Think Like A Boss When Scheduling Meetings

Executives/Managers can have many demands placed upon them each day.  These demands can range anywhere from in-person meetings, national/international travel, social business gatherings, deal negotiations, phone calls/emails, and many more.  An executive/manager’s time needs to be respected and not undervalued. When scheduling meetings for your boss, think like a boss. 

Here are some ideas to consider:

• What meeting(s) should begin at the beginning of the week?
• What meeting(s) can wait until the end of the week, next week, or next month?
• Who besides your boss needs to be in the meeting?
• How much time really needs to be scheduled for the meeting?
• Does your boss really need to attend the meeting or can someone else step in on their behalf? Use his/her behalf because you are talking about one boss!
• What pre-meeting(s) need to strategically occur before the meeting in question?
• What documents does your boss need to review in advance of the meeting, and what does your boss need to take with him/her to the meeting?

While supporting CEOs over the years, I have strategically observed, listened, asked a lot of questions, and looked way ahead at the calendar so the unexpected didn’t just pop up out of nowhere.  Executives/Managers need an administrative professional who will take ownership of the boss’s calendar and act assertively to ensure time is well spent. Administrative professionals should not hesitate to get involved and to ask questions to confirm they know what is happening.