Getting more than 3 people to agree to a date and time for a meeting is a Herculean task. The easiest way I’ve found to find an agreed upon date is to use Doodle. No doubt many of you have already used this helpful service. If you haven’t then give it a try the next time you have to get a bunch of folks together.

Doodle enables you to set up a web-based site” where you can suggest a variety of dates and times for a meeting. Participants are invited by email, then check off their availability. After everyone has responded pick the most popular option and let everyone know. It is really that simple, and when used properly Doodle can help eliminate the never ending series of emails that often surrounds getting colleagues together for a meeting.

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The paid versions allow you to send automated reminders and track who has yet to respond among other features. This may be overkill for a straightforward meeting, but YMMV. Doodle also serves as a site to poll people on their opinions. In this context it functions like SurveyMonkey. Screen Shot 2014-05-26 at 10.56.01 AM

Learn more at Doodle.com