Double-booked? Learn How to Stop Being Overscheduled

Feeling overwhelmed at work is common. Many of us face too many meetings, deadlines, and tasks at the office. Although technology is often useful, it has exacerbated some of our challenges, too. For example, when many people have open access to our calendar. And there are many means to conduct meetings. These changes and more can lead us to find ourselves double-booked, and feeling constantly overscheduled and breathless.

This hurts productivity and adds unnecessary stress to our already challenged frame of mind. It may feel natural to focus on how busy we are, and how it creates difficulties for us. But the impact overscheduling has on us should not be our first concern.

Why Being Overscheduled and Double-booked Is Harmful

The most critical impact of being overscheduled? How it affects those we lead and others who count on us. When we are overbooked, it impacts the quality of all of our interactions.

When we are too busy, it is unfair and disrespectful to the people who deserve our full attention when they need it. It also creates the impression that we are inaccessible and unapproachable. After all, who wants to ask for time when a leader is clearly booked solid?

The good news is that it’s possible to navigate through the chaos and find balance by implementing the right strategies. No matter who we are, or the role we play, we absolutely can regain control over our time and reduce overscheduling and double-booking. And resume giving others the quality engagement and attention that they are worthy of.

Read “Leaders Eat Last” Today

Why We Think We’re Overscheduled

It’s not uncommon to find ourselves double-booked and over-scheduled. In fact, studies show that nearly 60% of workers feel overwhelmed by their work schedule. We blame the direct and indirect impact of improved technology as one driver of the problem. For example, far more options for meetings to take place.

• Cell-phones, laptops, on demand videoconferencing.
• Instant Messaging.
• Teams or Zoom.

We believe that all these mediums, combined with unreasonable expectations from above and below have begun to violate boundaries that use to be sacred. This is all true.

Companies do expect employees to multitask and hit tight deadlines. And the pressure to do more with less leads us to overcommit (with adverse consequences that include quality of communication, engagement and more). Because in the short run, it’s easier to say yes than to push back or get creative.

Too Many Obligations Can Lead Us to Being Double-Booked

Juggling multiple tasks and commitments can be overwhelming and lead to stress and burnout. In addition to unbridled expectations, double-booking and overscheduling often stem from unrealistic deadlines, poor time management, and our fear of or inability to say no.

When we have conflicting commitments, it becomes challenging to prioritize tasks and manage our time efficiently. This can lead to decreased productivity, frustration, and distraction from efforts that should be high priority. In turn, this contributes to our overall sense of overwhelm.

Overscheduling as a Defense Mechanism

There are times, however, when overscheduling is a result of something else. For example, some of us may overschedule ourselves due to underlying psychological reasons – because sometimes filling our calendars with tasks and commitments can serve as a defense mechanism.

More specifically, double-booking and overscheduling can be the result of avoidance. It’s a strategy that helps us to mask deeper emotional issues or uncomfortable feelings. Because by keeping ourselves busy, we can more effectively avoid introspection, vulnerability, and intimacy.

And our busyness also allows us to avoid deep or difficult conversations and to gloss over unresolved issues in both our professional and personal lives.

Being Overscheduled and Double-Booked Stokes Our Ego

Overbooking can also be a way to seek validation or a sense of accomplishment. Because some of us equate busyness with productivity or self-worth.

We’ve all seen the face of the exasperated executive, director, manager, or supervisor, who openly complains about being “back-to-back” all day while sending the distinct message that she takes pride in that, and that her time is more important (or more in demand) than anyone else’s.

The assumption that there’s nothing to be done about it is faulty, and the underlying premise is, too. Being overbooked may provide a temporary sense of control or purpose, but it ultimately leads to increased stress, burnout, and a lack of fulfillment.

It also prevents us from resolving deeper, more important issues that prevent our own growth, development, and maturation. And it sends a demotivating and demoralizing message to the people who rely on us – the ones who should matter most.

Being Overscheduled and Double-Booked is Ineffective

When we schedule ourselves back-to-back, we leave no time to reflect, process, document, and prepare for our next interaction. Our brains cannot absorb information as fast as our overscheduled, double-booked culture dictates.

But many leaders and professional staff do it. Partly because they see their role models do it. After all, the density of our calendar often seems to correlate to our level of professional success.

Being Overscheduled is Disrespectful to Others

As a leader, overscheduling ourselves can have far-reaching consequences. For starters, it is disrespectful to all those who rely on our leadership and don’t receive our full attention. Being constantly late or rushed due to overbooking also sends a message that our time is more important than those who are seeking us out.

When we continually arrive late and breathless or leave early with an excuse, it signals that we view other obligations as more important than the one we are engaged with. Unfortunately, it also demonstrates vividly that we are ill-equipped to manage our own time effectively. A basic, essential, leadership quality.

It’s not a good look.

Beyond this, and more importantly, our busyness can create frustration and disengagement among team members who may feel neglected or unheard. Effective leadership requires being present, attentive, and available for meaningful interactions and decision-making.

By overscheduling ourselves, we deprive our team of the quality time and support they deserve, ultimately hindering collaboration, trust, and overall team success.

It’s essential for leaders to recognize the negative impact of overscheduling and prioritize creating a work environment that values and respects everyone’s time and contributions.

Strategies to Deal with Being Double-Booked and Overscheduled

Decades of experience as an overworked and overcommitted executive and coach has led me to some clear if uncomfortable observations.

• We are the primary reason that we are often double-booked and overscheduled (not the demands of others, not the extent of our responsibility, not the unfairness of it all).

• Our inability to prioritize, streamline, organize, analyze, delegate, innovate, eliminate timewasters and manage expectations are often key drivers.

• We state that our people are our #1 priority, but our actions do not reflect it. When analyzing calendars, it often becomes apparent that meeting with our people is not what takes the lion’s share of our time.

• A lack of commitment to our teams (prioritizing instead, our own careers, image and need to “manage up”) contributes significantly to the challenges we face to get our jobs done effectively.

How to Stop Being Overscheduled Now

When researching this article, the majority of resources discovered were focused on time management and prioritization strategies. But those are not often effective solutions for this challenge.

After years of testing methodologies to manage the chaos and overcome the overscheduling nightmare, it is has become clear that the solutions lie in applying strategic, critical thinking and thoughtful decision-making across our portfolio of obligations, and in creating boundaries that are simultaneously enforceable and flexible.

Overcoming Overscheduling Starts with Defining Availability

Before we begin this exercise, understand that cancelling and rescheduling short-term obligations is disrespectful to staff, clients, customers and colleagues. Engagements already on your schedule for a reasonable period of time should remain intact.

Apply this step-by-step approach a month or two into the future – whatever seems reasonable and professional and considerate in your workplace culture.

1. Start by defining hours that are NOT available for meetings and appointments. This means creating boundaries around each workday and reserving time for critical activities.

For example, you could establish the following limits to your future calendar:

SAMPLE CALENDAR BOUNDARY SETTING

• 7:30 – 4:30 M-F = The start and end of each workday.
• 7:30 – 8:00 M-F = Block daily for preparations, intentions, priority setting.
• 4:00 – 4:30 M-F = Block daily to power down, make note of important, urgent items that arose during the day, prepare for the next day
• 12:00 – 12:45 M-F = Block for daily lunch, stretch, short walk, whatever rejuvenates you.
• 3:00 – 3:30 M-F = Block to deal with same day, prior day urgent matters, priority calls, etc.
• 1:00 – 2:45 Tuesday = Block weekly time for solo deep work/focused time. Add multiple sessions at times of year that require it. For example, budget season, strategic planning, performance evaluations, etc.
• 8:00 – 12:00 Wednesday = Block time for individual meetings with direct reports, boss, clients

Be sure to block out any personal weekly obligations or desired activities. For example, picking up children from school, an exercise class, graduate school, support group meetings, community activities, etc. What remains within the prescribed workdays is the time actually available to commit to other obligations.

2. Review all existing meeting obligations that you “own”.

No doubt, you have many standing meetings or obligations on your calendar. Let’s start with the ones you have created or scheduled. For each of those ask the following questions:

• Does this meeting include all the right people? Too many people?
• Could this meeting be delegated to someone else to lead to enable their professional development?
• Is an agenda set, and are there clear objectives at the start of every meeting to keep it focused? Do you cancel this meeting when there is not enough material to warrant everyone’s time?
• Are the frequency and duration of the meeting appropriate? Would it be more impactful if it occurred less often or more often? Does the meeting often run over before the agenda is covered in total?
• Are there other meetings that could be eliminated or combined for greater impact, synergy and efficiency? For example, do you have a monthly staff meeting and a separate monthly budget meeting? Do they require the same people? Could they be combined into a two-part monthly meeting, instead of two separate monthly meetings?

3. Review all other existing meeting obligations.

Apply the same critical thinking skills as you did to the meetings you control, including:

• Is this meeting mandatory? If not, does your presence at it result in vale for your team? If so, could this meeting be delegated to someone else to enable their professional development?
• Is an agenda set, and are there clear objectives at the start of every meeting to keep it focused? Does the leader cancel this meeting when there is not enough material to warrant everyone’s time? Can you suggest that within the unwritten rules of your organization?
• Are the frequency and duration of the meeting appropriate? Would it be more impactful if it occurred less often or more often? Does the meeting often run over before the agenda is covered in total? Can you respectfully suggest the parameters of the meeting be revisited?
• Are there other meetings you attend that could be eliminated or combined for greater impact, synergy and efficiency? Can you respectfully request a reset at a suitable time (beginning of the calendar year, fiscal year, etc.)?

4. Stop accepting optional meetings and projects out of obligation, guilt, a desire to impress others, or habit. Think of your time as money. Invest it wisely.

Setting boundaries and learning to say no when your plate is full is essential for avoiding over-scheduling. It’s important to recognize your limits and not take on more than you can handle.

Politely declining new commitments or delegating tasks, when necessary, can prevent overstretching yourself and ensure that your existing responsibilities are managed effectively, while also providing essential development opportunities for your emerging leaders.

Some leaders feel pressured to say yes to commitments or committees or meetings that are in fact, optional. If you do, ask yourself why.

Whether it’s out of a need to find validation, prove your worth, or simply a way to plug a gap in your schedule, your team should be your first priority. Simply stop saying yes and stop actively seeking other activities and tasks that take you away from them.

Divert that energy to them and watch as their trust in you and their engagement and productivity soars.

Understanding the Causes of Double Booking and Overscheduling

When workers are overscheduled, mistakes happen more often. Productivity drops, and errors become common. Stress levels go up, leading to burnout and absenteeism.

Over time, this hurts team bonds and damages client trust. Companies that ignore planning risk losing valuable time and resources.

How to Stop Being Overscheduled and Double-Booked

Controlling your schedule is within your reach. Learning to say no (or to simply stop saying “yes”) and reviewing your schedule regularly can keep your workday smoother.

Keep adjusting your approach to stay productive and keep stress levels in check. You and those who count on you deserve a manageable calendar that meets obligations while allowing time for strategic thought and a healthy personal life.

Being double-booked and overscheduled at work is a common challenge, but with the right strategies, it’s possible to conquer this issue for good.

Thank you as always for reading.

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