The Small Details: Color Coding Calendars

Do you color code your executive’s (or your own) calendar? This simple step can make a world of a difference in helping both of you manage your daily schedules. Color coding your calendars can help you to visualize week ahead and stay aligned with goals and priorities. 

In addition to helping you stay organized, color coding can ensure you approach your workdays with more clarity. A simple color coding system can help you maintain focus, stay on task, and keep work-related anxiety in check. 

But how do you actually implement a color coding system? There are several different approaches widely used, but the best system for you and your executive depends on individual work habits and daily responsibilities. Here are a few examples for you to consider.

Internal Meetings vs. External Meetings

If your executive has frequent meetings with both internal employees and external contacts, using a simple color coding system to indicate the meeting type will help ensure she or he enters each meeting fully prepared. 

In-Person Meetings vs. Calls

You executive’s schedule may be split between in-person meetings and conference calls. Being able to distinguish the type of meeting by glancing at the calendar each morning will help her or him approach the day with confidence.

Meetings vs. Work Time

Does your executive use her or his calendar to block off time for activities other than meetings? Scheduling time to focus on work-related tasks can be a great way for your executive to stay organized and committed to top priorities. If calendars you manage are utilized in this way, it is a great idea to use colors to indicate when a meeting is, in fact, a meeting. 

Personal vs. Work

Does your executive manage both work and personal activities on her or her calendar? Use color coding to easily display which events are personal and which events are for work. 

Color Code by Business

Is your executive involved in several businesses? Use color coding to indicate which meetings are aligned to specific businesses. Being able to see this at a glance will help your executive get in the right frame of mind for each meeting. It can also help you to more easily consolidate business types. 

Color Code by Type of Work

If your executive’s schedule is filled with various types of meetings and activities, consider assigning colors to specific categories of work. Doing this will help your executive visualize her or his week ahead. Create several categories that you can bucket all of your executive’s activities into and assign each one its own color. Here are a few examples of categories you might use: 

• Personal
• Travel
• Events
• Company Huddles
• 1:1s
• Project Work
• Client Meetings

Determine what method makes sense for the calendars you manage, set up a system, and see the difference this small step can make. It’s amazing how the small details can improve both your day and your executive’s. 

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