Here is another valuable Management Tip of the Day from Harvard Business Review. To sign up for a free subscription to any/all HBR newsletters, please click here.

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A busy schedule of meetings often means we have 30-minute gaps scattered throughout the day. We don’t usually pay attention to them – we either run out to grab coffee or answer a few emails – but they can have a real toll on our productivity. Four 30-minute gaps in our schedule can add up to 25% of our day. So it pays to think differently about this underused time.

o First, take a few minutes at the start of each day to identify the gaps in your schedule.

o Write what you want to accomplish in each gap into your calendar – anything from lower-value work (expense reports) to larger tasks you’ve been dreading (outlining your presentation) to creative work you want to reflect on later.

o And at the end of the day, look back on your 30-minute tasks and note which ones you’ve accomplished.

Adapted from “Don’t Waste Those 30-Minute Gaps Between Meetings” by Jordan Cohen.

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Also, you may wish to check out an anthology, Management Tips from Harvard Business Review, by clicking here.