meeting etiquette tips with examples

meeting etiquette tips

•   These are the tips for conducting and participating in a top notch fabulous meeting.  A meeting that anyone would feel confident in attending and participating in and not itching to find any excuse to get out of.  Application of these ”gold mine” tips will elevate your meeting to the “must attend.”

  Meeting Etiquette Tips

1. RSVP.

a. Confirm or acknowledge your participation to join when you have been sent an invitation to attend the meeting.

2. Be punctual.

a. That’s right, show up on time.
b. Rather, show up early enough to get settled at the location.
c. If you are late, proceed quietly and with the least amount of interruption of taking your seat.
d. The objective is to NOT BE LATE!
e. Do not expect others to fill you in during or after the meeting.

3. Come prepared.

a. Bring a pen and paper, or
b. your laptop or iPad if that is now the preferred method of tracking meeting information.

4. Meeting Leader.

a. Have your presentation equipment ready to go by start of meeting.
b. Have handouts either ready by start of meeting or already placed at seating before the start of meeting.
c. Send handouts to participants several days prior to meeting.

5. Don’t interrupt.
a. Don’t interrupt the presenter unless the speaker has dictated that it is a forum to participate in open discourse.
b. Don’t interrupt other attendees. Wait your turn for the full conclusion of that individual’s input and the response from the speaker.

6. No talking allowed.

a. Conversations with your neighbors, take your discussion outside if it cannot wait.

7. Mute electronics.

a. Turn on vibrate or turn off completely.
b. If you forgot to turn off your phone, don’t answer your phone while in the meeting.
c. Do not text.
d. Do not check emails.

8. Questions.

a. Hold up your hand to indicate you have a question.
b. Do not blurt your question out in the middle of the presentation.
c. Write down your questions and ask during the Q&A portion of the meeting.
d. Keep your questions simple, direct, and brief.
e. Ask one question at a time and wait for the answer.

9. Actively listen.

a. Pay attention to the information the speaker is addressing, and
b. the questions of the other participants so that your question does not repeat what was already covered.

10. Remain composed.
a. Do not tap your pen, flip through material, tap your foot, fuss, fidget, or conduct yourself in a way that is distracting to others.
b. Do not fuss with your hair, nails, clothing, etc., again, in a way distracting to others.

11. Attend the entire meeting.

a. If you must leave early, send notification prior to the meeting and receive confirmation.
b. Take a seat at the beginning of the meeting that will allow you to leave in a manner that is unobtrusive to the whole of the meeting.

12. Dress appropriate and professionally.

13. Seat assignments.

a. If the meeting establishes seating assignments for participants, abide by it.
b. Unless you have prior permission to leave early and the seating creates an obvious exit, discuss with the meeting leader prior to the commencing of the meeting.

14. Seniority courtesy.

a. During discussions, allow for senior positions to contribute first.

15. Be brief and relevant.

16. Confidentiality.

a. Do not discuss meeting details with individuals outside of the discussion participants.
b. Treat meeting information as confidential, unless indicated otherwise.

17. Stick with meeting timeline.

a. Start on time!
b. If the meeting is scheduled for 30 minutes or an hour, stay true to your meeting timeline.
c. End on time!

18. Create an agenda.
a. Distribute agenda to participants prior to the meeting.
b. Stay on topic to the agenda.

19. If the meeting goes off topic.

a. Remind attendees of the agenda.
b. Suggest that unrelated matters be addressed at another time.

20. Conduct yourself professionally.
a. Do not use profanity or slang.
b. Be polite and courteous.

21. Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding.

22. Respond to the wishes of the meeting presenter.

23. Issue resolution.
a. If the meeting prompts discussion of problems, be prepared to contribute solution ideas.

24. Keep eye contact.
a. Give your full attention to the speaker and keep a comfortable eye contact of 80 to 90 percent of the time.

25. Meeting conclusion.

a. As a participant, thank the speaker, coordinator, meeting leader (this could be just one person).
b. As the meeting leader, follow-up with participants, circulate list of action items, resolutions, and issues that remain open.
c. As the participant, complete tasks assigned to you expeditiously and without delay.
d. As the meeting leader, thank people for attending.
e. As the meeting leader, request feedback.
f. As the participant, provide your feedback.

26.Breaks

Meetings should have a break every two hours. Breaks should be 20 minutes long, and meal breaks should be 30 minutes long.