I usually put private events into my work calendar with a nondescript “busy” tag. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it sets some boundaries with colleagues. It’s worked for my first six months in the company, and I’m sure it would work for many more. But now that the default has been established, I can look into improving it.
Some colleagues set recurring blockers in the morning or at night. “Dinner with the family,” they might read, or “Get kids ready for school.” That’s a good approach, too. When I see these blockers, I don’t think these folks are slackers or up to something fishy behind the scenes. I just remember that they are humans, not just “workers.” They have family, friends, and other things in life to tend to. Plus, since the blockers are recurring, they don’t reveal any particular pattern. They’re just little, public placeholders saying, “Look, you might not reach me at this time, and here’s why.” I like it!
Maybe I, too, should set such a blocker. Even if it’s just one for lunch. Let’s see how I can experiment with it. My gears are churning.
Whichever side on a spectrum you initially fall on, there’s almost always a way to reach the best of both worlds—but the only way to find it is to let down your guard and start looking.
