5 Reasons You Need to Conduct a Calendar Audit

by Jennifer Radkey

Keeping a hospitality business running smoothly takes an immense amount of organization, and at times you may feel pulled in a million directions at once.

As an operator of a restaurant or bar, your daily calendar may seem like an endless stream of tasks.

You are most likely already using some sort of organizational tool: an agenda, calendar, your phone, or Post-Its all over your office walls. But when was the last time you actually analyzed your calendar?

I’m going to challenge you to sit with your calendar and take a deep-dive audit of just how you are spending your time.

Here are the five reasons you need to do a calendar audit today.

You Aren’t Making Money or Reaching Goals

As the operator of your hospitality establishment, you are responsible for your business’ success. So, dissect your calendar.

What actions are you taking on a daily or weekly basis that directly lead to making money? What percentage of your time is spent on growing your business, rather than running your business? There is a difference.

You are Burnt Out

When you are not at your best, your business will not be at its best. It’s as simple as that.

How many daily operational tasks are you taking on that could be delegated to someone else? You don’t need to be involved in every aspect of the daily operations of your business.

Take a look at your calendar and highlight any tasks you have been doing that could easily be done by someone else on your team. Then, give those tasks away.

Team Morale is Low

Go back and audit your calendar.

When was the last time you scheduled a team meeting? How about individual meetings with employees to go over their successes, growth opportunities, etc.? Is there regular time delegated to improving your workplace culture?

Carve some time out for the people who choose to spend their days working for you, and watch team morale improve.

You Feel Stuck in a Rut

Maybe your business is doing well but has plateaued. Maybe you aren’t excited to go to work anymore. Take a close look at your calendar.

What have you done in the past week or month to create excitement? For example, did you attend any industry related shows or events?

As operators, it is easy to get stuck in a daily routine that doesn’t allow time for creativity. However, it is imperative to schedule time to be inspired.

Your Work/Life Balance is Off

The hours can be long, and with so much to do, you can often feel as if your entire life is your work. Take a close look at your calendar.

Are you scheduling in family time? Time for friends? Time for physical health? Hobbies? Fun?

This can be as simple as scheduling time for something you enjoy that changes up your week:

• A 15-minute call with your mom every Monday morning.
• Walking/biking to work twice a week.
• Meeting up with a friend once a week for a coffee.

We often say that we will do these things. However, unless they are prioritized and written down they aren’t going to happen as much as we need them to.

Performing a calendar audit can be eye-opening and give us an entirely new perspective on how we are using our time. Doing so can help us improve time management, productivity, happiness, and goal achievement.

So, go ahead and mark some time for a calendar audit into your calendar. You will thank yourself later that you did.

Cheers to professional and personal well-being!

Image: Omar Al-Ghosson on Unsplash