Why ‘Clock Blocking’ Is Smart Diary Management, When Done Well
We’ve all heard it “I just need to carve out some time.” In today’s workplace, it’s become as common as “Let’s circle back”. But behind the corporate jargon lies a real challenge, how do we protect thinking time without becoming invisible to our teams?
Is ‘clock blocking’ a productivity essential, or a barrier to collaboration?
Gemma Bullivant, HR strategist and executive coach, shared her perspective with People Management, backing the principle but urging care around how it’s implemented.
“Using your calendar to reflect all the activities you need to deliver, not just meetings, is smart diary management and often essential for productivity,” she says. But the term ‘clock blocking’, she adds, risks giving the wrong impression. “The key is doing it proportionately, with clear communication around availability and collaboration.”
Done well, this kind of scheduling doesn’t stifle teamwork, it strengthens it.
Gemma’s Advice to HR Teams is to Set Expectations
Support focused work as a healthy norm, not a hidden exception.
“This isn’t about avoiding collaboration,” says Gemma. “It’s about challenging the outdated view that productivity means being permanently available. We need to normalise work that happens between meetings, not just within them.”
She encourages HR teams to:
- Create clarity around expectations for collaboration, response times and availability
- Empower managers to lead by example with diary habits that balance visibility and focus
- Reinforce psychological safety so time-blocking is seen as effective, not evasive
“Whether it’s formalised or not, giving people permission to manage their time well and building trust around that can only be a good thing.”
