My coworkers have started 'soft-scheduling' meetings and it's driving me insane.
By @hollyee · Work
It's this passive-aggressive way of putting a 'hold' on your calendar without actually sending an invite. Now my manager is mad that I scheduled over one of these phantom meetings and I feel like I'm losing my mind.
The full story
This started about six months ago on one of the marketing teams and has since spread like a virus. Instead of sending a calendar invitation like a normal professional, people will just send a message in a Teams channel that says something like, "gentle reminder: soft hold on calendars for the Q3 planning session, Thursday afternoon." There's no invite, no confirmed time, no agenda, nothing. It's just an announcement that you are expected to keep a four-hour block of your day free, just in case they decide to meet. Last week, I had to schedule an important call with a client. The only time they had was Thursday at 2 PM. I checked my calendar, which was technically free. There was, however, a 'soft hold' from a different department for a 'synergy workshop.' I had zero details on what this was and the 'hold' had been there for three weeks with no follow-up. My client's business is more important than a hypothetical internal meeting, so I booked the call. Of course, an hour later, a formal invite for the workshop lands for Thursday at 2 PM. I decline it, explaining I have a client conflict. The organizer immediately complains to my manager. My manager then pulls me aside and says I should have "respected the soft hold" and that I created a headache by scheduling over it. they said it's about being a "team player." I argued that my calendar is a scheduling tool, not a wish list. If you want my time, send an invitation. A message in a chat room is not a meeting. Am I expected to perpetually keep my schedule clear for meetings that might never happen? It feels like a way for disorganized people to claim dibs on everyone's time without doing the work of actually planning. Am I taking crazy pills here or is this a completely unhinged way to operate?
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 30% (13 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 45% (20 votes)
- You’re Fine — 25% (11 votes)
Readers say “It’s Complicated” (45%) — 44 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@wowwhat — bruh
@yaramm — You're not taking crazy pills! That is the most inefficient system I have ever heard of and your manager is wrong for enabling it.
@theo — If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist.
@movingon — soft.
@ediey — start soft scheduling your own 4 hour lunches
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