Why a packed calendar is not the same as good work
Being in back-to-back meetings can look like dedication. But a full calendar only shows that time was filled, not that anything useful came out of it.
THE QUICK ANSWER
Being “always in meetings” is often treated as a sign of commitment. In reality, a packed calendar just means there are no gaps, not that anything was produced. The next time someone brags about being busy, ask one question: “What did that produce?” Stop praising the full schedule and start asking about outcomes. That shifts recognition towards results rather than hours logged, and the same question is worth asking about your own diary.
GO DEEPER
Busyness is not a result
In many workplaces, being busy carries status. Back-to-back meetings suggest someone is in demand, trusted and central to how things get done. Managers often reinforce this without meaning to, admiring a heavy workload or sympathising with a crowded calendar as if it were an achievement in itself.
The problem is what that praise rewards. If being visibly occupied earns recognition, people learn to fill their time rather than to use it well. Meetings multiply, focused work gets squeezed into evenings and the actual outcomes become harder to see. A schedule with no gaps can easily hide a week in which very little moved forward.
The fix is to change the question you ask. When someone mentions how busy they have been, ask: “What did that produce?” Stop praising the packed schedule and show interest in what came out of it instead. Over time this redirects recognition towards outcomes rather than hours logged, and makes it normal for the team to talk about results.
Tone matters here. Asked sharply, the question can sound like an accusation, when the point is genuine interest in impact. It is also worth turning it on yourself. If your own calendar is full every day, ask what that time actually produced, because a team tends to copy what its manager models, including the habit of mistaking motion for progress.
KEY TAKEAWAY
A full calendar shows time spent, not value created. Ask what the busyness produced.
TEST YOURSELF
A colleague mentions they have been in back-to-back meetings all week. What response does the video suggest?
PRACTISE IT
Try this lesson in the arcade
Quick retro games that start with this lesson’s situations. One thumb, one to three minutes, free.
