Tips on making appointments

1. Keep two appointment diaries going at the same time. One should be kept in your manager's office so he has easy access to his appointments and the second in your office.



2. Don't make appointments for your boss at times that he likes to keep aside for routine tasks. Consider his time-management style. Periods that are not considered effective for meetings are Monday mornings, days before and after long weekends and bank holidays and immediately prior to lunchtimes and in the late afternoons.



3. Keep appointment times down to what you judge to be an acceptable minimum of time. If they run over they will not have proved to be unduly time-consuming.



4. Choose days and times carefully and always check the other events of the day or week surrounding the proposed appointment, to judge whether the time can be given to the appointment.



5. Remember that your boss has other priorities and commitments throughout his day. Try not to over-commit him to too many appointments on a single day.



6. Make a note in your diary to gather the relevant information and documents for your boss to peruse before his meeting.



7. Remind your boss of other commitments for the day and find plausible excuses to rescue him from appointments which are taking up too much time - he will always let you know if he wants the appointment to carry on.



8. Clearly note the name, designation and organisation of the member and a reason for the appointment when noting a date in the diary.



9. Remember that in many cases there are other members of your department or office team who may be called upon to receive visitors in order to relieve pressure on the manager.



10. Be aware of hospitality expectations and ask if refreshments are required.

Tip
Always remember that your manager's diary is confidential and should not be easily accessible to everyone.