You got a meeting invite today. The title: "Quick Sync."
What does that mean? When is it? Who needs to be there? What are we syncing about?
Nobody knows. That's the problem.
Why Vague Titles Are Expensive
Every meeting invite with a vague title forces the recipient to do mental work before the meeting even starts. They're guessing at purpose, relevance, and importance. They might prepare the wrong things. Or nothing at all.
And since most people err on the side of under-preparing, the meeting suffers.
A Better Way
Every meeting title should answer three questions:
- What is this about? (e.g., "Q3 roadmap decision")
- What do I need from you? (e.g., "Input on priorities" or "Approve final plan")
- How long is it? (e.g., "15 min" or "60 min")
Example: "Q3 Roadmap Decision — Need your input on priorities — 30 min"
That's a meeting title. The one that just says "Quick Sync" is not.
What Changes When You Fix the Title
When your meeting titles get specific, something interesting happens: people start declining the ones that aren't for them.
"This is a design decision and I'm not a designer — I'm out."
"This requires VP-level context I don't have — someone else from my team should go."
You're not just setting expectations. You're letting people self-select out of meetings that don't need them.
The Ripple Effect
Teams that use specific meeting titles report:
- Higher attendance of the right people
- Better preparation
- Shorter meetings (because everyone knows what needs to happen)
- Fewer meetings overall (because "do we need a meeting?" becomes easier to answer)
Try It Today
Your next meeting invite. Change the title. Make it specific. Add the duration.
See who thanks you for it.
Top comments (0)