8 Meeting Etiquette Rules Every Professional Should Follow

While each organization may have their own idea of professionalism, there are some universal meeting etiquette rules for 2023 that you can follow so that you always feel confident about the way that you conduct yourself at work. Rules seem to change depending on context and company so it can sometimes become consuming to truly understand what is appropriate and what isn’t.

While each organization may have their own idea of professionalism, there are some universal meeting etiquette rules that you can follow so that you always feel confident about the way that you conduct yourself at work. Business meeting etiquette is important to be familiar with, including active listening, speaking loudly enough, and being aware of body language. 

Fellow has put together some meeting etiquette rules so that you can feel confident in every meeting.  First, we’ll take you through what business meeting etiquette is, why it’s important in business, and some universal rules to remember. Check them out below: 

• What is meeting etiquette? 
• Why is meeting etiquette important in business? 
• Meeting Etiquette Rules to Remember

What is meeting etiquette? 

 Meeting etiquette is a standard of behavior that is expected while you are in the office or in meetings. Good meeting etiquette includes being on time, being off your phone for the entirety of the meeting, providing a detailed meeting agenda, staying attentive, and avoiding interruptions. 

While these kinds of rules might not be necessary for more informal discussions, it’s good to keep this set of business manners in mind for more formal interactions, especially when you don’t know everyone in the room.

Why is meeting etiquette important in business? 

Meeting etiquette is really important for several reasons. First, it improves communication between you and your team if everyone is adhering and respecting certain manners at work and in meetings. This standard of communication encourages an environment where every person respects one another, everyone is heard and everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts.

Meeting etiquette also promotes higher productivity because central to these etiquette rules are coming prepared, being organized, listening, and taking turns speaking. This means the time is being optimized the most effectively. Lastly, it improves relationships within the working group because when people feel respected, it also enhances trust which strengthens those business relationships. 

8 Meeting Etiquette Rules to Remember

• Be punctual
• Come prepared
• Speak clearly
• Actively listen and participate
• Give others the opportunity to speak
• Follow the agenda 
• Ask clarifying questions
• Be attentive to your body language

1 Be punctual 

Being punctual is one of the most important business etiquette rules. It shows professionalism, respect and proper preparation. It’s common courtesy for the rest of the group to get to the meeting on time so that you’re respectful of other people’s time. When leaders tolerate lateness, it means that people may begin to take advantage of that. Most people will not and should not wait for you to arrive at the meeting if you’re late. Simply put, it looks bad! It’s unprofessional so it’s best to be in the meeting in advance so that you have some time to sit down and prepare for the discussion ahead. 

This doesn’t just apply to in-person, but to virtual meetings as well. Joining the video conferencing call a bit early is also a great way to get ahead of any potential tech issues such as problems with your audio, enabling permissions for screen-sharing, etc.

2 Come prepared 

Make sure that your meeting agenda is sent far in advance, with time for the group to collaborate and make suggestions for items to add. You can easily add agenda topics to your Fellow meeting agenda this by connecting Fellow to communication tools like Slack. If there is any kind of documentation that was sent with the meeting invite, be sure to brief yourself and familiarize yourself with the content so that you can actively participate. Make sure to write down any kinds of questions you have or topics you’d like to bring up before the meeting happens so that these things don’t slip your mind. If you’ve been asked to prepare anything ahead, make sure that it is accounted for so that you can feel confident and prepared. 

3 Speak clearly 

It’s so important to speak loudly enough and clearly enough so that everyone can understand. Millennials and Gen Z tend to speak really quickly, so if this is you, slow it down to a pace that is easily understood by all. Speaking loudly and clearly portrays confidence and professionalism. If you’re a soft speaker, be sure to work on this point as quiet speakers often struggle to come off as assertive and sure of themselves (even when they are!). Speaking clearly is going to contribute to the meeting’s productivity because everything will be well understood and nothing will have to be repeated. 

Clear communication is essential in any meeting, but even more so in virtual meetings. Before joining the call, make sure your camera, microphone, and audio settings are all in order so that everyone can hear and understand you. Additionally, be sure to reduce any background noise that can interrupt the discussion, for example, by selecting a quiet area and turning your phone to silent while you’re not talking.

4 Actively listen and participate 

Find a good balance between actively listening and also participating in the discussions taking place. A good rule of thumb is to listen at least twice as much as you speak, especially when there are a lot of people in the room. A few ways to show the speaker that you are actively listening is through non-verbal communication, such as nodding your head, writing notes, asking questions or contributing comments. When you engage in these actions, it’s actually going to help keep your attention so that you can listen more effectively and you’ll get more out of the meeting. Active listening means that when it’s your turn to participate you won’t repeat what has already been discussed and you can bring fresh insights, opinions and contributions to the table. 

5 Give others the opportunity to speak 

No one enjoys a meeting where one or two people dominate the entire conversation- in that case, what’s the point in it being a team meeting? Give others the opportunity to speak and if you’ve just spoken, take some time to actively listen to others. Be patient in waiting for your turn to speak and look for the right cues to contribute to the conversation. A good time to contribute is when you’re a subject matter expert on the topic when you have updates and when the conversation trails off. Write down any points that come up while others are speaking so that you can revisit your list and determine if they’re worth bringing up. 

6 Follow the agenda 

Do not stray from the meeting agenda. Staying on topic is good meeting etiquette because it respects the time and effort that has gone into organizing the meeting and the topics that will be covered. Now is not the time to bring up other things that are not listed to speak about. This is going to save time and make your discussion more productive. If you notice you’ve drifted off-topic, take note of what it was and bring the conversation back to its main purpose. You can always revisit these side discussions at a later time with the people who are directly involved. 

7 Ask clarifying questions 

Asking clarifying questions is good business meeting etiquette because it shows that you are listening and that you want to properly understand what has been discussed. That said, make sure that you are asking questions at the appropriate time. When your question is relevant to what is being discussed, before the speaker or facilitator moves on to the next topic, that’s the right time to ask. A good facilitator will ask if there are any questions periodically but if that’s not the case, don’t be shy to clarify what’s been discussed because you will get a lot more out of the meeting when you fully understand what is being spoken about.

If you are meeting over a video conferencing platform like Zoom or Google Meet, use the option to “Raise hand”. This allows the meeting organizer to be aware that there is a question but doesn’t interrupt the conversation. Instead, the meeting facilitator can choose to address the question when convenient. Avoid asking all of your questions at the end of the meeting because this can be time-consuming, especially if you’ve got a list. Think about speaking to the appropriate person privately or shooting them an email. 

8 Be attentive to your body language 

It’s important to be self-aware of your own habits and body language during meetings. It’s natural to become restless or bored, especially during long meetings. That said, it’s important to avoid things such as tapping or clicking your pen, fidgeting with your clothes, jewelry, or notebook, swiveling your chair or playing with different heights, tapping your feet, rustling papers, making quiet noises or humming, and last but not least, do NOT pull out your cell phone. Turn off or silence your device and put it away somewhere that it’s no longer visible, such as in your purse, briefcase, or jacket pocket. If you want to bring your laptop along, ask the facilitator or meeting organizer beforehand if it’s appropriate. While you may think these actions are harmless, they are often seen as rude and disrespectful. A good way to keep your focus is to write notes, actively write down questions that you would like to ask and to participate in the meeting. 

In virtual or remote meetings, it’s important to pay close attention to your body language. Your nonverbal clues still convey a lot about your attitude and participation, even if you aren’t physically in the same room as your coworkers or clients. Maintain proper posture, sit up straight, and make eye contact with the camera to make sure you’re sending the right message.

The importance of meeting templates in fostering good meeting etiquette

Meeting templates play a crucial role in fostering great meeting etiquette. When everyone is on the same page from the start of a meeting, it sets the tone for a productive and respectful discussion. By using a template, you provide a clear outline of the meeting agenda, allowing participants to come prepared and contribute meaningfully to the conversation. This not only saves time but also cultivates a culture of punctuality and respect for one another’s time. Additionally, templates help establish meeting norms, such as assigning roles, setting expectations for behavior, and ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to speak.

Meeting templates in Fellow are a powerful tool for capturing and documenting key discussion points and action items. By having a standardized format for meetings, it becomes easier for participants to put healthy meeting habits into practice.

As an example, try Fellow’s Executive Team Meeting Agenda Template or Meeting Minutes template to run your meetings. These templates serve as guides, ensuring that every meeting follows a structured and organized approach.

How to automate company-wide meeting etiquette with Fellow

The Meeting Guidelines feature in Fellow empowers company leaders to build healthy meeting habits at scale.

By installing this Chrome Extension add-on, meeting organizers are automatically prompted to book meetings with a defined purpose, sufficient notice, and the right amount of attendees.

Fellow’s Meeting Guidelines feature ensures that everyone is equipped with the necessary tools and best practices to organize productive meetings. The software keeps everyone accountable to collaborate on meeting agendas and record clear action items. Try Fellow and see how it improves your organization’s meeting culture.

Parting advice 

It can be tough to understand what’s appropriate and what’s not during meetings because company cultures differ so much. That said, being respectful and punctual are universal business etiquette rules that should always be followed. Meeting etiquette rules hold you to a high standard of behaving appropriately and in a way that is also matched by your team and colleagues.

Remember to always be early or on time, to come prepared and to speak loudly and clearly enough. Actively listen more than you participate so that you give everyone the chance to speak and do not deviate or stray from the meeting agenda- you can bring up any side conversations at a later time. Ask some clarifying questions to ensure you’ve understood the full context and be aware of your own body language and the way you are conducting yourself during the meeting. Maintaining a high standard of professionalism and respect is the essence of business etiquette and meeting etiquette

We hope that this article has been helpful in laying down some universal meeting etiquette rules for 2023. If you found it helpful, be sure to share it with a friend or a colleague. Until next time, it was great to see you again!