Top 7 of What Not to do in A Business Meeting.

I cannot believe the number of times I have been to meetings and some individuals in the room show so much unprofessional and/or courtesy. It is not just the cellphone thing that is a constant interruption; it is the unprofessionalism of showing up late, interrupting the meeting, and then causing such a commotion that you cannot go on until they sit down.

This entry has been going through my head a few days and now I want to share. I am the organizer of a leads group and we meet on a bi-monthly basis. Due to the actions of the people in this group it brings forth thoughts of meeting etiquette to the forefront. Here is my list of what not to do in a business meeting:

1. Do not put your Blackberry, Treo, or other email organizer on the table. What does this do? It causes it to vibrate for the whole room to see and causes as much a distraction as if the phone had rang. Turn it off!
2. Do not arrive late, make excuses to everyone while the presenter is speaking, and then go in search of coffee. If you arrive late, step in quickly and quietly while taking our seat. The less interruption the better.
3. Do not leave your cell phone on. This goes along with #1. We all know what an interruption this can cause.
4. Do not answer your phone. Just in case you forgot to turn it off, do not answer the phone in the middle of a meeting.
5. Do not carry on a conversation while someone else is talking. I cannot believe the number of times I have seen someone in front of a group presenting while someone beside me is trying to carry on a conversation with another.
6. Do not forget to be prepared. Prepared means in the way of carrying a pen, pencil, paper, notepad; whatever it takes for you to be ready if someone wants to give you information.
7. Do not make your presence known by making noises. Noises being pen or pencil tapping, paper shuffling, coughing continuously. If necessary, leave the room.

I could probably go on but the list would be way too long. If you want to comment and add your pet peeves to the list, please do so.

Thanks for reading,
Carole DeJarnatt
Alliance Advisors, Inc.