Pac Next Guidelines - Business Meeting Etiquette

PAC NEXT GUIDELINES - BUSINESS MEETING ETIQUETTE

Adherence to the proper etiquette for a business meeting or a conference call establishes respect among meeting participants, helps the meeting begin and end on time, and fosters an atmosphere of collaboration and inclusion. Here are some suggested guidelines to ensure you have an effective business meeting whether it’s face-to-face or a conference call:

Be on Time:

·  Arrive 5-10 mins early if attending the meeting in person. This allows you to find a seat and get situated before the meeting starts.

·  Call-in 2-3 mins early to allow one roll call and avoid everyone waiting for late callers

Circulate the meeting Agenda at least one week in advance

The PAC NEXT Program Coordinator should circulate a meeting agenda to each participant at least one week in advance. This allows the participants to call the Program Coordinator to express any concerns about the agenda at least 48 hours prior to the meeting with time to determine if changes need to be made.

Be Prepared and give the meeting or call your full attention

Each attendee should come to the meeting / calls with all of the materials and data they will need to ensure that they can actively participate and contribute to the meeting topic. Callers should treat a conference call like any other meeting where you would be removed from other distractions and avoid multi-tasking where possible.

Speak when invited and don’t interrupt other speakers

The Technical Committee co-chairs will facilitate the meetings / calls. Their job is to (1) keep the meeting organized by inviting attendees to speak (2) ensure that they are not interrupted and (3) ask for questions during the designated question period. Speakers should only speak when they have the floor and not interrupt other speakers i.e take your turn and avoid dominating discussions or imposing your viewpoint at the expense of all others.

Listen and build upon ideas (avoid “killing” good ideas)

You may find that many of the questions you have about a topic are answered by the content of the meeting. Listen attentively to the meeting and take notes as appropriate. Build upon others ideas with YES AND statements and avoid using “BUT” or “CAN’T BE DONE / IMPOSSIBLE” comments as this can quash great ideas.

Avoid distracting the other meeting attendees

Attending the meeting:

·  Avoid nervous habits such as tapping a pen on the table, making audible noises with your mouth, rustling papers or tapping your feet on the floor. Turn off cell phones and close laptops.

On a phone conference call:

·  Always mute your line when not speaking and where possible choose a quiet location. This will avoid everyone hearing distracting noises e.g. dog barking, children crying, toilet flushing, eating crunchy vegetables for lunch, tapping laptop keyboards