Things to Avoid Doing During Work Meetings, From Etiquette Expert

• Business Insider asked an etiquette expert about the mistakes to avoid making during work meetings.
• She said to avoid showing up late, multitasking, and dominating the conversation.
• In virtual meetings, it’s impolite to turn your camera off or send too many messages in the chat.

Whether in-person or virtual, work meetings are almost always a guaranteed part of professional life. Unfortunately, employees can unintentionally undermine their professionalism during meetings in several ways.

To help you avoid these missteps, Business Insider asked etiquette expert Arden Clise to share some common mistakes people make during work meetings. Here’s what she said.

Showing up late

When it comes to meetings, a common faux pas is showing up late and disrespecting the time of others.

“If everyone’s arriving late, then you can’t start a meeting on time, and you don’t accomplish what you need to accomplish,” Clise said.

Clise told BI that she recommends facilitators always start the meetings on time to reward those who show up when they should.

Turning the camera off in virtual meetings

In a virtual meeting, keeping your camera off can be seen as rude.

“I think it’s really disrespectful to just remain with your video off when you’re addressed and when you are speaking,” Clise told BI.

She added there might be a few exceptions, like if your kid just came in the room or you have coworkers around you, but your camera should generally be on — especially when you’re talking.

Trying to multitask during the meeting

According to Clise, it’s not polite to juggle other tasks while in a meeting. This includes using your phone, jotting down notes unrelated to the meeting, or thinking about other to-do list items.

“If you’re not present in the meeting, if you’re doing other work, you’re not going to hear what’s going on. You’re not going to participate because you’re missing that opportunity to,” Clise told BI.

In general, she said to avoid anything that can pull your attention elsewhere.

Excessively typing in the chat

Another etiquette mistake to avoid in virtual meetings is overusing the chat box. Clise said that continual messages can be distracting for others, so it’s best to keep chat box usage to a minimum.

She said that if you have a question for one person, sending them a direct message is much better than drawing everyone’s attention to it in the chat.

“Chatting is like a side conversation in an in-person meeting,” Clise told BI.

Dominating the conversation

Another big mistake to avoid is dominating the meeting and not allowing others to share their thoughts.

Clise said it can be extremely frustrating if one person constantly shares ideas or asks questions without letting others talk.

If you’re running a meeting, it’s also important to make sure everyone is given a chance to speak.

Interrupting others while they’re speaking

Interrupting, especially in virtual meetings, is a common misstep.

“It’s hard sometimes in a meeting, particularly a virtual meeting, to know when someone is finished or going to be finished. But if you’re someone who regularly interrupts people … that can be really offensive,” Clise said.

Even if it’s accidental, it’s essential to avoid talking over other people.

Putting quiet team members on the spot

Clise said it’s never OK to point out that someone is quiet in a meeting. Doing so might make them feel uncomfortable, and it can come across as though you’re trying to make them look bad.

Instead, politely ask their thoughts on a certain point, reassuring them that they’ve had great ideas in the past, so they feel comfortable speaking up.

Not following through on assigned tasks after the meeting

After leaving a meeting, it’s crucial to follow through on the tasks you agreed to handle.

Clise said that sometimes, people forget to follow through on action items because they didn’t take notes, make a to-do list, or add items to their calendars. However, forgetting to follow through can come across as disrespectful to others.

“It doesn’t reflect well on you if you’re not holding up your end of the work tasks. If you’re not getting work done, you’re not helping your coworkers, and you’re not allowing the company to accomplish what it needs to accomplish,” she said.