I wrote once about general counsel and the significant percentage of time scheduled for them by others, time that is not in their control (See my post of Sept. 8, 2008: you need a good administrative assistant to manage your calendar.). Cheryl Solomon, general counsel of the Gucci Group spoke with me recently about that point.
“My time is scheduled for me but often I control when things happen even if not the fact that they must happen. My schedule gets filled up, but often, I generate the need for the meeting or call.” She also agreed that her assistant definitely manages her calendar. “It’s been a disaster when I occasionally try to manage it myself.”
At the end, pressured by me, Solomon estimated that “maybe 20-25 percent of my time is committed by others without much or any say by me.”