A meeting invite is a small document that decides how several people's hours will be spent. Often, though, it comes down to a vague title such as «Catch-up», a time and a video call link. Those who receive it do not know what to expect, do not prepare, and the meeting runs longer than planned. Taking care of the invite takes a few minutes and noticeably changes the outcome.
First of all: do you need a meeting?
Many meetings could be an email, a shared document or a message. A meeting is justified when something has to be decided with input from several people, a problem needs solving through discussion, or a relationship needs building, as in a first meeting with a client. If the goal is only to inform, a written message is almost always more efficient and leaves a record people can consult.
The title
The title is what attendees see in their calendar for days. It should say what will be discussed and, if possible, what result is sought:
- «Meeting» says nothing;
- «Website project» is slightly better;
- «Association website: choosing a hosting provider» states topic and goal.
The duration
Many calendars default to thirty or sixty minutes, and meetings tend to fill all the time available. Some guidance:
- choose the duration based on the agenda, not on habit;
- try shorter durations such as 25 or 50 minutes: they give everyone time to move on to their next commitment;
- several calendars offer an option to automatically shorten meetings by a few minutes.
The agenda in the invite
The most useful part of the invite is the description. A simple template:
Goal: choose the hosting provider for the website.
Agenda:
1. Summary of the three offers (5 min)
2. Questions and comparison (15 min)
3. Decision and next steps (5 min)
Read beforehand: offer comparison (shared project folder)
Decides: Paola, after hearing the group
Stating who decides avoids the situation where everyone discusses and nobody knows whether a decision was made. If there are materials to read, point to them clearly and send them at least a day in advance.
Attendees
Every extra person makes the meeting longer and more costly. Ask who really needs to contribute or decide. Those who only need to be informed can receive the notes afterwards. Many calendars distinguish required and optional attendees: use it, so optional people can choose without pressure.
Before proposing a time, use the feature that shows invitees' availability. It avoids many exchanges along the lines of «I can't do Tuesday, Wednesday?».
Time zones and location
If invitees are in different time zones, create the event directly in the calendar and let the system convert the time: everyone will see it in their local time. Avoid writing the time only in the text. Always state the location too: the address and room for in-person meetings, the link for remote ones, and both for hybrid ones.
Recurring meetings
Recurring meetings, weekly or monthly, tend to outlive their usefulness. Some good practices:
- set an end date, for example the end of the quarter, and renew it only if needed;
- cancel the single occurrence when there is nothing to discuss, instead of meeting anyway;
- keep one shared document for the notes of all occurrences, linked in the description.
Changing and cancelling
When you move a meeting, edit the original event rather than creating a new one: attendees receive the update and the old time disappears from their calendars. If you cancel it, do so from the event itself, adding a line of explanation. Those who accepted the invite will see the event removed.
After the meeting
A meeting without notes leaves each attendee with a different memory. A few lines are enough, sent the same day or added to the shared document:
- decisions made;
- tasks assigned, with an owner and a deadline;
- issues still open.
Tasks with a deadline deserve to end up in the calendar or the list of whoever has to carry them out.
In short
- Call a meeting only when you need to decide or discuss, not just to inform.
- Use titles that state topic and goal, and choose the duration based on the agenda.
- Write the goal, items, materials and decision-maker in the invite.
- Invite only those who must contribute and check availability before proposing a time.
- Always close with brief notes: decisions, tasks, open issues.
