Most people don’t look forward to going to meetings.

However, most of us have to attend at least one meeting each week, if not many more.

Common complaints about meetings include: poor planning, lack of an agenda, inadequate preparation of participants, meeting leaders who don’t know how to keep meetings on track, etc.

Next week, we’ll focus on the role of meeting leaders/facilitators. This week, it’s all about participants and the bad habits and rude behavior that contributes to less-than-effective meetings.

1. Arrive late. If the meeting starts at 9 a.m., this doesn’t mean you get there at 9 a.m. (or later) it means you should be seated and ready to go BY 9 a.m.

2. Leave early. If you can’t commit to the full meeting time, at minimum let the meeting leader know beforehand AND sit near the door so you can leave without interrupting the meeting. Additionally, if you have to leave early, you might consider not attending the meeting if you’re not going to be there long enough to give or get needed information. Consider sending someone in your place.

3. Complete other tasks. If you have other things to do, including checking text messages, skip the meeting. If you’ve been invited to PARTICIPATE in a meeting, you can’t do that and do other things at the same time. If you’re not participating, maybe you don’t need to be at the meeting. Consider contacting the person who invited you to confirm why you need to be there and what’s expected of you.

4. Make or take phone calls. It doesn’t matter how important you are. It’s rude to take a call during a meeting. If you’re anticipating an emergency call, put your phone on vibrate and step out of the room if you get a call. If you’re getting several calls and need to keep stepping out, you’ve now become a distraction to the meeting and you should leave.

5. Arrive unprepared. If the meeting leader has sent out an agenda, be sure to review it in advance and come prepared to discuss the agenda topics. This might require research, bringing certain information/documents, etc. It’s a waste of time when agenda items have to be “tabled” until the next meeting because participants were unprepared to discuss an item.

6. Misbehave. This includes spinning in your chair, sleeping, tapping your pen when you’re impatient, repeatedly getting up for food or bathroom breaks, leaning back in your chair “disengaging” from the conversation, starting side-bar conversations while the meeting leader is talking, rolling your eyes or demonstrating other sarcastic or negative body language, etc.

7. Be indecisive. It’s okay if you’re unsure some of the time. However, don’t be one of those people whose too afraid of what everyone else might think and therefore abstains from votes, is vague, or otherwise “rides the fence,” on issues.