I think a corollary is that, it's surprising how much you can say no to (if you're polite about it). I notice the dynamics are different in a really big company

I think a corollary is that, it's surprising how much you can say no to (if you're polite about it). I notice the dynamics are different in a really big company versus a small one though. Like if you're in a large company, meetings tend to cast a wide net and usually it's impossible to get 100% attendance anyway, so it's a lot easier to hide (metaphorically). Especially if you've sort of built a mystique of having a lot of fish on the fryer. On the other hand, in a small organization people are pretty aware of each others business, so it's a lot harder to pull the "gosh I wanted to attend but I had this other thing come up..." card. Then you have to be a little bit more direct with the "I have things to do and this isn't that important' deal. If I were to wear my slightly evil hat though, I would say it's useful to occasionally decline meetings. It doesn't hurt to remind people your time is of value.