Email Templates for Rescheduling Meetings

Find practical email templates and key considerations for rescheduling meetings professionally and effectively.

min read

Rescheduling meetings can be a bit tricky - it's not always clear-cut. It all depends on a few important things: how urgent the meeting is, whether the key people can attend, and if changing the schedule will affect the project timeline. You also need to think about how often you're changing the meeting and how it might affect the team, their productivity, and morale. Once you've thought about all of this, you can make a good decision that respects everyone's time.

Following are some key points to consider before rescheduling a meeting: 

  1. Urgency and importance of the meeting: Assess whether the meeting's agenda is time-sensitive or can be delayed without significant consequences.
  2. Impact on project timelines: Consider how rescheduling might affect ongoing projects or deadlines.
  3. Availability of key participants: Ensure that critical stakeholders can attend the rescheduled meeting.
  4. Reason for rescheduling: Have a valid and justifiable reason for the change.
  5. Frequency of rescheduling: Be aware of how often you've rescheduled meetings recently, as frequent changes can affect your professional reputation.
  6. Notice period: Provide as much advance notice as possible when rescheduling.
  7. Alternative options: Consider whether a partial meeting with available participants or a virtual option could work instead of rescheduling.
  8. Respect for others' time: Remember that rescheduling affects others' schedules and productivity.

We’ve created a meeting reschedule email template based on these key nuances and best practices; feel free to duplicate it and make it your own. View Meeting Reschedule Email Template

Understanding when to reschedule and how to communicate changes professionally is important for maintaining productive relationships and efficient operations. The email templates provided offer a framework for clear, respectful communication across various professional contexts. Remember, it's important to be concise, offer alternatives, and show appreciation for others' flexibility.

How VCA helps with meeting agendas?

We understand that meetings aren’t just a time block. There are a plethora of pre-, in, and post-meeting tasks involved in driving an effective meeting. And how sensitive and significant the communication around meeting scheduling can be.

That’s why we are building the Video Calling App - it helps product and engineering teams capture meeting context, automate tasks, and focus on high-impact work.

VCA’s built-in AI helps you find the most suitable time slots by considering all participants’ availability, time zones, and the urgency of the agenda.

We are still in the early stages and rolling out access every day. If that sounds interesting, join the waitlist or fill out this form, and we’ll be in touch super soon.

Internal Meeting Reschedule with Close Colleagues

Subject: Reschedule [Meeting Name] - [Original Date/Time]

Hi [Name],

Hope you are having a good day! I hate to do this, but I need to ask for a raincheck on our meeting scheduled for [original date and time]. [Brief, honest reason for rescheduling, e.g., "We've had an unexpected development in the project that I need to address ASAP."]

I was hoping we could find a new time that works for both of us. How about one of these options?

  • [Option 1: Date and Time]
  • [Option 2: Date and Time]
  • [Option 3: Date and Time]

If none of these work, no worries – just let me know what's best for you.

Really appreciate your understanding on this. Looking forward to catching up soon!

Best,

[Your Name]

Leadership Meeting Reschedule Email

Subject: Request to Reschedule: [Meeting Name] - [Original Date/Time]

Hello [Name/Team],

I hope this message finds you well. I regret to inform you that due to [brief, important reason for rescheduling], we need to reschedule the [meeting name] originally scheduled for [original date and time].

Understanding the importance of this meeting and respecting your busy schedules, I propose the following new times:

  • [Option 1: Date and Time]
  • [Option 2: Date and Time]
  • [Option 3: Date and Time]

If none of these options are suitable, please help me find a time that works best for you.

I assure you that this will not impact our deliverables.

Thank you for your understanding and flexibility.

Respectfully,

[Your Name]

[Your Position]

Generic Meeting Reschedule Email

Subject: Quick update: Rescheduling our [Meeting Topic] meeting

Hi [Name],

Hope this finds you well. I need to reschedule our [Meeting Topic] meeting originally set for [original date and time]. [Brief reason, e.g., "We've had some shifts in our project timeline."]

Could we move it to one of these slots?

  • [Option 1: Day, Date, Time]
  • [Option 2: Day, Date, Time]
  • [Option 3: Day, Date, Time]

If none of these work, please let me know your availability and we'll find a time that suits us both.

Thanks for your flexibility. Looking forward to our discussion.

Best,

[Your Name]

[Your Title / Company Name]

Introducing
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Video Calling App puts all the best practices you just read into action. With VCA, product and engineering teams can capture meeting context, automate workflows, and keep everyone focused only on high-impact work.

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