Taking care of manners in meetings: what to do and what not to do

As meetings continue to grow in popularity for group communication in business, people need a reminder on how to get the most out of them. I have taught people teamwork and how to have more effective meetings. This training often includes basic meeting etiquette and common manners of behavior. However, I still see a lot of misdirected meetings and occasional bad manners between them. I feel it is time to re-emphasize the importance of good manners and professional behavior in meetings.

Everyone in business should understand that meeting etiquette is an important part of business communications and proper procedures for professional conduct must be followed. Bad meetings reflect on one’s ability to conduct professional group communications and have an adverse influence on problem solving. Here’s a baker’s dozens of list of meeting dos and don’ts to improve awareness of meeting etiquette.

1. Set a convenient time and place for the meeting and confirm it with the attendees well in advance of the meeting date. This shows respect for their time and RSVPs better facilitate meetings where specific people are required for decision making or problem solving.

2. Do not invite people who do not need to attend the meeting to fulfill its purpose. Inviting people who don’t need to be there is disregarding their time, and can actually cost everyone else in the meeting time, as they may have to stop and explain why the person was invited.

3. Arrange to attend the entire meeting time. Walking in and out during meetings is disruptive and can disrupt the flow of the meeting for others. If you are leaving early or are going to be late, ask the leaders for permission to do so before the meeting starts so that the agenda can be rearranged if necessary.

4. Do not start the meeting late or exceed the reported end time, as this indicates a lack of respect for the time of others. All attendees must be punctual. It’s okay to be early, but never be late. Keeping people waiting is rude and you should not expect them to wait to start once everyone arrives.

5. Make sure everyone knows the purpose and agenda of the meeting. Put this on meeting reminders and go over it with everyone at the beginning of the meeting to make sure everyone agrees. Once everyone agrees, it’s easier to stick to the agenda and respect the time limits.

6. Don’t forget to assign a recorder to document decisions and actions. Having a recorder will not only ensure completion of actions outside of the meeting, but its visible records in the meeting can help keep the group focused.

7. Turn off phones and pagers. Some people will find this impossible. For those people, ask them to at least set it to vibrate in their pockets. Ask anyone keeping you connected to leave the room if you think she needs to answer a call so that the conversation doesn’t interrupt the meeting.

8. Do not turn on the laptop (or PDA) unless it is going to be used for a short time to present information to the group. This outfit often prevents attendees from paying attention to the meeting and is seen as rude by others in the meeting as it gives the impression that the topic of the meeting is not important.

9. Actively participate in discussions, brainstorming, and problem solving. Respect the purpose of the meeting by making sure what you say is relevant to the meeting and is brief.

10. Do not interrupt anyone who is speaking. Be courteous and pay attention, as good listening skills are important for increasing communication and understanding. Show respect by remembering that only one person speaks at a time, so take turns.

11. Honor your presenters by letting them know your schedule and what is expected during that time. They should arrive early and be prepared with any briefing or visual material. During presentations, keep questions and comments to the end and keep them brief.

12. Do not hold conversations during meetings or presentations. Having multiple conversations is not only rude, but it can also be confusing and distracting to other meeting attendees.

13. At the end of the meeting, thank the group for their time, summarize what was accomplished, review and assign actions, and then plan any necessary follow-up.

I hope you all find these thirteen tips helpful in improving future meetings. Remember to conduct proper and professional meetings with good manners, attitudes and behaviors. Basic meeting etiquette has become even more important as the time spent in this method of group communication continues to increase. Just because meetings are commonplace in the business world doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be conducted properly and with due consideration for attendees. Always keep in mind that poorly planned and conducted meetings reflect on both individual and group professionalism.