One Meeting Minute Thought for Your Week
You may be surprised when you realize how much time an intentional one-on-one meeting subject line can save you and your coworkers.
But I suspect you are fully aware of the frustration you feel when you see a one-on-one meeting subject line created with little consideration of the impact it has on you, the person being invited to the meeting.
So let’s start our discussion with what NOT to do.
Then I’ll share the one simple step you can take to save your coworkers time and reduce their frustration.
Bad examples of one-on-one meeting subject lines
Before I share these examples with you, I need to clarify something.
I’ve used every one of these bad examples when scheduling one-on-one meetings with my coworkers over the years.
So, I’m not perfect and I’m not casting judgment from my meeting expert ivory tower.
These are all one-on-one meeting subject lines I used before I learned the step to make them better.
One-on-one meeting subject lines – bad examples
- 1×1
- Check In
- Catch Up
- One-on-One
- Budget Question
- Chewbaka Project Status
- CouchSurfer Production Issue
I bet your calendar is packed with meetings that have subject lines like those or something similar.
And maybe “bad examples” is too harsh.
They’re okay and people use them all the time. Sometimes I do too when I’m in a hurry.
So what’s the problem with these one-on-one meeting subject lines?
This calendar example shows it clearly.
When I open my calendar and see these one-on-one meeting subject lines, I have no idea who I’ve been invited to meet with unless I open each meeting invitation.
And opening each meeting takes a lot of my time.
It’s also very frustrating as I’m sure you’ve experienced.
So what could each of these people have done differently to save my time and reduce my frustration?
More importantly, what can YOU do to save your coworkers’ time and reduce their frustration?
The answer is the one simple step I promised to share with you.
The one simple step to create a time-saving one-on-one meeting subject line
This step truly is simple and adds no time to your meeting scheduling process.
✅ Include your name and your recipient’s names in the subject line.
So the bad examples of one-on-one meeting subject lines listed above would look something like this:
One-on-one meeting subject lines – good examples
- 1×1 (Edith / Greg)
- Check In (Dak / Greg)
- Catch Up (Sanjeev / Greg)
- One-on-One (Maewyn / Greg)
- Budget Question (Rahul / Greg)
- Chewbaka Project Status (Maewyn / Greg)
- CouchSurfer Production Issue (Greg / Zoey)
Notice the difference?
Here’s what these one-on-one meetings would look like on my calendar.
Do you see how the addition of the meeting participants’ names adds tremendous value?
When you follow this simple step when you schedule one-on-one meetings with your colleagues, you’ll be making their life better.
This format saves your teammates time because with just a glance at their calendar, they know these 3 things about each meeting:
- It’s a one-on-one meeting. This information tells them it’s critical for them to accept and attend or decline. This isn’t a large group meeting where their presence may or may not have an impact.
- Who they’re meeting with. – They’ll know how to prepare. A one-on-one meeting with your direct report takes a different level of preparation than a meeting with the Chief Financial Officer!
- The general purpose of the meeting. – With only a few words, a good subject line captures what the two of you are seeking to accomplish during your time together.
There’s one more detail I’d like you to notice in the list of one-on-one meeting subject lines above.
It’s subtle so you may not spot it at first.
Do you see the one meeting subject line in the set above that’s different than the others?
Here’s a clue:
Zoey forgot to apply the bonus tip for time-saving one-on-one meeting subject lines.
Bonus tip for a time-saving one-on-one meeting subject line
This is the pro tip Zoey missed:
✅ Always put YOUR name first in the one-one-one meeting subject line.
That may seem backwards at first (maybe even self-centered) so let me explain.
When the meeting subject line is shortened in a particular calendar view or on a phone, the person you’ve invited will still see YOUR name.
They don’t need to see THEIR name because the meeting is on their calendar. They already know they’re invited!
This calendar views explains why this detail is important.
Notice how I can’t just glance at Zoey’s CouchSurfer Production Issue meeting and see it’s a one-on-one meeting with her.
I have to open the meeting to get this information or at least hover over it with my mouse.
In contrast, I can quickly see I’ll be meeting with Maewyn (and only her – not a group) during the Chewbaka Project Status meeting – even when the subject line is truncated.
Taking those extra steps doesn’t take a lot of time. Probably just a few seconds.
But seconds add up to minutes, minutes to hours, and hours to days.
And “time is money” in your business as the old saying goes.
So when you’re saving your coworkers time (even seconds) using this bonus tip to create a one-on-one meeting subject line, you’re contributing to the success of your business.
Your coworkers may not even recognize how you’ve made them more productive. But YOU’LL know.
And, who are Zoey and Maewyn?
Well, I’m glad you asked!
Zoey, Maewyn, and the family business
Zoey and Maewyn are Project Leaders for my fictional Harrod family business I created to use for illustrations in my very real business coaching business.
And, these two girls are my beloved dogs.
This slide from my Project Review Scorecard Toolkit presentation gives you the idea.
When you see this picture of Maewyn, it’s probably hard to believe she would be the one to remember to include the names in the right order in a meeting subject line!
She is a bit of a goofball!
More Resources to Help You Build Your Career and Your Business
Creating an effective one-on-one meeting subject line is like creating effective email subject line.
In both situations, the best leaders start with a mindset of service.
You’re focusing on how you can help your coworkers be more productive and successful.
I included the following tips for creating an effective email subject line in my free guide, “How to Write a Professional Email – Make a positive impact with every email you send.” (Click here to download your copy.)
How to create an effective email subject line:
- Summarize your purpose in about 9 words or 60 characters in the subject.
- Use parentheses or brackets to be clear for your readers.
- Keep each email focused on one topic and one purpose when possible. Use the subject line to communicate that singular purpose.
Example email subject lines you can use to create your own:
- (Action Requested) – Safety Report for 3/1 Ops Review
- [Requested Content by 2/19] – Renew Program Touchpoint
- (Information Only) – Rosa’s Out of Office Plan
- Please Approve by Nov 10: Pemly Purchase Order $495.21
- [Input Needed] Please comment – Dart sales proposal
Those are only a few of the tips I’ve included in the guide on how to write a professional email. Download your free guide to see them all!
And, if you’re interested in learning more on how to write a polite email in the professional world, check out this article:
✅ 3 Simple Tips for Polite And Effective Email (click here)
For more tips on productive, effective one-on-one meetings, check out this post:
✅ 7 Powerful One On One Meeting Questions (click here)
And Now a Word from Our Sponsors
If you want to learn how you can make your next Project Review meeting more productive and effective while also discovering more about me, Zoey, and Maewyn, check out the Project Review Scorecard Toolkit.
The Complete Package option includes the full training with 6 short videos where I walk you through how I use the scorecards in real life.
And, you’ll also get to see how Zoey and Maewyn use these resources to lead Project Review meetings to make our Sirius Fun Toys program successful.
That’s All for this Issue
This simple step to save your coworkers time and frustration may not be new to you.
But, based on my experience, only a small percentage of business leaders realize how much impact creating intentional one-on-one meeting subject lines can have on their colleagues and their business.
I’m excited that you are now in this elite group (if you weren’t already)!
I encourage you to share this article with others so your teammates can return the favor and save YOU time and frustration too!
Let’s lead with kindness and confidence!
Greg
Here are 3 ways I can help you when you’re ready:
- Get more free resources you can use today (Click here to Start)
- Improve on your own with digital courses (Click here to Improve)
- Accelerate your progress with coaching (Click here to Accelerate)
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