The “You’re Not Invited” Meeting Invitation

Most meetings are bloated. They’re packed with people who don’t truly need to be there.

The result?

• Fewer owners, more bystanders.
• Less accountability.
• Less open, honest discussion.
• Back to back meetings - everyone’s going to everything.

But we still need to consult, update and involve people. We just don’t need them in the meeting.

|  We need to consult wider but meet smaller

The problem is, right now, most teams don’t have a system for that. If you want someone in the loop, the only tool you’ve got is inviting them. So, we overload calendars, dilute discussions, and wonder why decisions take forever.

The fix: create a new Thing - the ‘meeting CC’

Here’s what you’re going to do.

Use the CC or Optional field in your meeting invites as a ‘Not The Meeting Invite’

Hang on, what does it mean when someone includes you as ‘optional’?

• Does that mean they want you to come but don’t want to pressure you?
• Does it mean they don’t want you there but feel bad leaving you out?
• Or does it just mean they clicked something by mistake? 

No one knows! 

And that’s exactly the problem.

You need to use the Optional or CC deliberately. Assign it meaning. Treat it like a meeting CC list.

If someone is in the meeting CC, it means:

• You’re not expected to attend (no secret pressure).
• You can contribute beforehand (because your input still matters).
• You’ll be updated afterwards (so you stay informed).

This gives people voice but not obligation. It also means decision-makers get a tighter, more effective discussion while still capturing broader input.

The tech already exists. Just use it better.

Most tools already have ways to do this:

• The Optional field in Outlook or Teams
• The Follow button in Teams
• A dedicated meeting channel for that decision instead of cluttering calendars

The key is that if you make someone ‘optional’, they should know exactly what that means: what their rights and responsibilities are 🙂

This is what to do for your next meeting

You might want to explain to your team that this is now a Thing and this is how it works.

If you’re inviting someone as meeting CC, tell them:

1. What’s on the agenda.
2. How they can contribute beforehand.
3. A deadline for their input.
4. What kind of update they’ll get after.

This stops meetings from being a black box. People get a structured way to influence decisions, without sitting through an hour of discussion they don’t need to be part of.

But don’t forget

Meetings should be as small as possible but no smaller.

If you’re struggling to cut the invite list, ask yourself:

👉 Does this person need to be in the room to make the decision?
👉 Or do they just need a way to contribute and stay informed?

Use meeting CC wisely, and you’ll get faster decisions, clearer accountability, and a whole lot of time back.

Which meeting could you use this for?