Book A Meeting

---
name: book-a-meeting
description: "Get a meeting on the calendar without the back-and-forth eating your week. I propose three times that respect your focus blocks, daily meeting cap, and buffers, draft the counterparty message in your voice, iterate as they reply, and only create the event after you explicitly say to book it."
version: 1
category: Operations
featured: no
image: clipboard
integrations: [googlecalendar, gmail, outlook]
x_houston:
  created_by: houston
  skill_schema: 1
---


# Book A Meeting

## When to use

- "book a meeting with {X}" / "find 30 min with {team}".
- "let's schedule {Y}" / "propose times for {Z}".
- Handoff from `triage-a-surface` (surface=inbox) when thread classified as `book-a-meeting` and you say "book it."

## Connections I need

I run external work through Composio. Before this skill runs I check the categories below are linked. Missing → I name the category, ask you to connect it from the Integrations tab, stop.

- **Calendar** (Google Calendar, Outlook)  -  Required. Reads your free/busy and creates the event after you approve.
- **Inbox** (Gmail, Outlook)  -  Optional. Lets me save the proposal as a draft you can send.

If no calendar is connected I stop and ask you to connect your calendar first.

## Information I need

I read your operations context first. For every required field that's missing I ask ONE plain-language question (best modality: connected app > file drop > URL > paste) and wait.

- **Counterparty and purpose**  -  Required. Why I need it: shapes who, how long, and how formal. If missing I ask: "Who are you meeting with, and what's the meeting for?"
- **Schedule preferences**  -  Required. Why I need it: protects focus blocks, daily meeting cap, working hours. If missing I ask: "When do you like to take meetings  -  working hours, deep-work days, max meetings in a day, buffer between back-to-backs?"
- **Your voice**  -  Required. Why I need it: the message to the counterparty has to sound like you. If missing I ask: "Best is to connect your inbox so I can sample 20 to 30 sent messages. Otherwise paste 3 to 5 recent replies that sound like you."
- **VIPs**  -  Optional. Why I need it: VIPs get morning slots and bigger buffers. If you don't have it I keep going with TBD and treat everyone equally.

## Steps
<!-- houston-workflow:v1 -->

1. **Read `context/operations-context.md`.** If missing/empty, stop. Ask you to run `set-up-my-ops-info` first. Voice, priorities, key-contacts shape draft.

2. **Clarify ask.** Extract from message: counterparty name(s), duration (default 30 min), purpose, timezone (default user's). If material missing, ask ONE question.

3. **Read `config/schedule-preferences.json` and `config/vips.json`.** If preferences missing, ask ONE question (best: connect calendar so I infer) and continue.

4. **Resolve calendar.** `composio search calendar` → free/busy + create-event slugs. No calendar connected → tell user which category to link, stop.

5. **Fetch free/busy.** Pull busy blocks next 10 business days. Compute candidate slots that:
   - fall inside `workingHours`,
   - do NOT intersect any `focusBlock`,
   - respect `minBufferMinutes` on both sides of existing busy,
   - keep day's total meetings ≤ `maxMeetingsPerDay`,
   - avoid `blackoutPeriods`.

   Thresholds from config  -  do NOT hardcode.

6. **Pick 3 options.** Spread across days (e.g. tomorrow AM, day-after PM, end-of-week AM). Prefer mid-morning (10–11:30) and early afternoon (2–4). Avoid Mondays before noon, Friday afternoons unless nothing else fits. VIPs → prefer morning slots, bigger buffers.

7. **Draft message.** Read `config/voice.md` (or voice block in operating context). Voice samples missing → ask ONE targeted question (best: connect inbox via Composio for 20–30 recent sent messages calibration) and continue. Pattern: one-line ack → 3 proposed times (bulleted, both user + counterparty timezones labeled if different) → soft fallback ("or suggest a time that works better"). Cap ~80 words.

8. **Write `scheduling/{slug}/proposal.md`** (slug = kebab-cased counterparty or thread id  -  prefix `sched-` if standalone). Overwrite per iteration. Structure:

   ```markdown
   ## Counterparty
   {name} <{email}>

   ## Proposed times
   - {Day Mon DD, H:MMam PT / H:MMpm ET}  -  {duration}
   - ...

   ## Constraints honored
   - focus blocks respected: {list}
   - daily meeting cap: {X}/{max}
   - buffers: {min} min

   ## Draft message
   {the drafted body}

   ## Status
   draft
   ```

9. **Present to user.** "Here 3 options + draft message. Send? Tweak? Add 4th?" Never send.

10. **Iterate on reply.** Counterparty reply picks slot or counter-proposes → update proposal `## Status` (draft → sent → counter-proposed). Confirm or loop back step 5–6 with narrowed window.

11. **Book on approval.** You say "book {time} with {counterparty}" → call Composio create-event slug. Add counterparty as attendee, include video link if provider supports, title per user instruction or inferred purpose. Update proposal status `confirmed`.

12. **Append to `outputs.json`** with `type: "scheduling"`, status "draft" until confirmed, flip to "ready" on booking.

13. **Hand off prep.** After booking, if attendee VIP or meeting high-stakes, offer: "Want me run `brief-me mode=meeting-pre` on this one now?"

## Outputs

- `scheduling/{slug}/proposal.md` (overwritten per iteration)
- Created calendar event on approval
- Appends to `outputs.json` with `type: "scheduling"`.

## What I never do

- **Book** calendar event without your explicit "book it" on specific time.
- **Send** counterparty message  -  draft only. User sends from own inbox, or approves me to send via Composio after review.
- **Override focus block or daily cap** without user explicitly waiving for this one meeting.
- **Propose slots without reading preferences**  -  `schedule-preferences.json` missing → ask once, continue.