Especially when dealing in an intercultural environment many different ways of dealing with this (until now by most considered to be necessary) ‘evil of physical or teleconferencing meetings’ can be found. In one project we developed a way of working that I still consider to be ‘best practice’ and which agreements I would like to share with you.

There are extremely funny Youtube video´s sharing the ´Don´t´s Observations, below also the suggested ´Do´s Alternatives. These rules I hold for self-evident:

Setting up one`s own generic agenda

Observation1      No entry of all meetings in agenda                                                           Alternative1        If agenda shows empty space and the subject is ‘appropriate’, acceptance is guaranteed

Observation2     A repetitive blocker for e.g. lunch with yet unspecified partners is set on `busy’                                                                                                                                  Alternative2        Such a repetitive blocker is set on ´tentative´. A repetitive blocker for doing work that can be moved is also set on ´tentative’  indicating the slot may be used if   alternatives the same day remain in my  agenda. Acceptance not guaranteed.

Observation3      Blockers have various starting times                                                Alternative3        In principle, one-hour meetings start the  on the whole hour only, to maximize the number of slots in a day

Observation4     Colleagues have no reading rights to my agenda                                             Alternative4       Depending upon sensitivities, reading rights an agenda to agenda is spread as broadly as  possible.  Just don’t put sensitive details in an invitation title but in the text

Observation5     Immediate colleagues do not know where I am                           Alternative5       Immediate colleagues either have a ‘non-blocking absence notice’ in their  agenda or can read it in my agenda

Organizing a meeting

Observation11      Repetitive meetings planned individually                                       Alternative11        Repetitive meetings planned 3 months in advance. On standard times and days of  the week

Observation12      60-minute meetings planned back-to-back all day long         Alternative12         50-minute meetings leave 10 minutes for closing and checking for urgent messages

Observation13      Working without agenda                                                                Alternative13        Best practice: sending an agenda 1 week  in advance . Good practice: sending an agenda a day in  advance

Observation14     Agenda with only content                                                               Alternative14       Start with (Welcome and) ‘Setting the agenda’ , .end with ‘Miscellaneous’. Declined invitees receive agenda in cc

Observation15     Always hold meeting                                                                              Alternative15       Always plan the meeting, but if not sufficient content, cancel it

Responding to a meeting request

Observation21        No response at all (From either of 2  Schools ´If I did not respond, I will not attend´ or ´If I did not respond, I will attend´)                                         Alternative21           Decline or confirm

Observation22       Confirm or decline via general mail                                                Alternative22         Confirm or decline via invite response

Observation23      `This time does not suit me, could we do it later?                     Alternative23          Suggest time proposal

Observation24      ´This time does not suit me, does … fit?´                                      Alternative24        ´This time does not suit me. I see in your´ Schedule Assistant that … would be open, so I sent this proposal. Would that fit?

Observation25       Always participate because it shows you are important                              Alternative25         Only participate if added value is clear

Chairing a meeting

Observation31     Incomplete group at 5 minutes, keep on waiting until complete                 Alternative 31      Start or cancel after 5 minutes

Observation32    No agenda                                                                                          Alternative32      Best practice: send an agenda 1 week in advance. Good practice: send an agenda 1 day in advance

Observation33    No meeting minutes                                                                        Alternative33      Best practice: meeting minutes draft later that day. Good practice: meeting minutes in 1 week. Absent regular participants sent minutes in cc

Observation34    Just continue when meeting goes beyond planned end          Alternative34       Stop 5 minutes before planned end, explicitly discuss continuation or closure, in case of continuation allow for those who have to leave to do so gracefully

Participating in a meeting

Observation41       No notification if late                                                                              Alternative41         When expecting more than 5 minutes late  Whatsapp or Skype notification to chairperson. Best practice when more than 20 minutes late, pays for coffee for all who have ´waited´

Observation42    Being called and answering (walking out of the meeting is no excuse)                                                                                                                                   Alternative42      Best practice:  on airplane mode. Best practice in case of important call± announcing at the start of the meeting, declining to answer other calls and send them a prefab message instead. Good practice in case forgotten to turn the cell phone off: let it ring. Medium practice: taking the call and verbally indicating that unavailable

Observation43     When joining after ‘Welcome and Setting Agenda’, new round of greetings                                                                                                                                 Alternative43       Partial participation will occur without separate  welcoming or departing greetings since  these generally are too disruptive. Early departure should be announced at the ‘Setting agenda’

Observation44     ‘Breathers’, car noise, wailing sirens etc                                         Alternative44      Put yourself on ‘mute’ when not speaking. That also provides the chairperson an overview of  who would like to say something. (Explicit requests to be allowed and say something usually is too formal to work smoothly.)

One final comment: these are Best Practices, that does not mean that we are (or I am)  always in a position to live up to them…