“Can you squeeze in one more?”

My calendar is back-to-back with meetings and I have no time left to actually do my job.

What's really going on

Meeting culture defaults to "accept everything," and nobody ever reviews recurring invites once they exist.
A full calendar can feel safer than an empty one. An empty slot means you have to decide what to do with your time. A meeting means someone already decided for you.
Roughly half of meetings could be an email, a doc or a five-minute call, but nobody questions the habit.
Deep, focused work has nobody defending it on a calendar, so it's the first thing that gets squeezed out.

What to say

Replying to an invite with no agenda

"Hey, what do we need to decide in this one? If it's mostly a status update, I'm happy to catch it async and give you the hour back."

Change the words so they sound like you, but keep the tone.

Still in the guide for this situation

6 steps to take, in order
3 more word-for-word scripts
3 mistakes to avoid
3 signs it's time to escalate or leave

Plus the 24 other situations and the bonus chapter.

PDF guide · 92 pages

Corp life: I've already suffered so you don't have to

All 25 situations, each with what's really going on, the steps, the exact words, what not to do and when to leave
A “walk in curious” primer and a bonus chapter on the mindset that makes all of it easier
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Questions

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Is this legal or HR advice?

No. It is general career guidance based on experience. For decisions with legal or financial consequences, such as a contract, a dismissal or a discrimination complaint, talk to a qualified professional where you live.