 13 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 1: to start bigger projects or anything that requires an uncertain 14 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: amount of time. So how can we solve this problem? 15 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 1: I love to suggestion and sent in by a Before 16 00:01:01,280 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 1: Breakfast listener named Diane. She writes that, having spent the 17 00:01:05,400 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: last ten years as a freelance graphic designer, I'm pretty 18 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: obsessed with tracking my work time and constantly improving efficiency. 19 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 1: Last year I started employing a new trick that has 20 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 1: really helped me manage my weeks the trick is this 21 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: no meetings or appointments for work or personal reasons on Monday's. 22 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: Diane writes, the hours of eight to five are blocked off, 23 00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: sacred reserved for desk work. The reason she started doing 24 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: what she calls desk Mondays is that in her business, 25 00:01:39,760 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: she notes, many of my clients work weekends, and this 26 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,399 Speaker 1: is often when they email requests to me. Other clients 27 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: returned to work on Monday and bust through a to 28 00:01:48,760 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 1: do list that involves offloading certain projects. To me, Mondays 29 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:57,000 Speaker 1: were always hectic and unpredictable, and accommodating anything away from 30 00:01:57,000 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: my desk created a day of rushing and stress. So 31 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: I just decided that desk Mondays would be a thing, 32 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:07,800 Speaker 1: and it has given me enough time to deal with 33 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,960 Speaker 1: the things I planned, the things I didn't, and to 34 00:02:11,040 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: prep a bit for the rest of the week. A 35 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 1: day with no scheduled appointments gives Diane freedom and flexibility. 36 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: Now I understand that Mondays might not work for everyone. 37 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 1: While it's nice to start the week with the ability 38 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: to execute on big projects, maybe you'd have better luck 39 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: keeping Fridays free for desk Fridays. In many organizations, Friday 40 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:35,080 Speaker 1: is already a little lighter on the meetings. This open 41 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 1: space allows you to catch up on anything that didn't 42 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: happen earlier in the week. That way, you don't have 43 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,640 Speaker 1: to borrow time from the next week or work on 44 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,760 Speaker 1: the weekend. I've also seen some more intriguing versions of this. 45 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: A few organizations I've studied have work from home Wednesday. 46 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: I love this as a policy. People get a midweek 47 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: break from commuting, and managers can be assured that people 48 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,680 Speaker 1: aren't using telecommuting as a back doorway of leaving early 49 00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:05,600 Speaker 1: for the weekend. Anyway, as part of work from home Wednesday, 50 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: people agree not to schedule meetings for that day. Everyone 51 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:12,720 Speaker 1: can hunker down and do focused work. They come back 52 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: Thursday and Friday ready to collaborate. If you're listening to 53 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: this and thinking, but Laura, I have no control over 54 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: when meetings get scheduled, or I have too many meetings 55 00:03:22,360 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: to leave a day free, don't worry. Even if you 56 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: can't get a whole desk day like Diane, you might 57 00:03:28,520 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: do your best to block off half a day or 58 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:34,040 Speaker 1: even a few hours. Study your schedule to see where 59 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: this might work. It doesn't always need to be the 60 00:03:36,480 --> 00:03:39,560 Speaker 1: same time every week. Maybe every other week would work, 61 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: or maybe you can be creative. If I've flown somewhere 62 00:03:42,800 --> 00:03:45,320 Speaker 1: for work at night and my first appointment is at 63 00:03:45,400 --> 00:03:48,000 Speaker 1: noon the next day, I'll block that time in the 64 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,240 Speaker 1: morning and do focused work in my hotel room. I'll 65 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: be on the road. Then seems to be a magical 66 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: line for making a block of time off limits. You 67 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: might also realize that you have more control than you think. Okay, 68 00:04:00,840 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: people manage to not schedule meetings or appointments while they're 69 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: on airplanes and the world keeps spinning. When I've had 70 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 1: people study their schedules, many report back that a fair 71 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: number of requests come in the form of could I 72 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,720 Speaker 1: get some time Monday or Tuesday? If Monday is your 73 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: desk day. Don't offer this time up without a really 74 00:04:20,480 --> 00:04:24,719 Speaker 1: good reason. If you have to, you have to, but 75 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: make sure this is a conscious choice. If you do this, 76 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: you'll have time to collaborate and time to focus. Just 77 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:38,159 Speaker 1: like Diane, You'll be feeling less busy while getting more done. 78 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: So look at your calendar and see when a desk 79 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: day could happen for you. If you're managing people, see 80 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: if you can all agree on a desk day, you 81 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: might be pleased with the results. In the meantime, this 82 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: is Laura. Thanks for listening and here's to making the 83 00:04:54,400 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear 84 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,440 Speaker 1: from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 85 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 86 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the 87 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: number four, then breakfast p o D. You can also 88 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast Podcast at iHeart 89 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:24,160 Speaker 1: media dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with 90 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,920 Speaker 1: all the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to 91 00:05:26,960 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 1: staying in touch.