In many offices your calendar is how colleagues know whether they can reach you. Using it properly is a small habit that makes you look organised from week one.
A meeting invitation should carry a clear title, a time with the time zone if anyone is remote, a place or a link, and one line on the purpose. Without the purpose, people arrive not knowing what is expected and the first ten minutes are wasted.
Accept or decline, do not ignore. The organiser is counting attendance. Silence is read as either yes or rudeness, and neither helps you.
You are invited to a meeting you cannot attend.
What happens: The organiser plans around you, then discovers on the day that you are missing. It reads as unreliable even when you had a good reason.
What happens: They can reschedule or brief you afterwards. Declining with a reason is professional. Silence is what causes the problem.
What if I do not know whether I should be in a meeting?
Ask the organiser what they need from you. It is a completely normal question and it often results in you not needing to attend, which is a good outcome for both of you.
How do I stop meetings eating my whole day?
Block time in your own calendar for the work you have to do, and treat it as a real commitment. If your calendar shows you as free, people will book you. This is not rude, it is the normal way of protecting time in an office.
Before you move on
- Always accept or decline, never ignore
- Put a purpose line in meetings you organise
- Block time for your own work
Check what you know
3 questions. Have a look at what this lesson asks.
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