Image Credit: SCREENRANT
When I think of meetings, I cannot help but think of Kramer, the character from Seinfeld. You remember him….he “slides” into almost every scene as if he is on a waxed floor and has smooth shoes on.
I feel like many of us have gotten into the habit of “sliding in” to meetings (both in person and virtual) moments before they are scheduled to begin.
Haven’t you experienced this? You have a Teams or Zoom meeting at 8:00am, and you log on, just as the clock on your computer turns to the 8 o’clock hour. You get frustrated as your computer decided to do an update before logging you on, and now you arrive late to your meeting. Or you log on at 7:59am and other attendees are slow to arrive, and the meeting is delayed waiting for others.
Or in an effort to maximize your time, you work until the very last moment, before heading to the office or conference room for an in-person meeting and you end up hitting unusual and unexpected traffic. Late again!
I am guilty of this.
Which is why I’ve changed. A few months ago, I decided I could plan my time better, and not feel so rushed, and pad my arrival time for meetings.
When I have virtual meetings, I log on at least 3-4 minutes before it is scheduled to start, and make sure I have water or coffee available at my workstation, along with a pad of paper and pen.
For in person meetings, appointments, or social events, I plan to arrive at least 10-15 minutes early, which gives me a sense of ease, and not being rushed, when it is the start time.
I had a coworker who was always early to our 1 to 1 meetings. When I inquired, he told me, early in his career he was told “if you’re on time, you’re late”. So, he always arrived a few minutes early to our meetings.
If you’re one of those people who end up having back-to-back meetings on your calendar, you can always make sure you have a 15-minute break scheduled between each meeting. Or, if you are the host of a meeting, why not plan to end your meetings 5-10 minutes early, giving your attendees “5-10 minutes back on their calendar”? I make that a regular habit and always announce it….reminding people that “I am giving you back some time!”.
For a short, but complete checklist for business meeting etiquette, check out this Business Meeting Etiquette: Part 1: You, the Participant. . I met the author, Syndi Seid many years ago, when we were both involved in the National Association of Women Business Owners and I was intrigued to learn that she was the top Global Etiquette Authority and traveled around the world, teaching business people cross-cultural etiquette.
You may not think much about business etiquette, until the next time you are asked to dine with a potential employer or client and start wondering, “which fork do I use or which water glass is mine”? Etiquette matters.
Onward and upward,
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PS Speaking of Kramer: played by actor Michael Richards, you may enjoy his book “Entrances and Exits”
