Don’t be rude: How to get your meetings to start on time

If six people wait 10 minutes for a meeting to start, they’ve wasted an hour of your company’s time.

Keeping people waiting is rude and disrespectful. But it’s also easily fixed. To get your meetings to start on time, this is what you need to do.

Schedule an automated email reminder to send to everyone attending half an hour before your meeting. Include an agenda, and the start time in bold. Walk to the meeting room a minute or two before it starts, and once you get there, ask everyone already there to take their seats. At the scheduled time, close the door and begin.

If people aren’t punctual, they will be next time, after having to knock and awkwardly enter a meeting that’s already started.

Play it smart and save everyone’s time.