I guess I don't get it - won't it be just as annoying when they send you a regular email invitation?

no, because at least then I know what the hell is going on, as opposed to some random meeting showing up on my calendar. Today, I had a reminder pop up because the secy had scheduled a meeting for today. I told her that we had to reschedule, and we did for last week, but it still showed up on my calendar and reminders.

I do not have accept appointments checked. Interestingly, the other options are greyed out.

It's also annoying because she sends a meeting request for our weekly department meeting that's been a recurring meeting on my calendar forever, and now it's there twice.

So it goes on your calendar without hitting your inbox first? Yeah, okay, that would be maddening.

It's also annoying because she sends a meeting request for our weekly department meeting that's been a recurring meeting on my calendar forever, and now it's there twice.

Yep, we've got one of those. But then she sends the room assignment by regular email so that it doesn't appear in the reminder and you have to go hunt for it. Fun!

I schedule a lot of meetings for work. Does she not put the objective in the body of the invite?

We absolutely need the invite to at least show up as tentative because people's schedules are so busy that if the time isn't reserved, it will be scheduled in the next 30 minutes.

I hate when people have open time, and then when I schedule, they block off the time and decline. It feels like a major victory to get 5 people in a room, nevermind scheduling a CRC review with people from 2 companies plus tech.

I would tell the secretary that you will decline anything you don't know the objective of.

I schedule a lot of meetings for work. Does she not put the objective in the body of the invite?

the subject of the email was "Program 1/Program 2" Program 1 is my program, Program 2 is a program that is similar to mine, but unaffiliated.

But when you open the invitation, it doesn't say anything like "Meeting to discuss the implications of blah blah blahcakes on Programs 1 & 2"?

I use that for objective, to say whether or not it is a recurring meeting, and to add conference call information.

Also, we don't have people added as resources, they are added as optional or required attendees. Resources are the conference rooms and equipment.

But when you open the invitation, it doesn't say anything like "Meeting to discuss the implications of blah blah blahcakes on Programs 1 & 2"?

nope. "program 1/program 2". in toto.

Huh. I would just decline and hammer her with, "What's the objective?" responses until you have her trained.

Way back when I worked full time for Disney we were all Outlook and the tentative meeting thing was the only way to get things scheduled. I got into the habit early on of putting things on my Outlook calendar like lunch, and morning reviews for myself just to block out parts of the day so that I could keep on top of thing. If I didn't do that I'd end up with entire days filled with back to back meetings with no gaps.

I got into the habit early on of putting things on my Outlook calendar like lunch, and morning reviews for myself just to block out parts of the day so that I could keep on top of thing. If I didn't do that I'd end up with entire days filled with back to back meetings with no gaps.

I applaud that, and even do it myself. What I hate is that time being blocked only after I have spent countless hours on the phone and emailing to get things moved around, only to have someone decline and then go back and block it off.

Yeah, scheduling is a big pain the rear. I've always liked the automated ones and I really like the fact that iCal now plays nice with meeting requests. Since I'm not on the central server for most of my clients they can't see all of my calendars, but at least I can easily respond to meeting requests and they turn up on my master calendar. I live and die by what is in my iCal.