Google Cal meeting name translator

Early in my career, I remember working as an intern and then as a contractor for a motion graphics agency in Southern California. One of my peers, a producer whom I had become friends with told me they had recently asked leadership for a raise given their effort, tenure, etc. They had told this person they would consider the proposal and follow up soon.

A week or two later, she came into work so excited because the bosses had set up a meeting with her that afternoon. She wasn’t quite sure what the agenda was but figured it was a follow-up to the raise.

What she had yet to learn was that A) our agency had recently lost a big client and B) many other people had 1:1s with leadership that afternoon. Hint: they weren’t there to talk about giving anyone a raise. About a third of the company was laid off if I remember correctly. I was a contractor and looking back I was dirt cheap so it’s no wonder I survived.

This highlights a bigger problem with software like Google Meets though. People often give meetings cryptic titles like “quick sync” when they’re just going to lay you off. I understand leadership at times needs to gatekeep information and disperse it at the right time, but what if Google used its insights across all companies and meeting names to help people better understand what to expect when going into a meeting?

To be fair, this would likely just cause anxiety, but it could be a good way for people to get their files and other documents in order if they do get laid off…

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