Five Meeting Offenses

Here are five meeting offenses that can not only drive your co-workers
crazy, but that can also damage your reputation within the workplace.

1. Show up late - Occasionally there is an emergency that crops up that
forces you to go into a meeting a few minutes late. But usually the culprit
is poor time management. Consistently arriving late implies to your manager
and your co-worker that you are either extremely disorganized or don't
really respect the rules that everyone else follows.

2. Bring your cell phone. Again, there could be special circumstances that
would require having a cell phone in a meeting, such as a call from a doctor
or your child's school. But if your cell goes off at every meeting and it's
just your spouse needing to know if you'll pick up some pudding pops after
work, shame on you. This behavior shows a lack of respect as well as a lack
of commitment to your job.

3. Have a side conversation. Nothing rankles a meeting leader more than two
people having a whispered conversation separate from the topic at hand.

4. Don't focus - Believe it or not, I've been in meetings when attendees
have leafed through clothing catalogs or balanced their checkbook while the
leader is talking. Trying to multi-task in a somewhat dull meeting might be
tempting, but it's very rude. And don't think people don't notice.

5. Talk just to hear yourself speak - It may be your way of raising your
office profile, but hogging much of the meeting spotlight with philosophical
ramblings will not do it. Be brief and succinct. Meetings are for
communication; they are not your personal stage.

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