As a maker (individual contributor), I have been having this issue a lot, but my attempts at pushing back do not seem to be going so well. Any time I reserve a large chunk of time on my calendar, people set up meetings on top of it anyway, or message me asking if that block time is "real" (as though quiet focused work isn’t a thing).
My days are filled with little dabs of 30 minutes here and there that are barely enough to remember what I had been working on before another meeting started, so I normally end up getting my actual work done late at night after an early dinner, which my wife is not particularly happy about.
Any recommendations? I’ve broached the topic lightly with my manager but don’t want to come across as whining, so I’ve generally just been trying to push back on meetings in the friendliest way that I can.
My days are filled with little dabs of 30 minutes here and there that are barely enough to remember what I had been working on before another meeting started, so I normally end up getting my actual work done late at night after an early dinner, which my wife is not particularly happy about.
Any recommendations? I’ve broached the topic lightly with my manager but don’t want to come across as whining, so I’ve generally just been trying to push back on meetings in the friendliest way that I can.