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Here’s an example of an invitation:

To:

From:

Re: Team meeting

Dear Colleagues,

We are holding two meetings in May to discuss reorganisation of the department. It is extremely important that everyone in the team attends. We are proposing two dates: May 17^th or May 24^th at 1 p.m. in the canteen. Please let me know by May 6^th which date or dates you are available for.

I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Sara Leboeuf

HR Manager

Why is this invitation successful?

 It’s clear – it states the type of meeting.

 It explains – it doesn’t take for granted that the participants know.

 It specifies attendance – it says who should come.

 It offers alternative time slots.

 It offers a choice of dates.

 It’s polite and it makes clear requests with a clear deadline.

 It shows authority – the sender states her job title at the end.

The invitation also creates a record. Do people need a record? If you’ve got back-to-back meetings or very few meetings, yes, you do. Knowing where you have to be and when is all important.

 Date

Write it how you like. Some people prefer May 6th 2013. Some like 6th May 2013. Many people, even in the UK, use the US form 6 May 2013 or May 6 2013.

You may see this: 6/7/13 (the 6^th of July 2013), but be careful, as in America and other parts of the world, the month comes first, like this: 7/6/13 (the 6^th of July 2013) not, as it looks to the British (the 7^th of June 2013).

If in doubt, copy the format from a previous meeting.

 Time

Just to be clear, many companies now use the 24-hour clock and write the time as part of a 24-hour period. So 09:05 is five minutes past nine a.m. and 12:05 is five minutes past 12 o’clock midday. Alternatively, you can use a.m./p.m.

It’s important to note that people from different cultures have different attitudes to time. Some are much more tolerant of delays and lateness than others. The UK, by and large, is an ‘on time’ culture. It’s much better to arrive five minutes early for a meeting than five minutes late. Also, if you’re going to be late you should ring and advise as early as possible.

 Location

This is straightforward: building, address (if needed) and room number, e.g.

Room 101 Edinburgh Building 3 East Side Nottingham

Be careful you get numbers and addresses right. If the meeting is in your office building, check the room booked corresponds to the room number on the invitation and agenda.

If the meeting is off-site (i.e. away from the office), check the directions (they are sometimes called joining instructions) are easy to follow. Do get it right. It’s all too easy to send people to the wrong room or even to the wrong building on the wrong side of town!

Check and double-check the details are right. If you’re in the same building, nip along and check. Fifteen minutes spent now might save hours of wasted time and frustration later – for you and the participants. After all, you don’t want to end up on the roof!