You probably dread work meetings. Most people do. But there's a good chance you're required to attend them from time to time. And when you do — no matter how much you don't want to be there — it's important that you conduct yourself in the most respectful and professional manner, as you'll most likely be surrounded by coworkers, bosses, and current or prospective clients.
That means you need to show up on time, come prepared, and avoid looking at your phone. If broken, these simple rules of meeting professionalism may seriously damage your reputation.
To get a better idea of how to maintain a positive, professional image while in a meeting, we reached out to Barbara Pachter, a career coach and author of "The Essentials Of Business Etiquette." Here's what she said.
This is an update of an article written by Vivian Giang.
1. Be on time.
Make sure you arrive on time, says Pachter. You don't want to waste anyone else's time by not being punctual.
"Leaders need to start on time so people can depend on that," she tells Business Insider.
2. Mingle before the meeting starts.
If the opportunity presents itself, go up to people, introduce yourself (if you don't know the person) and make some small talk, Pachter suggests. "One CFO complained to me that one of her staff members came to a meeting, just sat down, and reviewed his slides. He missed a wonderful opportunity to interact with the higher ups in the company."
3. Make introductions.
If everyone doesn't know one another in the meeting room, you need to make introductions. You should do this by starting with the person of the highest rank first, says Pachter.
For example, "Ms. CEO, I would like you to meet Mr. New Hire."
See the rest of the story at Business Insider