The Calendar Invite Industrial Complex
When “Let’s Meet for Coffee” Somehow Requires Notifications, Acceptance Buttons, and an International Treaty
My pet peeve this week is the growing class of people who apparently believe no human interaction is official until it arrives wrapped in a calendar invite.
Coffee tomorrow morning?
Calendar invite.
Quick five-minute call?
Calendar invite.
Lunch three weeks from now?
Calendar invite, complete with alerts, location pin, Zoom link, weather report, and apparently FEMA clearance.
Here’s my issue: I appreciate that you’re willing to help, but I actually do know how to use a calendar. I’ve been adding appointments to my own schedule for decades now with remarkable success. If you tell me we’re meeting on Thursday at 2:00, I can somehow manage the impossible task of typing “Thursday 2:00” into my calendar all by myself.
But no. Instead, I received your invite, which lists your appointment as “Coffee with Phil Cooke” (I don’t need to know that). And I can’t edit without creating chaos in the universe. And if I delete it because my calendar already looks like the cockpit of a 747, it immediately sends you a notification that I “declined” and suddenly you’re calling in a panic:
“Phil! Are we still meeting?!”
Yes, Bob. I deleted the invitation, not our friendship.
And why do these invites always include three reminders? I don’t need my phone to warn me 24 hours, 2 hours, and 10 minutes before a coffee.
How about this: if you’re passionate about it, at least ask first:
“Would you like me to send you a calendar invite?”
Just think about it. Because I’m starting to think that civilization depends on it.
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
