Leave the First Hour of Monday Free of Meetingsdaily

A meeting can be the right start to Monday. But if the first hour repeatedly disappears before you've looked at your own work, it's worth asking whether that time could be used differently.

Discuss a meeting-free opening with the people affected. Choose a length that suits your role and team; an hour is an option, not a standard everyone must meet. Keep essential briefings and urgent responsibilities in place.

Give the time a clear job

Check the week's fixed commitments, choose the next important task, and begin a piece of it. Avoid using the whole block to perfect the plan or browse every message. Have the files or notes ready so starting doesn't become another search.

Show the time on your calendar where appropriate and offer alternative meeting times. If the arrangement creates problems for colleagues, adjust it together.

Try it for a few Mondays and notice whether it helps. The aim is a more deliberate beginning to the week, not an assumption that meetings are unproductive or that everyone controls their first hour.