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There it is in your inbox: a coming together invite to a meeting you really don't want to attend. Maybe considering information technology's shoe-horned into i of the few remaining white spaces in your calendar. Or it's for a time that's already booked, and at present you're left to decide whom to refuse. Whatever the reason, sometimes you need to decline a meeting invite.

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Meetings

  • How Top Salespeople Land Hard-to-Get Meetings

Your showtime claiming is deciding which meetings to pass up. A little field of study goes a long way here. Establish a set up of criteria for participation and stick with it.

Start by assessing the value of the coming together. Is the meeting about something of import, timely, and worthwhile? Is it fix for success by having a clear purpose and calendar? Is at that place background information available to inform participants in advance? Are the appropriate people invited and then that meaningful progress can exist made? If the value of the coming together isn't clear from the invitation, reply back with a few open up-ended questions before making your determination:

  • "Could you please provide some additional data on the agenda?"
  • "What stage of decision making are we at on this topic?"
  • "How should I set for the discussion?"

If it'south clear that the meeting is worthwhile, your adjacent question is whether or not y'all're the right person to attend. Are the issues within the purview of your role? Do you take the expertise to contribute to the conversation? Are you underqualified or overqualified for the level of decisions on the table? If yous're questioning why you were invited, reach out to the meeting organizer before responding:

  • "What are you lot looking for me to contribute at this meeting?"
  • "Who else will exist at that place from my department?"
  • "Who volition I be representing?"

Finally, if you believe the meeting volition be valuable and that yous would make a contribution to the discussions, you need to decide whether or not the coming together is a priority for you right at present. How fundamental is the coming together topic to your role? Where does the event fit relative to your other immediate demands? How unique is your contribution and could your seat be meliorate filled by someone else?

If y'all can't say aye to any of the 3 criteria above, so it's advisable to reject the meeting, but tread carefully. Y'all want to go out your co-worker feeling that you're a good team histrion and a positive contributor, even if you don't nourish her meeting. Consider a few different options:

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Tin can I stop the coming together altogether? If the meeting failed criteria #1 because you lot don't believe information technology's set up for success, take a moment to talk with the organizer about your concerns. It'southward possible the person will dismiss your comments, simply information technology'due south possible that you trigger i of two positive outcomes: either the meeting gets better positioned for success or information technology gets cancelled. Try 1 of the following approaches:

  • "This is an interesting topic. Based on our current year priorities, I'm not sure nosotros're ready for a productive chat all the same. Would it exist possible to push this meeting dorsum and let the working grouping make a picayune more progress before we meet?"
  • "I'm looking forward to making some decisions on this issue. From the meeting invite, it doesn't look like Production is involved. I would similar to look until someone from Production is willing to join. Otherwise, nosotros won't be able to make whatever decisions."
  • "Based on the information in the invitation, information technology looks like this meeting is for advisory purposes. Would it exist possible to get a summary sent out rather than convening a meeting?"

Tin I recommend someone else? If the coming together is important, but it failed criteria #2 because you're not the correct person for the task, endeavor recommending someone else. Be sure to invest some try in finding the right person so you don't appear to be shirking the responsibility. Endeavor floating these options:

  • "I'1000 flattered that y'all are interested in my input. I don't believe I'm the best qualified on this topic. I did a piffling earthworks and information technology looks similar Pat would have the necessary context. Would you be comfortable inviting Pat rather than me?"
  • "Given that this is a decision-making meeting, I think it's more advisable to accept my managing director correspond our squad."
  • "Thanks for the invite to this meeting. I don't call back I'chiliad required at this point. If information technology'south alright with you, I'd similar to send Jose equally my delegate."

Can I contribute in accelerate? If the coming together failed benchmark #3 (yous determined that information technology was an important topic on which you could add together unique value, but attending the meeting doesn't fit with your schedule or priorities), you have the opportunity to add value in advance. Take a few minutes to pull together some notes and to cursory the chair or a suitable participant. That will be much more efficient than attending the entire meeting. You can respond to the organizer by saying:

  • "This is going to exist an important discussion. I'm not able to attend, but I will detect some time to share my thoughts and then you tin can include them in the word."
  • "I'thousand sorry that I can't attend the coming together. If I set up yous in advance, could I ask that yous represent my ideas at the meeting?"

Can I attend for function of the meeting? If 1 or more calendar items did meet all 3 of your criteria, whereas others didn't, you might accept the selection of attending for part of the meeting. Yous tin respond with one of the following:

  • "Thanks for the invite. I think it's really important for me to be function of the give-and-take on rebranding. Given a few other priorities at the moment, I'1000 going to excuse myself once that item is complete."
  • "Would it be possible to encompass the rebranding give-and-take as the beginning calendar particular? I tin't stay for the entire meeting simply I'd actually like to contribute on that 1."

Regardless of which pick you choose, you're trying to do three things. Get-go, model deliberateness about the use of time. Second, share your rationale so that the meeting organizer has some context for why you're non participating. Third, make an effort to run into the organizer's needs, even if it's non in the way they had originally envisioned.

It might be a chip of a culture stupor at outset, just all the overwhelmed people with 35 hours a week of meetings will quickly adore your subject field. Simply remember, you need to afford the same courtesy to the people who pass up the invites yous ship!