More sophisticated ways to use a team calendar

Many groups and organizations whose members use shared calendars.  They can be a great tool to keep busy team members informed, especially if the members aren't often in the same place at the same time.  But having a team calendar is not enough to keep everyone 'on the same page.'   Here are some tips, based on our experience, for making a calendar work better for your goals.

The Professional Development Institute and The Leading Institute together are a combination of retail-oriented continuing education center, technical assistance provider and research center with three team members and a project list that runs eight pages. We use a shared calendar (in our case Google Calendars).  Here's what works for us:

• Use a calendar that any team member can access through the Internet.  If team members having to be out of the office often for research, consulting or business development, having to go back to the office to check on others' availability is stressful.
• Get everyone to want to use a shared calendar.  Although the benefits may seem obvious, be aware that using a common calendar will inconvenience members who are partial to their own system.  (Also, a shared calendar make some people who are insecure about their status in the team feel even less empowered.)  Respect the individuals' preferences but make them responsible for sharing their information with their teammates.  Get into the habit of checking the calendar, rather than with individuals, when scheduling important meetings and activities. This creates a greater incentive to use the calendar.
• Encourage team members to post times when they do not want to be available as if they were meetings.  For example, I try to reserve the first few hours of the morning to catch up on emails, organize my day, and be creative.  
• Encourage team members to note their tasks as if they were scheduled meetings.  This will help managers and team members know what everyone is working on.  How much time do you spend in meetings just catching up?  When you see how team members are spending their time, you can get a better sense of how the project is progressing. Team members who may be skeptical of someone's contributions can see what that person is doing. As a fan of David Allen's organizing ideas, I schedule my tasks on the calendar the way I would meetings.  I find it helps me get things done better and with less stress.
• Use codes to let team members know if meetings or other activities can be moved.  At PDI-TLI, we use these codes:
• MV: Event or activity is scheduled, but can be moved.  
• TNT: Event is tentative (such as when you are holding several dates open while waiting for others to confirm their schedules.)
• _________ in (location):  This allows the calendar to be used as an in/out board.
• Make the use of a shared calendar part of the ethics of team work.  If your teammate is spending time trying to match your schedule with others, you are creating unnecessary work and stress for that person. 
• If you can't get the entire organization, department or division to use a shared calendar, start using it with trusted team members.  Then market your success to encourage others to use the calendar.

--Leonardo Vazquez, AICP/PP

The Professional Development Institute and The Leading Institute offer a number of courses and programs to help you become a more effective manager and leader.  Consider getting a Professional Certificate in Leadership and Professional Practice; taking a Deep Learning course in project management, business development, and leadership; or building your leadership skills through Leading from the Middle.