9 Polite Ways to Ask What a Meeting Is About

Do you want to learn what a meeting is about before you attend?

It’s important information to have, but you’re a bit worried it can seem rude or informal to ask, right?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn more!

This article will teach you how to professionally ask what a meeting is about.

Is It Okay to Ask What a Meeting Is About?

It is okay to ask what a meeting is about. It is not rude and is a great way for you to show a bit of proactivity when finding out more about the workplace.

You can ask your boss if they have invited you to a meeting. If they don’t originally explain the purpose of the meeting, it might be worth asking them to find out more.

It’s then up to them to decide if they want to tell you. So, it can never hurt to ask!

Pros

  • It’s a great way to get more information about a meeting.
  • It allows you to sound proactive and prepared.

Cons

  • It can seem a bit pushy if the person holding the meeting wants it to be a secret.
  • If you word it incorrectly, you might appear rude.

As long as you get the wording right, there’s nothing wrong with asking what a meeting is about! So, it’s time to explore some options to ensure you’re as polite as possible.

Keep reading to learn how to politely ask what a meeting is about. We’ve gathered a list of some of the best phrases to help you understand a bit more.

How to Ask What a Meeting Is About

  • Please share the agenda for the meeting
  • Do you mind sharing more about the meeting?
  • What is the purpose of the upcoming meeting?
  • Could you provide some information on the content?
  • Please enlighten me on the subject matter of the meeting
  • What will the meeting focus on?
  • What subjects will be covered during the meeting?
  • Could you offer a brief overview of the purpose of the meeting?
  • May I request information regarding the meeting’s agenda?

1. Please Share the Agenda for the Meeting

You can request to know more about a meeting by saying “please share the agenda for the meeting.”

This is a simple way to request a meeting agenda when you’re unsure what to expect.

It’s formal and direct, showing that you’d like a brief rundown of what a meeting will entail.

From there, it’s up to the recipient to decide how much they tell you. But whatever the case, you did your duty and remained polite and professional.

You can also review this sample email to learn a bit more:

Dear Miss West,

Please share the agenda for the meeting.

The team would like to know what to expect before we arrive.

All the best,
Joe Swan

2. Do You Mind Sharing More About the Meeting?

It’s worth writing “do you mind sharing more about the meeting” in some cases as well.

It allows you to ask for more details about a meeting to determine if it’s worth attending.

If you’re worried about how to ask if a meeting is necessary, this is a good way to do it. After all, it shows you’re interested in the meeting’s content and want to learn more.

So, use it when contacting an employer. It shows that you’re not ready to agree to a meeting until you’ve found out a bit of information.

Check out this email example if you still need help with it:

Dear Mr. Smith,

Do you mind sharing more about the meeting?

I’d certainly like to know what to expect before I arrive.

Thank you,
Clarence Kennedy

3. What Is the Purpose of the Upcoming Meeting?

You can also ask “what is the purpose of the upcoming meeting?”

While it might seem rude, this is a great way to be professional and clear. It suggests that you need to know what a meeting will be about before you agree to anything.

After all, there’s nothing wrong with some professional curiosity. You’re entitled to ask what a meeting is about to determine whether it’s worth your time.

The following email sample will also help you to understand it better:

Dear Mr. Weiss,

What is the purpose of the upcoming meeting?

I’m unsure if I’ll be able to attend unless it covers important topics.

Yours,
Tyler McManus

4. Could You Provide Some Information on the Content?

You can also ask “could you provide some information on the content?” This is a polite way to ask about the purpose of a meeting that someone has requested.”

Specifically asking about the “content” shows you’re interested in hearing what a meeting will go through.

This allows you to be formal and direct. It’s a clear way to let the recipient know that you’d like a bit more information from them before attending a meeting.

After all, nobody likes going into a meeting with no prior knowledge. It’s good to have a rough idea to help you plan things out.

You may also want to review this email example to learn more:

Dear Miss Wilde,

Could you provide some information on the content?

I’d like to be a bit more prepared before attending this meeting.

Thank you so much,
Hillary Snowflake

5. Please Enlighten Me on the Subject Matter of the Meeting

Feel free to ask for an agenda for a meeting with “please enlighten me on the subject matter of the meeting.”

This is formal and respectful. So, it shows that you need a bit more information before you agree to any meetings that you haven’t already heard about.

For instance, you can use it when writing to a business partner.

If they want you to come to a meeting, you might want to know more before agreeing. A phrase like this will help with that.

So, check out this example to learn more about it:

Dear Ms. Whitehall,

Please enlighten me on the subject matter of the meeting.

I need to know more before I mix my schedule around.

All the best,
Alex Peterson

6. What Will the Meeting Focus On?

You can use “what will the meeting focus on” to show that you’re keen to hear more about a meeting’s agenda.

Using “focus on” suggests you only want the key points. You don’t need a full debrief, as you understand that you’ll get most of that during the meeting itself.

Therefore, you can use this when writing to a client. It shows that you’re willing to attend a meeting they host, but you need a few more details first.

Check out this sample email if you want to learn a bit more:

Dear Mr. Martell,

What will the meeting focus on?

I hope you have a few good ideas that’ll help us to move forward.

Yours,
Yuri Basa

7. What Subjects Will Be Covered During the Meeting?

Next, you can write “what subjects will be covered during the meeting?”

This is a great way to quiz an employee. If they’ve asked you to attend a meeting, you can use something like this to find out what they want to learn from you.

It’s a professional and direct way to get more information from a meeting before agreeing to anything.

So, it’ll go a long way when you don’t want to schedule anything immediately.

Also, you can review this example to learn some more about it:

Dear Adam,

What subjects will be covered during the meeting?

I won’t book this until I know it’ll be beneficial for both of us.

Yours,
Ruth Merry

8. Could You Offer a Brief Overview of the Purpose of the Meeting?

Feel free to write “could you offer a brief overview of the purpose of the meeting?”

Of course, this question speaks for itself.

Asking for a “brief overview” is professional and respectful. It shows you need a few basic points to learn more about what the meeting entails.

It’s always up to the recipient to divulge this information, though! They can give you as much or as little as they’d like.

Feel free to review this example if you still need help:

Dear Miss Hilt,

Could you offer a brief overview of the purpose of the meeting?

Then, I can relay that to my team, and we can prepare.

Thank you so much,
Jonathan Church

9. May I Request Information Regarding the Meeting’s Agenda?

Finally, you can ask “may I request information regarding the meeting’s agenda?”

This is a direct and formal way to show that you’d like to learn more about a meeting’s content.

It works best when contacting your boss. If they’ve randomly emailed you to ask for a meeting, you might be a bit nervous!

Fear not! You can quell the nerves by asking something like this to find out more about what they want from you.

Also, it’s worth checking out this email example to learn more:

Dear Ms. Rabbit,

May I request information regarding the meeting’s agenda?

I’d certainly like to know what it’s all about.

Thank you so much,
Benjamin Bradley