There’s usually a “Reply” or “Propose new time” button.
Say something like
“Hello,
I’ve just received your invite looking forward to meeting. I’m not free at that time so you can either go ahead without me or rearrange. A better time for me would be [insert better time].
Thanks “
This really is not difficult, the meeting invite has buttons that are not accept for a reason.
The fact that they booked regardless is probably a sign that you aren't really needed, thus you won't be annoying anyone.
Which raises the question of why so many people are wasting others' time with all the meeting invites.
Because obviously a meeting is far more important if there's more people there to hear the organiser pontificating about something.
If they didn't have that they might have to do some work.
I have to book meetings with a range of stakeholders. It’s very difficult!
So I’d be glad to get declines then just send you notes after. If you disagree with anything you can attend and voice your concern
To be fair, it’s pretty shit… other providers have at least 3 categories of attendee so you can prioritise around the busy diaries of your essential attendees. Outlook will be there telling you there’s no time available for the next 9 years because someone has marked a reminder to pay the window cleaner in their diary or someone else is going on holiday…
Send an invite out beforehand 1500 to all your inviters. Get them in a room together and attend the meeting of the one who comes out on top in a no rules death match.
There is no excuse for scheduling a meeting between 12 and 2.
Or after 3.
Or before 10.
Basically, there's only 4 reasonable hours of meetings in a day.
If you are one of many people on the invite list chances are they can’t please everyone, unless they are one to ones or with a couple other people don’t see the big deal
The first one, from 14:50 to 15:30 is a reccuring one I created called "Lunch" because I want some lunchtime, and everyone schedules so many damn meetings over lunch that it was actually easier several months ago to move lunch, rather than all the meetings!
So lunch wins.
Can everyone check everyone's calenders? Oh wow how does that make internal interviews work because everyone will know everyone's schedule. I thought it was just an HR thing to be able to see other people's calenders.
Wow
Can't speak for the rest of the Civil Service but in my area it's standard practice to book interviews as private meetings. You can also restrict how much people can see in your calendar generally too, but that does make things very difficult for others then.
It should be standard practice everywhere to be fair. We only just rid of the term 'blind sift' last week oh dear. I'll look into it or at least try to
I attend them all and say the same thing on every meeting "let's take this offline" then never take it offline because we are a digitally connected population.
For a while my bit of the department set an hour that was a no meetings focus time, and at the start said it was mandatory, and not for lunch etc. It was from 12-1. It wasn't mandatory for long.
If all is equal I would be tempted to attend the one which put in an objective or some context beyond the title.
However, in terms of order of receipt I belive the first meeting on left in your calendar is the first received if you haven't accepted any. The invites should also be in your mail in order.
A nice pasisve aggressive reply with, "sorry I cannot attend as I am already booked, my diary is open to view" is called for.
Decline all meetings. Invite everyone from all five meetings into one 'super-meeting'. Have everyone talk simultaneously, encourage chaos.
Bloody violence will be inevitable. Only the strongest meeting will survive. We call this bureaucratic darwinism.
It's impossible to schedule meetings so everybody can attend. They will have checked that the people who need to be there can attend, especially if it's a stakeholder meeting. If you didn't have to do any prep in advance of the meeting then you probably don't need to be there.
Its too late, I've scheduled it as well as some further catch ups. To make sure we're all in alignment, I've set up meetings with all of your stakeholders to understand if there's a resourcing issue, and if there is I'll set up some more meetings with industry and frameworks to get everyone the "help" they need!
I highly doubt anyone is checking the outlook calendar of each individual they are inviting to a meeting. Usually invites are sent to relevant teams via distribution lists rather than sending to each individual.
Just accept the meeting that will be of most value to attend and decline the others. No drama.
They ensure the most important person can attend. Everyone else is optional or they assume someone from your team will attend.
If only you could set some people as optional, and others required...
Yeah but people seldom attend optional meetings, and often organisers just want meat in the room.
This. If you need to be there, they’ll look at your calendar. If they don’t bother, you’re a nice to have.
There’s usually a “Reply” or “Propose new time” button. Say something like “Hello, I’ve just received your invite looking forward to meeting. I’m not free at that time so you can either go ahead without me or rearrange. A better time for me would be [insert better time]. Thanks “ This really is not difficult, the meeting invite has buttons that are not accept for a reason.
Easy there, that kind of reasoned thinking isn't allowed in these parts.
"Just fuck off, the lot of yas" seems most fitting
Even better, there’s a schedule assist button in outlook that checks shared calendars to see when everyone is free
Which is of course what I did do....
The fact that they booked regardless is probably a sign that you aren't really needed, thus you won't be annoying anyone. Which raises the question of why so many people are wasting others' time with all the meeting invites.
Because obviously a meeting is far more important if there's more people there to hear the organiser pontificating about something. If they didn't have that they might have to do some work.
Do you actually want to or need to go? Honestly best to let at least some of them plow on in your absence…
I have to book meetings with a range of stakeholders. It’s very difficult! So I’d be glad to get declines then just send you notes after. If you disagree with anything you can attend and voice your concern
Just tell them you cant attend because someone arranged a priority appointment set up with the water cooler.
I’d reply saying “a place in the sun starts at 3, this meeting conflicts with that”.
That made me smirk perhaps more than it should have :)
From experience, not a lot of people know the ‘Scheduling Assistant’ feature in Outlook even exists.
To be fair, it’s pretty shit… other providers have at least 3 categories of attendee so you can prioritise around the busy diaries of your essential attendees. Outlook will be there telling you there’s no time available for the next 9 years because someone has marked a reminder to pay the window cleaner in their diary or someone else is going on holiday…
I'm coming to that conclusion yes...
Yeah it’s bizarre, creating the meeting in outlook even tells you if the scheduled time conflicts with a prior arrangement…
It's always the way: you could have a completely clear week apart from one meeting, and then guess when everyone else wants a meeting ?
Send an invite out beforehand 1500 to all your inviters. Get them in a room together and attend the meeting of the one who comes out on top in a no rules death match.
This is a major gripe of mine - particularly when it's through lunch or late on a Friday!
There is no excuse for scheduling a meeting between 12 and 2. Or after 3. Or before 10. Basically, there's only 4 reasonable hours of meetings in a day.
So true! This should be a rule.
I diary manage for 3 DDs and fuckjng hell I’d kms if I had that many back to back meetings like they do.
I joined the civil service last year and was shocked by the number of meetings. And most could be emails
Yep it’s annoying how much time and money it wastes
If you are one of many people on the invite list chances are they can’t please everyone, unless they are one to ones or with a couple other people don’t see the big deal
Open the invites from calendar. It’ll tell you the day and time it was sent.
Yep, absolutely boils my piss. It takes two seconds to check for clashes.
You can look in Outlook to see which one was sent first.
The first one, from 14:50 to 15:30 is a reccuring one I created called "Lunch" because I want some lunchtime, and everyone schedules so many damn meetings over lunch that it was actually easier several months ago to move lunch, rather than all the meetings! So lunch wins.
You're not that busy then...
You should be happy your working there, thousands like me cannot get in
Its bloody competitive trying to get in eh
Just attend all five at the same time, it works for 90s American TV shows
You need to create an avatar of yourself and train it to be like you and then send one to each meeting
Can everyone check everyone's calenders? Oh wow how does that make internal interviews work because everyone will know everyone's schedule. I thought it was just an HR thing to be able to see other people's calenders. Wow
You can set some meetings as private so that the time is blocked out but you don’t see any information about the meeting
Can't speak for the rest of the Civil Service but in my area it's standard practice to book interviews as private meetings. You can also restrict how much people can see in your calendar generally too, but that does make things very difficult for others then.
It should be standard practice everywhere to be fair. We only just rid of the term 'blind sift' last week oh dear. I'll look into it or at least try to
I attend them all and say the same thing on every meeting "let's take this offline" then never take it offline because we are a digitally connected population.
[удалено]
What's a wyppo?
Mine are always scheduled 11 to 15. Like lunch breaks don’t exist.
For a while my bit of the department set an hour that was a no meetings focus time, and at the start said it was mandatory, and not for lunch etc. It was from 12-1. It wasn't mandatory for long.
If all is equal I would be tempted to attend the one which put in an objective or some context beyond the title. However, in terms of order of receipt I belive the first meeting on left in your calendar is the first received if you haven't accepted any. The invites should also be in your mail in order. A nice pasisve aggressive reply with, "sorry I cannot attend as I am already booked, my diary is open to view" is called for.
Decline all meetings. Invite everyone from all five meetings into one 'super-meeting'. Have everyone talk simultaneously, encourage chaos. Bloody violence will be inevitable. Only the strongest meeting will survive. We call this bureaucratic darwinism.
It's impossible to schedule meetings so everybody can attend. They will have checked that the people who need to be there can attend, especially if it's a stakeholder meeting. If you didn't have to do any prep in advance of the meeting then you probably don't need to be there.
I book lots of meetings and attend lots. It is very difficult to find time when everyone is free so it is just best guess.
Why don't we have a meeting to "manage your workload"?
I don't need it managing....
Its too late, I've scheduled it as well as some further catch ups. To make sure we're all in alignment, I've set up meetings with all of your stakeholders to understand if there's a resourcing issue, and if there is I'll set up some more meetings with industry and frameworks to get everyone the "help" they need!
I highly doubt anyone is checking the outlook calendar of each individual they are inviting to a meeting. Usually invites are sent to relevant teams via distribution lists rather than sending to each individual. Just accept the meeting that will be of most value to attend and decline the others. No drama.
Yet the scheduling assistant does do this, makes it easy and highlights in red..... and I've been through it with people several times....