Booking a Meeting

While I had been using email for quite a while, I had not adopted the use of a shared calendar until somewhere in 2001. I remember very distinctly my first reaction to it when someone looked in my calendar and booked a meeting for me. I was incensed that they would have the temerity to dictate how my time would be used and actually set my priorities by booking a meeting. Back in the Stone Age, before the advent of shared calendars you either had to go through the individual or through an admin assistant to book time for a meeting. This meant that the individual was in control of his or her own time, making time free to others when and if he or she wanted to. With shared calendars however, anyone can book a meeting in anyone else calendar as long as they have the requisite permission. This means that others are now setting your priorities and determining your agenda. It is this loss of control that is leading many managers today to feel overwhelmed.