The one reply that stops pointless meetings taking over your week
Accepting every meeting invite can feel like being a good colleague. But a meeting with no decision attached tends to become a calendar block that quietly repeats every week.
THE QUICK ANSWER
When an invite arrives without an agenda, reply with one question: “What decision are we making?” Saying yes to every invite feels cooperative, but a meeting with no decision attached is just a calendar block that comes back next week. Make that question the price of admission. Either the meeting gets sharper, or you get an hour back.
GO DEEPER
Why agenda-less meetings keep coming back
Accepting meeting invites is the easy, friendly option. Declining can feel rude, and asking questions about an invite can seem difficult. So most people click yes without much thought, especially when the invite comes from a colleague they like or someone more senior.
The trouble is that a meeting with no decision attached has no natural end point. People talk, agree to pick it up again, and the same slot appears next week. Over time these recurring blocks fill the calendar, leaving less room for the focused work that actually moves things forward.
The fix is to reply to any agenda-less invite with one question: “What decision are we making?” Treat it as the price of admission. If the organiser has a clear answer, the meeting gets sharper because everyone knows what it is for. If they do not, the meeting may not need to happen, and you get an hour back.
The question works best when asked with genuine curiosity rather than as a challenge. You are not refusing to help; you are making sure the time is well used. Try it on your own meetings too. If you cannot say what decision a meeting is for, it is worth asking whether it needs to exist.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Before accepting a meeting with no agenda, ask “What decision are we making?” Either the meeting improves or you get your time back.
TEST YOURSELF
A meeting invite lands in your calendar with no agenda. What does the video suggest you do?
PRACTISE IT
Try this lesson in the arcade
Quick retro games that start with this lesson’s situations. One thumb, one to three minutes, free.
