Out of Office

What does the way people manage their diaries and absences from the office tell you about the company?

Company A – it was expected that you have your diary up to date. So if someone wants to book meeting with you they can see in your diary (via Outlook) that you are in the office or out of the office or your time is booked or you are available for a meeting. Plus if you were absent from the office due to vacations, illness, business trip your out of office response clearly stated when you will return and who can be contacted in case of an urgent matter.

This meant that everyone knew who was available and when.

Company B – it was acceptable to do the opposite. No ones’ diary was up to date and no one knew who was in or off work. If someone were on holiday it was not clear when they would return and who could be contacted in their place for an urgent matter.

This meant that no one knew who was available and when.

If a company has a culture of mutual respect and being organised then these increase the likelihood that an organisation will achieve their objectives.