Please help me get over the anxiety of last minute Friday meetings

[Anonymous]

Yesterday afternoon my boss put a 10 a.m. meeting on my calendar for today.

Ever since July she's been occasionally putting these 3 p.m. Friday meetings on my calendar at the last minute.

I literally had to contact an EAP program therapist, who said I'm experiencing "anxiety." The meetings are never good news.

I am literally sick to my stomach right now. I've asked my boss not to schedule these meetings on a Friday, because I literally FEAR that I'm going to be fired.

What in actual f$$k is wrong with people that would want to make someone feel this way? And before a weekend?

[Anonymous]

I'm so sorry. People are the worst!!!!

[Anonymous]

Have you been laid off on a Friday before? What sort of things does she discuss in these meetings?

[Anonymous]

Better than her scheduling it on a Monday and worrying all weekend. Good luck today.

[Anonymous]

Your boss is in a place where they need to get things done, and scheduling a meeting a day in advance for the next day during business hours seems reasonable to me.

What's the title of these meetings? Do you ever ask for an agenda so you can prepare?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Better than her scheduling it on a Monday and worrying all weekend. Good luck today.

No, because Monday would be "action items" a to-do list, something of actual importance.

These meetings are just horrible, and they are never good news. And they make her happy, and me absolutely miserable.

[Anonymous]

Are you work from home? Could she be doing it to make sure you aren’t at the pool, shopping, out of town, etc.?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Better than her scheduling it on a Monday and worrying all weekend. Good luck today.

No, because Monday would be "action items" a to-do list, something of actual importance.

These meetings are just horrible, and they are never good news. And they make her happy, and me absolutely miserable.

You've said this twice. What does this mean? Some additional context might help with giving you advice on how better to communicate with your boss (or to prepare for these meetings, or to avoid the circumstances requiring them altogether).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your boss is in a place where they need to get things done, and scheduling a meeting a day in advance for the next day during business hours seems reasonable to me.

What's the title of these meetings? Do you ever ask for an agenda so you can prepare?

I mean, Friday is a working day. Our office tries for no meeting Fridays, to let people focus. But no one blinks an eye if there is one. If we need to talk, we need to talk.

I think you could ask for more info, so that you can be better prepared for the meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you work from home? Could she be doing it to make sure you aren’t at the pool, shopping, out of town, etc.?

I live four miles from the office. She can drive by my apartment to see my car parked here and me walking my dog throughout the day. I have offered to be in the office.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand why it's a big deal. It is pretty common for us to schedule calls on Friday. What do you think this mtg is about?

[Anonymous]

What kind of bad news?

[Anonymous]

Friday is often the lightest meeting day for my colleagues and l so if something comes up that’s kind of urgent but not an emergency, and we need to have a meeting with people with busy schedules, it’s often on a Friday. So one off meetings, but recurring meetings.

In my case they are not “bad news” meetings, just not planned far in advance. I don’t know what you mean by “never good news”. I’m wondering if you indeed have anxiety and having unexpected tasks added to you on Fridays is what’s going on?

[Anonymous]

Why do you assume you're going to be fired every Friday? This makes no sense.

[Anonymous]

How many Friday meetings have you had where you've been fired?

How many Friday meetings have you had where you have not been fired?

Do the math and take comfort in it.