Meeting rules don’t just exist for the sake of it – they're there to make sure that decisions are made efficiently, that everybody gets a say, and that all the participants of the meeting are respected. While some rules may be obvious, such as avoiding interruptions or eating, there are still more rules that you might not know yet, especially if you are just starting out your career. Following these rules shows that you’re professional, conscientious, and have respect for your colleagues. Not only that, but it also directly affects the performance of the company.
Whether you're looking to create guidelines for your company or you just want to bring a good attitude with you to the workplace, here are 15 key meeting etiquette rules that you should follow online and offline.
Meeting etiquette rules to follow
1. Arrive on time
As the famous saying goes, ‘time is money’. Time is a valuable resource, so it’s better not to waste time wherever possible. Arriving on time at meetings illustrates your maturity and professionalism and contributes to an efficient meeting. Sometimes being late can’t be prevented, but it’s best you plan to avoid this as being late for a meeting can be distracting to your peers.
2. Introduce yourself to everyone
If everyone doesn’t know one another in a meeting, introductions will need to be made so that everyone is familiar with one another. When doing introductions, the lower ranked individual should be introduced to the higher ranked individual. Keep introductions short as you want to avoid a lengthy conversation before a meeting takes place.
3. Sit appropriately
If you’re in a sit-down meeting, you need to adjust your chair so that you're at equal height with everyone else at the table.
4. Speak up
When you speak in meetings you need to speak loudly and clearly enough so that everyone can hear what you're saying. Speaking in a clear and confident voice allows everyone to hear you and have the meeting run on time. You'll save others time without having to repeat yourself.
5. Be concise
When making your points or asking questions during a meeting, it’s best to ensure that they aren’t too long and drawn out. Being concise will help contribute to a more efficient meeting, with people staying more focused and less time spent on information being repeated.
6. Understand the unwritten speaking rules
It’s impolite to interrupt and speak over others, but sometimes in meetings it may need to be done. Otherwise, you may find yourself in a position where you’re struggling to get your point across. Don’t be afraid to express yourself and the points you need to make. However, assess the situation to ensure that you are not rude when trying to make your point.
7. Come prepared
Failure to prepare for the meeting and knowledge of what topics will be discussed could result in an inefficient meeting. Ensure you are prepared so that you can contribute to conversations with useful information. For example, you could prepare a list of questions or opinions you may have.
8. Don’t lose focus on the task at hand
Listening and paying attention to what your peers have to say is crucial in any business meeting. Failure to pay attention to what is being said could result in you missing an essential piece of information.
9. Drinking & eating
Bringing coffee or other non-alcoholic drinks into a meeting is acceptable, but you need permission for anything else. This is especially true if you are eating during the meeting. No smelly or crunchy food.
10. Ask questions at the appropriate time
Jot down questions that occur to you during the meeting and make sure to ask them at the appropriate time. Don't save all your questions for the end.
11. Don’t check your phone
Turn your phone off or put it on silent without vibration on. Looking at your phone while someone is talking is extremely rude.
12. Don’t talk constantly
Constant chatter, even if it’s whispered, can be extremely distracting for the speaker. You may also miss crucial information.
13. Don’t interrupt
While someone is talking, don’t interrupt them. Wait until they have finished speaking before you raise your concerns.
14. Clean up after yourself
This is especially true if you were drinking or eating during the meeting. You need to clean up after yourself and leave things the way you found them.
15. Follow up with required deliverables
To get the most out of the meeting, follow up on a specific list of deliverables needed for the next time you all meet. You'll stay on top of your work, clearly communicate who is expected to do what, and save time and effort for everyone involved.
Online meeting etiquette rules to follow
If you do remote or hybrid work, it’s likely that many (if not all) of your meetings will be conducted online, whether that be through MS Teams, Google Meet, Zoom, or otherwise. While many of the rules are largely applicable both online and offline, there are some particular things to consider when holding your meetings in cyberspace.
1. Don’t be late
Being on time for any meeting will help maintain your professional credibility. If you're clicking to join a meeting at the time it starts, that means you're already late. You should join the meeting a few minutes before it starts. Ensure you're out of bed early enough to give yourself enough time to prepare.
2. Mute your microphone
Muting your microphone when you’re not talking will help keep background noise to a minimum. Other people in the meeting won’t want to hear any unwanted, distracting, or inappropriate noises such as the TV, vacuum cleaner, pets, etc. It may result in them missing important information.
3. Position your camera properly
If you choose to use a web camera, make sure that you have positioned it properly. Ensure the camera is at eye level and isn’t shaking. You should also be aware of what the camera can see in the background - ensure that you’re in a suitable place so that you and others won’t be distracted.
4. Ensure a suitable internet connection
You should test your internet connection prior to joining a meeting. If you find that the internet connection isn’t good enough in one room, consider moving to another room to avoid experiencing any lagging or skipping during the meeting.
5. Dress appropriately
While you won’t need to dress from head to toe in the same attire that you would wear to an office meeting, you are still required to dress appropriately. As tempting as it is to wear pajamas, it doesn’t look professional. We suggest not wearing the same clothes to work that you would relax in. This is to help you differentiate between work-mode and home-mode. A good rule of thumb is to take things down one level from what you’d typically wear in the office.
6. Think about the background
Whatever is in the room behind you might not be appropriate for a meeting or could be distracting to others. Consider using the 'blur my background' feature.
7. Use a headset with a mic if possible
This provides the optimal audio experience for both you and other meeting attendees. If a headset isn’t available, use your device’s built-in audio/mic.
8. Avoid sitting with your back to a window or bright light source
Having a bright light source behind you means that others can only see your silhouette, so they will not be able to see you or determine your identity.
9. Introduce yourself to everyone
If everyone doesn’t know one another in a meeting, introductions will need to be made so that everyone is familiar with one another. When doing introductions, the lower ranked individual should be introduced to the higher ranked individual. Keep introductions short as you want to avoid a lengthy conversation before a meeting takes place.
10. Avoid multi-tasking
While an online meeting may give you more of an opportunity to multi-task, you should avoid this. This is not only because your peers may be able to see/hear what you’re doing, but also because staying focused on the task at hand will ensure that your meetings run more smoothly and save time.
11. Come prepared
Failure to prepare for the meeting and knowledge of what topics will be discussed could result in an inefficient meeting. Ensure you are prepared so that you can contribute to conversations with useful information. For example, you could prepare a list of questions or opinions you may have. If you’ll be sharing your screen during the meeting, ensure that you have all the relevant files and links ready before the meeting starts.
12. Be concise
When making your points or asking questions during a meeting, it’s best to ensure that they aren’t too long and drawn out. Being concise will help contribute to a more efficient meeting, with people staying more focused and less time spent on information being repeated.
13. Don’t lose focus on the task at hand
Listening and paying attention to what your peers have to say is crucial in any business meeting. Failure to pay attention to what is being said could result in you missing an essential piece of information.
14. Eating during a meeting
Like a face-to-face meeting, you should avoid eating during a meeting. It can be distracting to others if you have your camera on and they’re having to watch you chew your food. Try and wait until the end of the meeting to eat. Alternatively, turn off your video and audio if you must eat.
15. Follow up with required deliverables
To get the most out of this meeting, follow up on a specific list of deliverables needed for the next time you all meet. You'll stay on top of your work, clearly communicate who's expected to do what, and save time and effort for everyone involved.
Follow these rules in your meetings and you will be bound to make a good impression and contribute to the team. For more rules you can be at your best in your company, check out our Code of Conduct examples you can use.