Why make this meeting private?

[DoinItForTheKids]

Hi all

Why would someone I do work for at work, make our 1:1 private in his Outlook calendar when he has 1:1s with several others who do work for him, but not a single one of them is rendered private - it just struck me as really odd and I was trying to think, why? Why might someone do this?

You can of course insert emails/attachments into calendar appointments or write in the main body of the invite.... is he putting things into the appointments that he only wants himself to be able to see??? We have open calendars at our organisation and you can see anyone's entries up to the CEO and that includes being able to open, and forward appointments and be able to see the contents - the answer if it's a sensitive subject is to mark it Private.

Do I ask him why? I only just noticed it and thought blimey that's odd.

I do that sometimes and it's perfectly harmless - I'm just writing 'remember to ask X about the proposal' or something. Nothing sinister, but there's no need to share my to do list!

I also do it when something needs to be confidential of course, but the person involved is usually aware.

I wouldn't ask direct, you'll look a bit paranoid, and probably won't get anywhere if there is something important to discuss. Perhaps just say 'is there anything in particular you want me to prepare/ talk about in our 121', and their answer is your big clue!

Perhaps just ask

Seems a bit odd if it's a routine 1-1. Perhaps it's a mistake? I only ever make them private if they're wellbeing or HR-related.

But it's a repeating meeting at the same time each week, just the same as all the other people who do work for him, but mine is the ONLY one that's marked as private. It's an oddity that has some meaning I just don't know what.

I can only think it's something personal he's put in there or some 'evidence' of my 'incompetency' (I'm not incompetent but he has form for this). His behaviour is arrogant, excessively challenging, disrespectful (not just to me, to many people and departments, he's ruffled a LOT of feathers and continues to do so), no one can ever do well enough for him, he's biased to view women as lacking and men as go-getters, I could go on. He could be building a 'case' against me. I'd not put anything past him tbh.

If you have suspicions that he might be plotting something, then I would innocently confront him with the fact, in passing 'I noticed you've marked our 1:1 meetings as Private. Any reason for that?"

Presumably you don't directly report to him? Once you've registered your concern with him, I would also flag it with your line manager. If there is anything he isn't happy about it should be communicated via a 3 way conversation, not all the cloak and dagger stuff.

I think you are quite reasonable to have concerns. Anything in a Calendar which is normally Open for the entire organisation, but marked private for 1 individual, doesn't sound right. Will be interesting to observe his body language when you ask - if he is trying to hide something you'll be able to tell from his reaction.

Yes, I think daisychain I shall mention it at the next one (which won't be for a good week, he's on holiday (thank god)) and see if he looks innocent or not!

Or he ha clicked private by mistake (especially as its a repeating meeting)