1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:18,599 Speaker 1: Today's tip is about when to schedule meetings that you 4 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: know won't be particularly pleasant. You know they have to happen, 5 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: but you also don't want to have them consume more 6 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: mental space than necessary. This topic was suggested by a 7 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:34,360 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast listener who wrote in that my most productive time, 8 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: like most people's, is in the morning after breakfast. She 9 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: wanted to preserve that time for focused work, and so 10 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:45,840 Speaker 1: her inclination was to schedule most meetings for the afternoon. 11 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: The problem if she knew the meeting would be rather intense, 12 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: she found herself thinking about it all day. She wondered 13 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: if it might make sense to just get it over with. 14 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: But if I schedule meetings in the mornings, I worry 15 00:01:01,360 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: that I am spending my most productive time in meetings. 16 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: It was quite a quandary. In general, her inclination toward 17 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:12,960 Speaker 1: afternoon was sound. People tend to show up at meetings 18 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: that are on their calendars, even if they're tired, but 19 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,960 Speaker 1: they won't do their best focused work on big projects 20 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,600 Speaker 1: at two thirty pm, So it's important to consider the 21 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: opportunity cost. If you schedule a meeting at ten am, 22 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: people might be slightly sharper, but they may not make 23 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: progress on their bigger projects. If the meeting happens at 24 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: two pm, on the other hand, they'll be able to 25 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: do both. So my suggestion was to continue stacking the 26 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: meetings in the afternoon. But she could do a few 27 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: things to minimize the mental cost. First, she should make 28 00:01:50,400 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 1: sure that there was plenty of prep time built in. 29 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: During this prep time, she could rehearse anything that might 30 00:01:56,880 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: go awry in the meetings, and the prep time would 31 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: also provide a palate cleanser between individual and collaborative work. Second, 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,160 Speaker 1: since she knew the meetings would be intense, she should 33 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: put them as late as possible so that when she 34 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:15,800 Speaker 1: was done she could just stop. So maybe she could 35 00:02:15,800 --> 00:02:21,760 Speaker 1: prep it two, schedule meetings at three, four or three 36 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: or whatever the time required. Then in normal times, go home. 37 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: In social distancing times, log out of zoom and open 38 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,520 Speaker 1: the wine. And finally, if the knowledge that meetings are 39 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: coming up distracted her, maybe she could just set an 40 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: alarm for fifteen minutes before her prep time so she 41 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 1: wouldn't need to think about it. Or even look at 42 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: the clock until it's time to go. That way, she 43 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:51,480 Speaker 1: could really get into the flow on individual work. She 44 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: wouldn't need to worry about the clock. She could just 45 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: focus on what was in front of her. So, if 46 00:02:57,919 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: you've got intense meetings, can that are if there's a 47 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: way you can maximize focused work and be in a 48 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: good mental place to deal with them. I still think 49 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: scheduling meetings in the afternoon is the way to go. Yes, 50 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,200 Speaker 1: you're not getting them over with, but if you plan 51 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: your day right, you don't need to in the meantime. 52 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 53 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 54 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 55 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,680 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, 56 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:45,280 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's B the number four, 57 00:03:45,840 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: then Breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me 58 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeart media dot com. 59 00:03:53,720 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 60 00:03:56,840 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch. 61 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For 62 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: more podcasts from I Heart Radio, visit the i Heart radio, app, 63 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:15,160 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.