Meetings and workstations behaviour
Purpose of the meeting room
In many work situations the meeting room is the only place where you may be able to have lengthy
conversations with your co-workers. It may be that your work involves answering the phone
or responding to customers. Tese types of interruptions make any meaningful conversation
impossible.
So when the team gets together for a meeting it is a great temptation to “catch up” on the latest issue.
Resist this - unless that it the purpose of the meeting.
Te meeting room should be used for a get-together with a specifc purpose, and an allocated time.
Someone may want the room when your planned meeting is over. So keep the “catch ups” till meal
breaks.
Ten rules about meetings for new starters
Some rules about meetings that you need to know:
1. Prepare for the meeting by knowing what is expected of your attendance
2. Be on time for the start of meeting. You may be asked to introduce yourself. Be confdent
and brief
3. Switch off your mobile during the meeting. Not on silent-off
4. Body language is important. Sit up, listen up
5. Eye contact is important. Look meeting participants and speakers in the eye
6. Work meetings usually have a chairperson, pay attention to them. They control the
meeting
7. Take brief notes of any meeting points you don’t understand. Check your understanding
with co-workers after meeting. Don’t hold the meeting up when you are learning the ropes
8. As a new starter you are unlikely to be asked for your opinion on a matter. But if you are
asked your opinion, be very, very careful with your words. Never criticise or complain at a
meeting. If you think you have something to contribute, keep it till after the meeting and
mention it to your boss
9. If you are asked something at the meeting, and you don’t know the answer then don’t make
it up or tell lies. Simply admit you don’t know, but say “I will fnd out after the meeting.”
10. Never promise to do anything at a meeting that you are not sure that you can deliver on.
Instead say that you will discuss it with your boss after the meeting.
In many work situations the meeting room is the only place where you may be able to have lengthy
conversations with your co-workers. It may be that your work involves answering the phone
or responding to customers. Tese types of interruptions make any meaningful conversation
impossible.
So when the team gets together for a meeting it is a great temptation to “catch up” on the latest issue.
Resist this - unless that it the purpose of the meeting.
Te meeting room should be used for a get-together with a specifc purpose, and an allocated time.
Someone may want the room when your planned meeting is over. So keep the “catch ups” till meal
breaks.
Ten rules about meetings for new starters
Some rules about meetings that you need to know:
1. Prepare for the meeting by knowing what is expected of your attendance
2. Be on time for the start of meeting. You may be asked to introduce yourself. Be confdent
and brief
3. Switch off your mobile during the meeting. Not on silent-off
4. Body language is important. Sit up, listen up
5. Eye contact is important. Look meeting participants and speakers in the eye
6. Work meetings usually have a chairperson, pay attention to them. They control the
meeting
7. Take brief notes of any meeting points you don’t understand. Check your understanding
with co-workers after meeting. Don’t hold the meeting up when you are learning the ropes
8. As a new starter you are unlikely to be asked for your opinion on a matter. But if you are
asked your opinion, be very, very careful with your words. Never criticise or complain at a
meeting. If you think you have something to contribute, keep it till after the meeting and
mention it to your boss
9. If you are asked something at the meeting, and you don’t know the answer then don’t make
it up or tell lies. Simply admit you don’t know, but say “I will fnd out after the meeting.”
10. Never promise to do anything at a meeting that you are not sure that you can deliver on.
Instead say that you will discuss it with your boss after the meeting.
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The workstation area
Computer desks areas, sometimes called “workstations”, are fairly commonplace in ofces, in
factories, on work sites. You may have access to one for work email or other work purposes.
A few things that you need to be aware of:
• It’s not your personal computer. Don’t personalise it in any way. You may think it’s cool to
have your girl/boy friend as screensaver, but not everyone will agree
• Don’t upload anything to it that is not work related
• Forget playing any games, or listening to music while on the workstation. You may think it
makes you more effcient at work, but bosses generally get annoyed with workers who do this
• And don’t think that you’re smart and won’t get caught as long as the boss isn’t around.
Seriously, do you think the boss doesn’t know what’s going on when he sees employees
shutting down computer screens just as he gets near you?
• Even at lunchbreaks it’s still the employer’s computer. Resist the temptation to play games
or use the computer for personal purposes, even in your own time.
Computer desks areas, sometimes called “workstations”, are fairly commonplace in ofces, in
factories, on work sites. You may have access to one for work email or other work purposes.
A few things that you need to be aware of:
• It’s not your personal computer. Don’t personalise it in any way. You may think it’s cool to
have your girl/boy friend as screensaver, but not everyone will agree
• Don’t upload anything to it that is not work related
• Forget playing any games, or listening to music while on the workstation. You may think it
makes you more effcient at work, but bosses generally get annoyed with workers who do this
• And don’t think that you’re smart and won’t get caught as long as the boss isn’t around.
Seriously, do you think the boss doesn’t know what’s going on when he sees employees
shutting down computer screens just as he gets near you?
• Even at lunchbreaks it’s still the employer’s computer. Resist the temptation to play games
or use the computer for personal purposes, even in your own time.