Diary planning…scheduling meetings!!!
Do you
groan with frustration when this task is next on your list, or do you find it
easy? From many years of scheduling
meetings and adding tasks, events, etc into different managers’ diaries, I have
found that the main component of concise, well-planned diary management versus
frustration, stress, and ‘pull-your hair-out’ diary planning and scheduling is
one simple word: Communication!
Communication
is key to ensuring:
·
Meetings
are planned with breaks, appropriate notes and reports, and travel time allowed
(if required),
·
Meetings
are concise and all attendees know the time allotted and the reason for the
meeting,
·
The
diary is well-maintained with appropriate information included and easy for the
manager and assistant to review quickly.
When communication
is poor, the secretary/assistant arranging meetings and scheduling the diary
will be frustrated, not able to include appropriate documentation or
information and then often feels that the task is overwhelming. I have been in different areas of both paid
and not-for-profit where people assigned to scheduling meetings put it off and
then the meeting/s do not accomplish their purpose.
Some tips
that may help:
·
I
cannot stress enough how important COMMUNICATION is to successfully plan meetings.
·
Review
daily/weekly the meetings that need to be arranged and book them as early as
possible.
·
Gather
all documentation required (reports/data/plans) and have the required number of
copies ready for attendees.
·
You
may find using color coding in the diary system helpful.
·
Ensure an email is sent after you have phoned to book an appointment, confirming the
appointment/meeting.
·
Send
a follow-up email 24 hours prior to the meeting as a confirmation.
·
If
you need to postpone/cancel a meeting, do so as early as possible and if
required, re-book.
·
Have
your scheduled meeting list ready and all your folders/documents together so
that you can quickly access the required information.
Communicate
with co-workers/volunteers as required to advise when you will be available to
speak between meetings so that interruptions are kept to a minimum.
Hopefully,
some of these tips are helpful and I am sure you will have more to add from
your years of experience.
