Best tips for business calendars in 2025

January 2025

The calendar is a fundamental tool for any business. It is used to schedule meetings, see availabilities, and manage your own as well as your team's time. However, it can also be a source of frustration and inefficiency if not used properly. Here are some tips to make yourself more productive.

Leverage calendar sharing

Make your calendar public internally to allow your colleagues to coordinate effectively with you and with each other. This transparency fosters collaboration and ensures that everyone is aware of each other's availability, which can significantly enhance teamwork and project management. These calendars can then easily be used to manage your team's schedule and to book events

Tip: Consider color-coding your calendar events to indicate different types of activities (meetings, personal time, deadlines) for quick visual reference.

Create a calendar for each meeting room

Establish a dedicated calendar for each meeting room. This practice not only helps in organizing events specific to each site but also allows for better resource management. When scheduling an event, always invite the meeting room you plan to use. This integration simplifies the process of checking room availability and ensures that all participants have access to the necessary information regarding the meeting space.

Tip: Use location tags in your calendar events to easily identify which meeting room are free and to improve scheduling efficiency.

Maintain your calendars up to date

It is crucial to keep all your calendars synchronized and current, especially if you manage multiple calendars. Regular updates prevent the frustration of scheduling conflicts and the inconvenience of discovering that a participant is unavailable due to a holiday or other commitments. This proactive approach is essential for smooth operations, which is why we developed for teams to assist in this process, to sync all the caledars including their personal ones while maintaining their privacy.

Tip: Set a weekly reminder to review and update your calendars to ensure everything is current.

Create blockers for deep work

While meetings are essential for collaboration, they can also serve as distractions that hinder productivity. They often drain your energy and create the illusion of progress without actual advancement. To counter this, it is vital to carve out dedicated time for deep work. Encourage your colleagues and employees to do the same by creating recurring time blocks in your calendar specifically for focused work. This practice not only enhances individual productivity but also contributes to the overall efficiency of the team.

Tip: Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique during these blocks to maintain focus and manage time effectively.

Prepare for meetings

To maximize the productivity of meetings, it is important that all participants arrive well-prepared. Consider scheduling time before the meeting for everyone to gather their thoughts and materials. This preparation can lead to more effective discussions and better outcomes, ensuring that the meeting time is utilized efficiently.

Tip: Share a pre-meeting checklist with participants to ensure everyone is on the same page regarding what needs to be prepared.

Add descriptive details, agenda, and outcomes

Meeting information can easily become lost in various platforms like Google Docs or Notion. Instead, utilize the calendar event itself as a central hub for information. Include the agenda, expected outcomes, and next steps directly in the event details. This approach allows for easy reference and ensures that all participants are aligned on what was discussed and what actions need to be taken following the meeting.

Tip: After the meeting, update the event with notes and action items to keep a record of what was accomplished.

Do not enforce meetings to be 30 or 60 minutes

Consider the benefits of shorter meetings, such as 20-minute sessions. Shorter meetings can help maintain focus and enhance productivity. They provide a buffer for participants to prepare for subsequent commitments and make scheduling more flexible. By adopting this practice, you can create a more dynamic and efficient meeting culture.

Tip: Use a timer during meetings to keep discussions on track and ensure that all agenda items are covered.

Integrate with tools

Enhance your productivity by connecting Google Calendar with task management tools like Asana or Trello. This integration allows for seamless synchronization of deadlines and events, ensuring that all tasks are aligned with your schedule. By doing so, you can streamline your workflow and keep track of both your calendar and your tasks in one cohesive system.

Tip: Explore automation tools like Zapier to create workflows that automatically update your calendar based on task deadlines or project milestones.

Calensync is a synchronization and scheduling tool that allows you to sync all your calendars including your personal ones while maintaining your privacy. You can filter which events are synchronized, control your color, visibility, and more. It has a personal or team subscription, allows you to share your calendar with your team, and more.