I think all of us know these cryptic meeting invites where we just get the headline and nothing else. Most of the time it’s a rough guess what the meeting is about.

personally I think twice before I attend to such a meeting. It is probably the same for you as well. However, if I invite for a meeting I want all the needed people to show up.

let me show you the 10 points I consider for an invitation so everybody will join:

1. I write a clear subject which includes the project/product.

2. I introduce the topic in 2 or 3 sentences.

3. I note down the targets of the meeting.

4. I propose an agenda with time frame and responsible people.

5. I close with a nice sentence.

6. I choose a specific time frame which matches the agenda.

7. I choose a good spot during the day.

8. I add the location or the link to the online conference.

9. I add all the participants and make people optional if this is ok.

10. I colorize it to spot it quickly in my calendar.

usually the meetings are well attended and everybody knows already what we will discuss.

the 10 points are enough for you? Go ahead and start right away. You need more details? Then continue reading the explanations below:

The Details matter for a good Invitation

I go through my calendar invitation following this order:

1. Subject Line
this is the most important part, if I mess this up the description of the meeting won’t be read. I start with the type of meeting I am inviting for.

• Alignment: I have to discuss something and/or bring everyone on the same page. Most of the time there is an decision in the end.

• Workshop: I invite for a longer time to get some ideas or to analyse a process.

• [Milestone]: First one is Kick-Off, could also be Design Freeze or some other Milestone I have for the project.

next I name the product. If we stick to the smartphone example from a previous post this would be KW40. After that I name the topic itself with just a few words.

Here are some examples of a complete subject line:

• Kick-Off: KW41 new product

• Alignment: KW40 - battery second source

• Workshop: KW40 - cost reduction

2. Introduction of the Topic
I briefly describe in two or three sentences why we meet so everybody is on the same page.
for this part it is crucial to know the attendees. If I have people who know the product/ process very well, these sentences are precisely describing the topic. If there are people who had no contact so far, I use the first sentence to introduce the product or process. The next two sentences will be a brief description on the topic.

Example: ”as all of you know, we face some issues with our battery supplier as the deliveries are not on time. Therefore we need a second supplier for the batteries.”

3. Meeting-Targets
this section contains at least one goal which I try to achieve with the meeting. Writing the target down helps me to clarify what I expect from the meeting. It also helps the people I invite to prepare for the meeting.
I also use a specific language to note the goals down:

• Decision is taken to move forward with project XY.

• Common understanding on the approach to problem XY.

4. Agenda
once I noted down the targets I know what is needed to reach the target. I also know who is needed. I suggest something like this:

• Reason for the meeting. (Usually me; 5 min)

• Evidence A. (Person A; 10 min)

• Evidence B. (Person B; 5 min)

• Upsides and Downsides. (Everyone; 5 min)

• Decision taking. (Everyone; 5 min)

5. Closing
this seems unimportant but ending an invitation with a nice sentence gives people a good feeling. I recommend something that is specific for the meeting:

• We will solve this together!

• I already appreciate your input on the topic!

• Thank you for your time! (sounds familiar?)

6. Time Frame
meetings are 30 minutes or 60 minutes long. Most of the time this is because of the default setting of the app people use. I found 30 minutes to short if you want to discuss technical stuff. On the other hand, 60 minutes are most of the time too long.
Hence, I take the minutes from the agenda and add 10 minutes to have a buffer. 90% of my meetings are within the timing I set.

7. Spot during the Day
this is the most challenging part. Best meeting time would be a start at 10.00 or 11.00 in the morning, depending on how fast I need a decision (the closer I book to lunch time, the faster the meeting is).
Next slots start at 14.30 to 15.30 in the afternoon. Usually the people have their creativity coming back at those times. but don’t get me wrong, this is the ideal case. I usually take whats free.

8. Room
I put the location or the link of the room inside of the invitation. Usually this is done automatically because of the pandemic and people working from home. However, I check it just to be safe that everything is there.

9. Participants
yes, I do this at the end. This protects me to send out an invitation to everyone where I forgot something like an attachment. After defining the target and the agenda I know all the people I need. This saves me the time of checking them again after I noted the agenda. I also mark people as optional if possible so they know that they don’t have to attend.

10. Color
this is specific to my personal habits. I use certain colors for different calendar entries.
Invitations I created are coloured with red. Red means: I have to attend here, cause I invited. In addition the red color helps me to find them quickly in my calendar.

People will join the meeting if you use those 10 points because:

• they understand the topic the meeting is about

• they have an agenda, so the timing is clear

• they know what to prepare and what to expect from the meeting

• they know the target

A lot to consider for a short meeting invitation. However, the chances of people participating rises if you use the 10 points cause the people will understand the invitation better.

Are you willing to try it out? Let me know!

thank you for your time,

daniel