Calendar Management with Office Admin

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Adding events from emails
• Checking for scheduling conflicts
• Creating calendar holds for tentative events
• Converting timezones for international contacts
• Managing working hours and availability
• Blocking focus time or recurring events

User Calendar Preferences

Load preferences from ~/.claude/office-admin-config.json:

{
  "personal": {
    "timezone": "America/Chicago",
    "workingHours": {
      "start": "09:30",
      "end": "16:30",
      "lunchStart": "12:00",
      "lunchEnd": "13:30"
    }
  },
  "calendar": {
    "defaultDuration": 30,
    "bufferMinutes": 15,
    "schedulingLink": "https://user.cal.com/schedule",
    "autoAddFromEmail": true,
    "eventNaming": {
      "includeLocation": true,
      "includeAttendees": false
    }
  }
}

Core Principles

1. Always check conflicts first - Before committing to an event
2. Respect working hours - Use user's configured schedule
3. Handle timezones carefully - Convert accurately, show both zones
4. Be proactive - Auto-add events from emails when configured
5. Use descriptive titles - Include location/context per user preference

Adding Events from Emails

Step 1: Extract Event Details

Look for in the email:

• Date and time (or phrases like "tomorrow", "next Tuesday", "in two weeks")
• Duration (or use defaultDuration from config)
• Location (physical address, restaurant name, virtual link)
• Event type (meeting, lunch, coffee, party, etc.)
• Attendees (who else is invited)
• Special notes (dress code, what to bring, etc.)

Step 2: Parse Relative Dates

Handle conversational dates:

• "tomorrow" → current date + 1 day
• "next Monday" → next occurrence of Monday
• "in two weeks" → current date + 14 days
• "Dec 5" → December 5 of current year (or next if passed)

Step 3: Check Calendar for Conflicts

BEFORE creating the event:

# Get user's calendar for that date
mcp__pd__google_calendar-list-events(
  instruction="Get all events for [date], between [start_time - bufferMinutes] and [end_time + bufferMinutes]"
)

Look for:

• Direct conflicts (overlapping times)
• Buffer violations (< bufferMinutes between events)
• Lunch conflicts (check workingHours.lunch* from config)
• End-of-day violations (past workingHours.end)

Step 4: Report Availability

Tell the user:

If free:

You're free at [time] on [date].

If conflict exists:

That conflicts with:
- [event name] from [start] to [end]

Your schedule that day:
9:30am - 10:30am: Team standup
10:30am - 12:00pm: FREE
12:00pm - 1:30pm: Lunch
1:30pm - 3:00pm: [Proposed event would go here]
3:00pm - 4:00pm: Client call

Step 5: Create the Event

If user confirms or no conflict exists:

mcp__pd__google_calendar-create-event(
  instruction="Create event with:
  - Title: [descriptive title with location if includeLocation=true]
  - Date: [YYYY-MM-DD]
  - Start time: [HH:MM] [timezone]
  - End time: [HH:MM] [timezone]
  - Location: [physical address or link]
  - Description: [context about who invited, what it's about]
  - Attendees: [email addresses]
  "
)

Title format examples:

• If includeLocation: true: "Lunch with Mike at Soho House"
• If includeLocation: false: "Lunch with Mike"
• If includeAttendees: true: "Meeting with Mike, Sarah, John"

Timezone: Always use user's timezone from config unless explicitly scheduling with someone in another timezone.

Step 6: Confirm Addition

Provide:

• Event summary
• Calendar link for verification
• Note any adjustments made (e.g., moved 15min earlier to respect buffer)

Handling Tentative Events

For events pending confirmation:

1. Create with "HOLD:" prefix

   Title: "HOLD: Call with Jean (pending confirmation)"
   

2. Add note in description

   Description: "(pending confirmation) Call with Jean Labuschagne about consulting opportunity"
   

3. Update when confirmed

   • Remove "HOLD:" prefix
   • Update description to remove "pending" note

4. Delete if falls through

   • Remove the calendar event
   • Log in CRM why it didn't happen (if tracking deals)

Timezone Handling

For Same-Timezone Contacts

Use user's timezone from config:

Time: 2:00 PM America/Chicago

For Different-Timezone Contacts

When scheduling with someone in another timezone:

1. Specify both timezones in email:

   "How about 9am Chicago time (4pm Zurich)?"
   

2. Double-check conversion:

   • Look up their timezone
   • Calculate offset from user's timezone
   • Verify conversion is correct
   • Account for DST differences

3. Common international contacts: Keep a mental note of frequent timezone conversions:

   • US East Coast: +1 hour from Chicago (America/New_York)
   • UK: +6 hours from Chicago (Europe/London)
   • Central Europe: +7 hours from Chicago (Europe/Zurich)
   • Tokyo: +15 hours from Chicago (Asia/Tokyo)

4. Create event in user's timezone:

   Title: "Call with Jean in Zurich"
   Time: 9:00 AM America/Chicago
   Description: "9am Chicago / 4pm Zurich - Call with Jean Labuschagne"
   

Working Hours Awareness

Checking Availability

When someone asks "when are you free?":

1. Check user's workingHours from config
2. Look for gaps between existing events
3. Respect bufferMinutes between meetings
4. Avoid scheduling during lunch hours
5. Prefer morning or afternoon blocks

Typical Day Structure

Based on config defaults:

9:30am - Start of working day
    ↓
[Morning block for meetings/work]
    ↓
12:00pm - 1:30pm - Lunch (avoid scheduling)
    ↓
[Afternoon block for meetings/work]
    ↓
4:30pm - End of working day

Buffer Management

Apply bufferMinutes (default: 15) between events:

10:00am - 11:00am: Meeting A
[15 min buffer]
11:15am - 12:00pm: Meeting B

Don't schedule back-to-back unless user explicitly requests.

Recurring Events

For recurring events (weekly standups, monthly check-ins):

mcp__pd__google_calendar-create-event(
  instruction="Create recurring event:
  - Title: [name]
  - Frequency: [daily/weekly/monthly]
  - Day: [Monday, Tuesday, etc. for weekly]
  - Time: [HH:MM]
  - Duration: [minutes]
  - Until: [end date or 'indefinitely']
  "
)

Focus Time / Blocking

For work blocks or focus time:

mcp__pd__google_calendar-create-event(
  instruction="Create focus time block:
  - Title: 'Focus Time' or 'Deep Work'
  - Mark as: Busy
  - Visibility: Private (optional)
  - Duration: [typically 2-4 hours]
  - Recurring: [if regular pattern]
  "
)

Integration with Email Skill

When email-management skill sees scheduling language:

1. Extract event details
2. Call this skill to check conflicts
3. Report back to email skill
4. Email skill includes availability in draft response
5. This skill creates event once confirmed

Seamless handoff between skills.

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Lunch Invitation

Email: "Want to grab lunch next Tuesday?"

1. Check calendar for next Tuesday
2. Check lunch hours (12:00-1:30pm from config)
3. Look for conflicts in that window
4. Report: "You're free for lunch on Tuesday Dec 5"
5. Create tentative hold
6. Once confirmed, create proper event with restaurant location

Scenario 2: Meeting Request with Multiple Options

Email: "Can we meet Monday or Tuesday afternoon?"

1. Check both Monday and Tuesday afternoons
2. Identify all free slots after lunch
3. Report: "You're free:
   - Monday 2:00pm-4:30pm
   - Tuesday 1:30pm-3:00pm, 4:00pm-4:30pm"
4. Let user choose
5. Create event for chosen slot

Scenario 3: International Call

Email from Switzerland: "9am your time?"

1. Confirm user's timezone (America/Chicago)
2. Calculate Switzerland time (4pm CET)
3. Check 9am Chicago for conflicts
4. Report availability
5. Create event with both timezones in description

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Not Checking Conflicts

Problem: Double-booking user Solution: ALWAYS check calendar before confirming availability

❌ Wrong Timezone

Problem: Event created in wrong timezone, user misses meeting Solution: Use timezone from config, verify conversions carefully

❌ Ignoring Buffers

Problem: Back-to-back meetings with no break Solution: Apply bufferMinutes between events

❌ Scheduling During Lunch

Problem: Booking meetings during lunch hours Solution: Check workingHours.lunchStart/End from config

❌ Vague Event Titles

Problem: "Meeting" with no context Solution: Include who, what, where based on eventNaming preferences

❌ Forgetting to Create Holds

Problem: User verbally commits but event not tracked Solution: Always create HOLD events for tentative commitments

Integration Checklist

Before completing a calendar task:

• Loaded user's calendar preferences from config
• Checked for conflicts with sufficient buffer
• Verified timezone is correct
• Respected working hours and lunch time
• Used descriptive event title per preferences
• Added location if includeLocation enabled
• Included relevant attendees
• Added context in description
• Confirmed event was created successfully
• Provided calendar link to user

Success Criteria

You're managing calendar well when:

• No double-bookings occur
• User has appropriate buffers between meetings
• Timezone conversions are accurate
• Event titles are clear and helpful
• Working hours are respected
• Conflicts are caught before committing
• Integration with email is seamless

Remember

Calendar management is about protecting user's time and making scheduling effortless. Be proactive, be accurate, and always check conflicts first.