On finding the right time to meet

Recently, a discussion on Twitter made me realize that finding the right time to meet is not as straightforward. I always thought lunch meetings are the favorite choice, as they provide free food. During the discussion, however, I realized that for those with digestive issues, special dietary needs, or food-related anxieties, lunch meetings can be very stressful. A few other options may also be difficult for your colleagues:

• early morning meetings: for some colleagues, this timeslot falls before their regular childcare, so they’ll have to find (and pay for) a way to attend
• morning meetings: your night owl colleagues may feel drowsy
• lunch meetings: as mentioned before, food may trigger problems for some of your colleauges
• coffee meetings: not everybody likes tea or coffee
• later afternoon meetings: your colleagues with children may not have childcare outside of those hours

Considering these constraints, I suggest you discuss with your colleagues when would be a good time to meet – not just based on when their planner is still empty, but when they have no other constraints that make the meeting difficult to attend!

You can find the Twitter discussion here: