There’s no such thing as 9-to-5 when you work at a global company. But it doesn’t mean you need to fall for an associated brand of calendar creep as you deal with different time zones and work cultures – not to mention 24-7 accessibility. So, how do you protect yourself for the sake of your personal health, and achieve maximum effectiveness and efficiency?
Do you remember the good old days of good old-fashioned calendar creep? It was a time when your calendar was packed with too many non-essential meetings. Sure, a full calendar can give the illusion you’re having an efficient day. But are you having an effective one?
You could fight back easily enough by being vigilant: questioning the cadence of regular meetings (Can we make this weekly, bi-weekly?), wondering if you are really required (Was I cc:ed or actually needed?), or rethinking the parameters (Maybe do it over lunch?). These lines of inquiry would help you prioritize and ensure each meeting had an actual purpose for you being there.
But lately, there seems to be a newer brand of calendar creep. It’s a little more ephemeral, targets those working at global companies, and was triggered by how digitally accessible we’ve all become.
There’s Nothing Wrong With Shaking Things Up
Anytime you work at a global company, you must be flexible: typical working hours are unrealistic. There will always be conflicting time zones, holidays, seasons, and work styles.
When starting my career, I had a project with an office in Asia. We were exactly 12 hours apart. Whenever we met, it would be 8 a.m. or 8 p.m., and we would swap back and forth. It worked well because we agreed on it and felt that the burden was both minimal and shared.
We tried to make it feel like a unique event and not a routine occurrence.
Later in my career, my global team (in multiple countries and time zones) would meet as a whole every quarter. The only time that truly worked was 5 a.m. Eastern. Again, this was a bit of a burden to some but we made it work by doing our best: setting the calendar dates far enough in advance for the team to make personal schedule adjustments, offering a hotel to those who had longer commutes, and making sure that the conference room was stocked with coffee, lots of coffee. We would also make sure to tell the team it was totally acceptable if they needed or wanted to leave early that day. In other words, we tried to make it feel like a unique event and not a routine occurrence.
Yes, You Can Make An Exception, But…
However, during COVID-19, it all changed. Booking a Zoom became essential. What would have been a quick hallway conversation or pop-in now required finding a slot on a calendar. But sometimes, there were no slots, and when time was of the essence, you would reach out to arrange something earlier, later, or over the weekend.
And this is where the new calendar creep was born. Because once you make an exception, there’s the danger of it becoming the rule – that working nights and weekends becomes the new normal.
Calendar creep doesn’t sound all that scary until it is.
Have We Become Too Accessible?
Meanwhile, mobile access has continued to spread, and email is always with us via either your laptop or your phone. I loathe the day they put Wi-Fi on the airplane – it used to be the perfect out-of-office. Is nothing sacred? Before, I could use the time to catch up on work (or not). But now it’s expected to utilize the Wi-Fi and be available.
Would you miss a doctor’s appointment for a meeting that could be scheduled later?
Calendar creep doesn’t sound all that scary until it is. It can become a real problem if it begins to affect your personal life or your health. Perhaps a family member holds a mirror up by asking if you will be on the phone again after dinner. Or it may start with a compromise: you forgo yoga to take a call. And that’s okay occasionally, but if yoga is your therapy, it’s another story. Would you miss a doctor’s appointment for a meeting that could be scheduled later?
It’s a slippery slope.
So, How Do You Fix It? Who’s Responsible?
So, how do we confront this new brand of creep? I see the solution as a three-way tango.
First, the company must set some norms regarding respect for each other’s time. For instance, you can set out some basic expectations regarding hours and productivity. Leaders must also lead by example, for instance, by learning how to schedule their messages to go out during acceptable working hours – and thereby not feed the expectation you need to be available 24-7. We also need to do everything to keep our hands off holiday days – and not catch ourselves using phrases like “Just this once” or “No worries, it’ll be super quick”.
Then there’s the person booking the appointment. They should show empathy and understanding for the people they invite and respect someone’s time and calendar. It’s not always easy or efficient, but rather than just sending an invite, maybe asking permission before booking is a way to get buy-in from the person you are requesting.
People who get frustrated with calendar creep may not have set their boundaries.
Yes, It’s Mostly On You
However, the real responsibility lies with the person who accepts or declines an invite. The creep will continue if you don’t speak up or block out those no-go areas. People who get frustrated with calendar creep may not have set their boundaries. Start with something small like blocking your calendar with focus times. See how it goes and build from there.
Some tools can help – for instance, you can expand your toolbox to include not just auto-accept but also auto-decline. You should also have some standard responses available to provide the reason for your decline. “I am unable to make it at that time as my calendar is already previously booked.” “Let’s move this to a time that works better with both of our schedules.” “I see that there’s already a qualified group attending. Please proceed without me and send me the notes to review post-meeting.”
You still have a job to do.
But It’s Still A Dynamic Business World
Let’s be honest, you can’t just decline-decline-decline. You still have a job to do. So, you have to own your own work/life balance by knowing your own non-negotiable times, while at the same time being available, engaged and productive.
It’s a tightrope. But at least we can walk it together, and as a result make everyone’s day both efficient and effective.
