Whoa.  This is basic stuff.  Not sure a tip sheet is necessarily the way to go.

When this happens to me, I make a quick, polite phone call (never put these things in emails if you can avoid it) and explain to the organizer that they need to check with you before sending a meeting in final form.

Of course, when there are many participants, this is difficult.  When my boss gives me a long list of attendees, I immediately get the "must-haves" and then work from there.  I also find out from her who she would accept substitute attendees from.
It's tough.  Working in a world bank of 300,000 employees, with attendees in New York, London, Poland, Dubai and Singapore, there can be challenges.

No easy answer here, but my practice is to pick a firm foundation of good meeting practices, find other assistants to back me up, then gently coach the others into submission.  If you can do it in a way that shows them you care and you're not trying to bully them (even when you are!), they will come round and cooperate.

And don't from this as an 'etiquette' issue.  It is not.  It is good or bad business practice.

PKEA

Edited by diamondlady on 18/07/07 02:03 AM.