Interlude: Meeting Names, Negative Results, and the Power of One Word

Do you give much thought to the names of your meetings?

Over the years, I've changed how I've titled meetings. For example, when I schedule meetings with someone, I list my name first.

Why?

So that when the event appears on their calendar, they can easily see who they are meeting with, without opening the full invite. I'd rather take that extra step of clicking so that they don't have to.

But, frankly, I hadn't given much thought to the names of the meetings.

Until now.

Earlier this week, I listened to a podcast episode that described how dull event names make us feel the same way. Dull. Uninterested. Even unmotivated. And those feelings set the tone for the event.

But we can change that. With purposeful meeting names, we can prime people to feel, think, and behave in certain ways when they see the event on their calendars. And even when they show up to the meeting.

Not convinced? How do you feel when you read the following meeting names?

❌ Weekly meeting
❌ Check-in Call
❌ 1:1 Session

✅ Team Brainstorm
✅ Goal Setting
✅ Collaborative Session

Are you convinced? I am!

So one of my tasks for the coming week is to create better meeting names that set the tone for the kind of meeting I want to foster.

I'm curious. What do think are good meeting names? Hit reply and let me know!

Now onto this week's round-up...

💌 Round-up

📆 Upcoming

Which Voice is the Better Choice? Writing Intentionally with Active and Passive Voice – June 7, 2024
I was thrilled to be invited to speak at the AMWA NorCal Pacific Coast Conference. During this education session, I'll share why passive voice was the traditional norm and what has led to the new focus on active voice. I'll also share when active and passive voice are powerful tools that can strengthen your writing. Register for the conference

👓 Reading

Publishing negative results is good for science
​“…most scientific journals are biassed in accepting positive and novel findings. Despite their importance, negative results often go unpublished, leading to duplication of efforts, biassed meta-analyses, and ethical concerns regarding animal and human studies. In this light, the initiative by Access Microbiology to collect and publish negative results in the field of microbiology is a very important and valuable contribution towards unbiassed science.”

​Researchers need ‘open’ bibliographic databases, new declaration says​
”Some of the best known databases, such as the Web of Science and Scopus, are proprietary and offer pay-to-access data and services supporting these and other metrics, including university rankings and journal impact factors. But in a declaration posted today, more than 30 research and funding organizations call for the community to commit to platforms that instead are free for all, more transparent about their methods, and without restrictions about how the data can be used.”

🎧 Listening

How to Read Body Language to Get What You Want: 6 Simple Psychological Tricks to Be More Confident – The Mel Robbins Podcast
In this episode, Vanessa Van Edwards shares mindset shifts and helpful strategies for building confidence, communicating effectively, and changing someone's behavior with just one word. Fast forward to 48:35 to hear her thoughts on meeting names and email subjects.

🖥️ Watching

The Meeting to Decide Time Periods​
I've often raised an eyebrow when someone uses the word "biweekly." Do they mean twice a week or every two weeks? In this Instagram Reel, stage_door_johnny shares a creative conversation on how this word may have come to be.

✅ Action

Open your calendar and read through the meeting names in your schedule for next week. How do the names make you feel? How could you revise the names to be more purposeful?

Thank you so much for reading.

Warmly,

Crystal