Meeting Room Etiquette for Productive Meetings

Meeting room etiquette is the unwritten list of guidelines that everyone should follow to show professionalism and respect others. Sometimes it’s easy to forget what these are, so we’ve put together an article with some prompts to ensure you have a successful day.

Arrive on Time

If you don’t show up on time, this may affect the meeting agenda. This can be especially frustrating for your team if the room is booked for only a short period of time. Being late also means that the session is more likely to run over, which can then disturb the next group’s agenda too. Showing up five minutes early shows professionalism and ensures the agenda can be followed as closely as possible. If you’re running late, make sure you communicate this to your team. This shows you have respect for your colleagues and helps to maintain your professional image.

Keep Phones on Silent

Meeting rooms create a private environment with minimal distractions. This helps people to stay productive and discuss any confidential matters if needed. If you have your phone out and you can see notifications going off, this is likely to distract you. If it’s not on silent, this can also distract the people around you. Storing your phone away and putting it on silent will help make sure there are minimal distractions.

In some meetings, you may need to use your phone for work. If this is the case, put it on do not disturb so notifications don’t come through. Some other meetings have strict rules on phone usage, and it may be mandatory that you switch your phone off. Respecting any rules means you’re following meeting room etiquette and being respectful to everyone around you.

Practice Active Listening Throughout

If you’re distracted and not paying attention, then you’re likely to miss something important. If you’re only half listening, you’ll quickly find yourself confused as to what’s going on. Actively listening by making notes and contributing by asking questions will help you to stay focused. It also means you’ll be on the same page as everyone else which helps create a productive session. Put your phone away and remove anything which may distract you. Actively listening also creates trust between you and the presenter. This can strengthen your relationship with them and help enhance your professional image.

Respect the Meeting Room Space

Remember that the workspace you’re hiring isn’t owned by you, and other people use it too. Always leave it exactly how you found it when you arrived. This includes throwing away your rubbish and moving back anything you rearranged. Make sure you don’t remove anything which belongs there. This can be a nuisance for the next people using the space who are expecting certain amenities to be there.

As well as this, respect any rules which are in place. For example, you might not be allowed to take any pets into the room. Even if you think you can get away with breaking a rule, don’t. It’s disrespectful, and the owners of the space are likely to find out. This can result in consequences like being banned from using the space in the future.

Encourage Collaboration Between Everyone

Make sure everyone feels involved and that they feel able to contribute. This is especially important if some of your attendees are joining virtually. To help with this, there’s lots you can do! You might use virtual collaboration tools like a digital whiteboard that everyone can use to jot down ideas. Give participants the chance to ask questions if they want to as well. This will help them understand anything they’re confused about and give them the chance to be actively involved.

If there’s a debate, everyone should be respectful. This includes not talking over others and not being rude or shouting. If your team is having a debate, it’s a good idea to lay out the session rules beforehand. This way, problems are less likely to arise.

Find the Right Meeting Room For Your Needs with Spacepool

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