Basic Professional Behavior 101

I have been attending our state association winter meeting these past few days and have been making some mental notes. We all know that ONE person in business meetings who likes to ask an over-abundance of questions. Recently, I am witnessing an uptick in rude and unprofessional behavior.

As a presenter and speaker in various roles outside of this association, I am writing this post on behalf of all of those who take the time to prepare and present. Placing yourself on the podium is not easy and requires hours of preparation. I hope these tips will resonate and help remind us all of the professional decorum we need to hold in the highest regard.

• LISTEN: While this sounds like an easy task, too many attendees in any audience are too busy on their devices or talking with a colleague. In turn, they are missing key points and distracting other attendees.
• EYE CONTACT: Speakers like to know that the audience is engaged with them. While yes, there will be times when the presentation is not up to par, however, this does not give attendees the right to be rude.
• BE STILL: What I mean by this is, if you are in rows of chairs, unnecessary movement, tapping your foot on the chair in front of you, organizing your purse, etc. are extremely distracting to all in attendance. 
• SAVE YOUR QUESTION: Some speakers do not mind an occasional question but listen first to see if they would prefer questions to be left at the end of the presentation. Regardless of how pressing your question may be, throwing in questions during a presentation can throw off the timing for the speaker.
• BE KIND: Whether you agree with a speaker or not, this is NOT your platform. Rude remarks do not achieve anything. If you have something to help the speaker improve, do this in a private manner after the event.

There is simply no excuse for professionals to act in a way that is unbecoming to the entire organization. You can save your side conversations for after a presentation. Remember, it takes time and effort to present. The speaker deserves respect.