Productivity & time management

Meetings don't ruin companies. Bad meeting habits do!

In all the years that I have been advising managers on work efficiency, I have come across one thing time and time again: Deadline stress, calendar chaos, missed meetings and that strange guilty feeling of talking too much but not getting anything done.

I know what I'm talking about. I used to be a master at missing meetings myself - the classic time-jerk who thought he had everything under control while chaos reigned in his calendar.

And having your own assistant or secretary just for appointment management? Many people dream of this, but when it comes to hiring, the same managers suddenly wave it off. Too expensive. Too much effort. "I'll do it myself."

The result is clear: a calendar like a battlefield - and the feeling that you never get to what's really important.
That's why I've collected a few golden rules for scheduling efficiency over the years. Rules that not only save my time, but also my energy. Rules that I recommend to every manager - before they send out another three meeting proposals with the subject line "What's your schedule?".

My meeting rules for efficiency:

1. no meetings on Monday.

Monday is not a meeting day. Monday is your coordination day. If you're already in calls before you've got your week under control, you'll be in control from the start.

2. never send more than one appointment proposal.

"Take your pick" is polite - but inefficient. It makes work. For everyone. Instead: a fixed suggestion or at most a clear range:

"Tue, Thu or Fri between 14:00-18:00." Done.

3. no online calendars for self-selection.

Sounds clever, but it's not. These links only work on paper. What really happens: People book appointments for you that don't suit you at all. Too spontaneous. Between two focus phases. You're already thinking about something else anyway.

4. use an appointment planner that thinks for you.

A good tool is worth its weight in gold:
- Automatically enter a meeting link.
- Automatically formulate an email suggestion.
- No clicking, no copy & paste.

👉 What your tool doesn't do for you, it steals your time.

5. let yourself be reminded - like a CEO.

I have every appointment burned into my head three times by text message:
- The night before at 21:50 (before sleep)
- Three hours before
- One hour before

6. set the SMS reminder to loud.

Not vibrating. Not silent. Loud. And long.
Because silent reminders are useless if you're deep in thought or in a tunnel.

What you should take with you

Meetings are tools.

But only if you use them correctly.

Otherwise, they are just expensive chats with Outlook invitations.

About the author
Founder and CEO of Langmeier Software
I don't want to complicate anything. I don't want to develop the ultimate business software. I don't want to be listed in a top technology list. Because that's not what business applications are about. It's about making sure your data is seamlessly protected. And it's about making sure everything runs smoothly while you retain full control and can focus on growing your business. Simplicity and reliability are my guiding principles and inspire me every day.
 

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