Your late afternoon meeting scheduled for an hour has crept over the 75-minute mark with no clear end in sight. You know you still have a time-sensitive email to send off, and now you’re going to have to make the choice between leaving late or pulling out your laptop after dinner. On the outside, you’re polite, participating in discussion and responding thoughtfully to your coworker who is running the meeting. But on the inside, you’re annoyed. This person just took a giant step over your time boundaries.
Protect Your Time at Work by Setting Better Boundaries
Meetings that run late. Interruptions at your desk. Late-hour emails and texts. Requests from coworkers on your time can prevent you from completing important tasks, make you leave work late, or even disrupt family time at home.
You need to set time boundaries. First, block out time on your calendar when you can’t meet to control when you’re available for meetings — for instance, when you’re commuting or want to get focused at the start of the day. Second, ensure you’re setting meetings for the appropriate amount of time, using a focused agenda. Third, set some time in your week for dedicated work, and find a private space to work if necessary.
While these tips can control your time, how your coworkers communicate with you can have an impact on how disruptive the communication feels. Make it clear with your colleagues what your preferred method of communication is, and when possible, only respond within the time frames you set.