The rules of workplace etiquette are often hinted at rather than taught, but this leaves many unanswered questions on how to behave and where to draw the line. Meeting etiquette rules, for example, are never explained to workers, but what is performed as an innocent gesture by some is often interpreted as an egregious violation of regulations by others. Particularly when you’re new to the workforce, making a good first impression is very important. Pulling out your phone at the wrong time or merely glancing at the clock is enough to turn a habit into an issue.
If you’re looking for some meeting room tips to help get through first-day jitters or merely understand how the modern workplace operates, here are some suggestions on how to moderate behavior during meetings at work.
Perfecting your meeting room etiquette can be a good way to build a professional reputation and start your career with confidence.
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Workplace Meeting Etiquette 101: How to Conduct Yourself like a Professional
Messy meetings and unprofessional interactions don’t just reflect poorly on the employee; they also disrupt procedures and hold up work. Recently, JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon spoke up about his issues with participants checking their phones and iPads during meetings. “If you have an iPad in front of me and it looks like you’re reading your email or getting notifications, I’ll tell you to close the damn thing,” CNBC reported him explaining during a conference.
This might seem like a known rule of conference room etiquette, but multitasking has been normalized both in and out of the workplace, and it often leads many to try and manage different responsibilities at once. “When I go to a meeting, I’ve done the pre-reads, and you get 100% of my attention. None of this nodding off, none of this reading my [email]…And when I can’t do that, I should move on,” Dimon stated, and this approach is what we need more of at work.
Dimon’s emphasis on the importance of showcasing the right behavior at work is a reminder that we could all benefit from going over some conference room etiquette as we prepare for a new era of our professional careers in 2026.
1. Be On Time, Whether Online or Offline
Respecting schedules is an important aspect of professional behavior that cannot be ignored. Whether the meeting is taking place online or in person, ensure you free yourself up a few minutes early and check your notes or ensure your devices are functioning as needed.
If you cannot make it on time, it is always important to let the participants know so they aren’t left waiting around for you to join in. If you are certain you’ll be significantly late, try to reschedule.
2. Finish on Time
Meeting etiquette doesn’t just require you to start a discussion on time but also to end it according to schedule. If you have a fixed amount of time assigned for discussion, ensure things wrap up on time and allow everyone to return to their work. If there is more to discuss, schedule another meeting and make a note of where you need to get started next time.
3. Eliminate Distractions During a Meeting
Paying attention to a speaker is always an essential component of attending said meeting. Discussions should be focused on an exchange of ideas between those present rather than working on alternate tasks while someone is speaking.
Taking down notes is an exception when it comes to operating distracting devices in the modern-day workplace, but for the most part, it’s important to pay attention to the meeting rather than the tasks that come after it. On the same note, you might fidget as a habit, but understand that such behavior may be distracting to someone trying to make a point. Eliminate distractions and try to limit distracting behavior as well.
4. Wait for Your Turn to Speak
One of the most important meeting room tips that we can leave you with is to take turns speaking without talking over one another. Being louder than a colleague does not make a point more important or relevant to the conversation.
It is also polite to ensure that every participant gets the space to express their opinions fully, and if you lead by example, others are sure to follow. If they don’t, other, more hands-on interventions might be necessary.
5. Avoid Eating or Drinking During a Meeting
Some workplaces might allow coffee and snacks to follow you into the meeting room, but that isn’t standard practice across businesses. If you are allowed to bring food and drink in, try and pick snacks that are neither noisy nor messy. You can take our word for it that breaking this rule might come back to haunt you.
6. Stick to the Agenda
If you’ve been trying to get a hold of your manager or a colleague and finally have them trapped in a meeting, it can be tempting to bring up other discussions to get your answers. This can make it harder to reach the meeting agenda and also hold up work for other colleagues.
If you do have other topics to discuss, you can ask your colleague if they can stay back for a few additional minutes at the end of the meeting so you can discuss a different matter with them. Most often, they will acquiesce.
7. Prepare for the Meeting and Take Notes If You Can
Reviewing the agenda of the meeting or having the necessary material ready for it is an essential part of perfecting your meeting etiquette. Searching for the right presentation while everyone is waiting for you is generally considered unprofessional.
Arrive at a meeting prepared with the necessary pre-reading and take notes to help you contribute to the discussion and address points that are brought up, especially when you’re leading the meeting.
8. Pay Attention and Ask Follow-Up Questions
Checking your phone during meetings is an issue because it often suggests that you are not paying attention to the speaker, regardless of whether that is the intention. Meetings can be repetitive and boring, but when you have no choice but to attend them, you may as well improve your attention span and focus on the discussion. Asking questions and verifying that you understood correctly can help eliminate confusion in the future.
9. Don’t Rely on Inside Jokes and Internal Discussions
It may be tempting to lighten the mood with a joke, but if you aren’t confident that it will bring some amusement for everyone at the meeting, don’t bring it up. Inappropriate jokes can either have everyone rolling their eyes and tuning out everything else you have to say, or they may spend the rest of the meeting frustrated.
Even if you’re tempted to whisper a joke to someone sitting next to you, it might be more professional to hold back until the meeting is done. If the jokes aren’t meant for the group, avoid bringing them up in front of the group.
10. Clean Up After Yourself
Conference room etiquette demands that you keep your professional space clean, especially when it’s a shared area that will be used by others. Whether it’s sheets of paper or a candy wrapper, ensure you don’t leave the room littered with things that the next team will have to clean up and reset before their meeting. This can be as simple as turning off the lights or switching off the projector if that is the protocol at your organization.
May These Tips Help with Acing Your Meetings
Meeting etiquette isn’t just about showing up for the discussion, but doing so with active attention to the meeting at hand and involvement in how it unfolds. Most employees aren’t fans of attending meetings as they can be understandably boring or long-drawn-out; however, if you have to attend them regardless of how you feel about it, then you may as well use them to further your professional career.
Understanding the etiquette behind phone use during a meeting may seem unnecessary at first, but you never know who you might be irking with your workplace habits, whether at your current employer or your next one. Perfecting professional habits is an essential part of building a career, so let’s get this meeting etiquette down as soon as possible.
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