Business Meeting Etiquette
By Yahaira Hernandez
Picture yourself at a business meeting, you are deep in discussion with your bosses and coworkers when all of sudden you notice a loud ringtone coming from across the table. The person grabs their phone and shuts it off. This scenario is just one of many poor etiquette habits that commonly occur during a business meeting.
Not everyone enjoys sitting at a business meeting, it can be long and boring but you have to display proper etiquette from beginning to end. Sure, mistakes happen, and your colleagues may forgive the first one but ongoing mistakes can make you appear unprofessional.
To maintain a proper and professional image while in a business meeting, you can follow these guidelines:
- Arrive Early—Make sure that you’re on time and prepared with all of the equipment and documents you will need during the meeting, you don’t want to keep people waiting once the meeting has begun.
- Make Introductions—If you or someone else is not acquainted with the group members, introduce yourselves.
- Over-communicate—Tell your colleagues details like how you brought your laptop so that you can take notes, or that you will have to run to your office for a business call after the meeting ends. This way, you avoid any negative attention to your actions as you type away or rush out of the room.
- Silence or Turn Off Your Phone—Keep your phone in your pocket, not on the table as it can distract others if it lights up or buzzes. Turn your phone off or set it on vibrate during a meeting, unless it’s an emergency, then you can excuse yourself and step outside to take a call.
- Sit Appropriately—Make sure your chair is adjusted to the same height as everyone else in the room. Before the meeting begins, find a comfortable position so that you don’t fidget during the meeting.
- Follow the Agenda—Bring up discussion points or questions during the appropriate time. At the end of the meeting, people are ready to leave and move on with their day, try to avoid saving all of your questions until the end.