As many people continue to work from home, virtual meetings are becoming the norm. Often, these meetings are scheduled on the hour to last either 30 minutes or one hour, sometimes longer. When this happens, it is easy to have back-to-back meetings all day long.
Insert the meeting cushion — developed to make time in the day. It involves scheduling a meeting to start and end at abnormal times to allow for approximate 15-minute breaks throughout the day. This gives everyone the opportunity to eat, check on the kids, let the dog out, use the facilities, respond to an email or get some fresh air.
Timing examples can be seen below:
Meeting A: 10:05-10:25 a.m. (20 minutes)
10-minute meeting cushion
Meeting B: 10:35-10:55 a.m. (20 minutes)
Meeting A: 2:05-2:50 p.m. (45 minutes)
15-minute meeting cushion
Meeting B: 3:05-4:25 p.m. (1 hour 20 minutes)
The meeting cushion scheduling practice also allows consideration for how long a call should last. Calendars often automatically schedule on the half hour but sometimes only 10 minutes are needed to touch base. Try maneuvering the schedule to reflect the time needed for the meeting’s content. When time is of the essence, let’s use it wisely.