Conquering Calendar Struggles: Breaking Free from Swiss Cheese Scheduling

Struggles Presented by NCBI

Welcome to Struggles: Navigating Challenges, Together, the podcast dedicated to entrepreneurs and business leaders who are determined to overcome the obstacles that come with running a business. Whether you're a seasoned CEO or just starting out, we offer real-world stories, expert insights, and practical solutions to help you navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

Each episode dives into the common challenges faced across all industries, such as scaling a business, leadership hurdles, financial management, and more. Hear from entrepreneurs who’ve been there, learn from their experiences, and gain actionable tips to steer your business in the right direction.
In the latest episode of "Struggles," host Chris Inman is joined by guest Heidi Baumgart, co-executive director of Small Giants Community. They share the concept of "Swiss Cheese Scheduling," which refers to the inefficiency created by sporadic, evenly-spaced meetings that leave inadequate time for productive work in between. Heidi discusses the adverse effects of such a schedule, including constant context switching and mental fatigue, and proposes solutions like clustering meetings back-to-back and using scheduling templates to create consistent meeting blocks. The episode emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and building healthy scheduling habits, concluding with practical tips on using tools like Calendly to optimize one's calendar. Listeners are encouraged to create agendas for meetings and adopt stringent time management practices to enhance their productivity and well-being.Keywords:

Entrepreneurship, Business Struggles, Leadership Tips, Scaling Challenges, Financial Management, Real-world Stories, Expert Insights, Practical Solutions

Episode Time Stamps:

• Intro to Swiss Cheese Scheduling
• [0:00]
• Heidi Baumgart on Setting Healthy Meeting Habits
• [0:02]
• Understanding Swiss Cheese Scheduling
• [0:49]
• The Draining Nature of Switching Contexts in Meetings
• [1:52]
• The Importance of Grouping Meetings
• [3:58]
• Creating a Scheduling Template
• [5:52]
• Using Tools to Optimize Your Schedule
• [7:30]
• Benefits of Short, Focused Meetings
• [9:46]
• Building Agreements and Norms for Meetings
• [11:07]
• Conclusion and Final Thoughts on Setting Boundaries
• [12:37]

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1. Conquering Calendar Struggles: Breaking Free from Swiss Cheese Scheduling (00:00:00)

2. Understanding Swiss Cheese Scheduling (00:00:49)

3. Creating a Scheduling Template (00:05:52)

4. Using Tools to Optimize Your Schedule (00:07:30)

5. Benefits of Short, Focused Meetings (00:09:46)

6. Building Agreements and Norms for Meetings (00:11:07)