1 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: Good morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the New Corner Office, 2 00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:14,400 Speaker 1: the podcast where we share strategies for thriving in the 3 00:00:14,440 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: new world of work, where location and hours are more 4 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: flexible than in the past. Today's tip is to take 5 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,160 Speaker 1: a little time on Friday's to see what you can cancel. 6 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:29,920 Speaker 1: It's so easy to get booked into things that aren't 7 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: relevant or necessary, or that could happen at other times 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 1: when we get busy. We don't ask these questions until 9 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,920 Speaker 1: we're dialing in, but a little foresight can save all 10 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: kinds of time. I've long advocated planning the upcoming week 11 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 1: on Friday afternoons. I take a little bit of time 12 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,560 Speaker 1: to list out my priorities and to figure out when 13 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: these things can happen. I highly recommend that other people 14 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: try this too. But while it's critical to plan and 15 00:01:01,880 --> 00:01:04,240 Speaker 1: stuff that you do want to do, it's also helpful 16 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:06,560 Speaker 1: to get rid of stuff that you don't want to do. 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: When you extricate yourself far enough ahead of time, it 18 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: is a far more positive experience for everyone. So on 19 00:01:17,040 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 1: Friday afternoon, as you're looking at your calendar for the 20 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: upcoming week, take a few minutes to see what's on there, 21 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:28,559 Speaker 1: ask yourself a few questions. Is this work I should 22 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: be doing? Do they need me? How much value do 23 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: I add? Could these things take less time? Could they 24 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: be moved forward? Would someone else be better? Does this 25 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: work actually need to be done at all? If you 26 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: identify something that you think is not the best use 27 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: of your time in the next week, you have a 28 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: few choices. One is to go ahead and cancel. Canceling 29 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: a Wednesday meeting on Friday is not that bad in 30 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:02,040 Speaker 1: the grand scheme of things, because everyone can make other plans. 31 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: It's canceling a Wednesday meeting one hour before the Wednesday 32 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: meeting that tends to make people crazy or just as 33 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: bad showing up and realizing that there is very little 34 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,839 Speaker 1: to cover. The other choice is to force a discussion 35 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: about why the gathering might be useful. Ask for an 36 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: agenda in a proposed outcome. What decision will come out 37 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: of the meeting that couldn't have happened without the meeting. 38 00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:32,200 Speaker 1: If the person convening the meeting can't articulate this, you 39 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: can then suggest postponing the meeting until that's more clear. 40 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: If the agenda and purpose can be produced, great, you've 41 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:44,359 Speaker 1: just guaranteed a much better meeting. It's really when when 42 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:48,280 Speaker 1: if you're going to suggest that someone else take your place. 43 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:51,639 Speaker 1: This also gives you time to introduce people to each 44 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,360 Speaker 1: other or bring the appropriate person up to speed. It 45 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,679 Speaker 1: gives that person time to build this commitment into their week. 46 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: None of this is complicated, but it's got a huge payoff. 47 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: I have seen people literally by themselves hours in minutes 48 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: as they realized that they are the third person from 49 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:14,080 Speaker 1: their department sitting in any given meeting, or that the 50 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: whole meeting can just be an email, or that no 51 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:19,120 Speaker 1: one is sure why they're meeting except that it seems 52 00:03:19,120 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 1: like the group should have a meeting. With the scheduled 53 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: clutter gone, you are guaranteed a more productive week. So 54 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:29,679 Speaker 1: take a few minutes on Friday afternoon to ask these questions. 55 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 1: You'll be glad that you did. In the meantime, This 56 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,760 Speaker 1: is Laura, Thanks for listening, and here's the succeeding in 57 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: the New Corner Office. The New Corner Office is a 58 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts, visit the 59 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: i Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 60 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.