Define: "Pencil It In" in Business
High risk of unnecessary meetings
"Never prepare slide decks or documents for a meeting that was 'penciled in.' Wait until you see a confirmed Outlook calendar invite with an attached agenda."
Tentatively scheduling an event or commitment subject to future confirmation or modification.
What does "Pencil It In" actually mean?
"A non-committal agreement to schedule a meeting or milestone that everyone fully intends to cancel or ignore when the date approaches."
"Let's pencil it in on the department calendar and confirm final availability during our weekly sync."
"Let's pencil it in for Thursday, which means we will both pretend we forgot about it until next month."
By The Chief Waste Officer
18 years in the corporate trenches quantifying waste so you don't have to.
Related Terminology
Tired of hearing this?
Next time someone says "Pencil It In" in a meeting, track exactly how much company money they just wasted. Play Buzzword Bingo, generate a waste invoice, and stop the bleeding.
