The etiquette is not just a matter of behaving well at the table, but it also extends to the office life. Surveys show that the style and manners of meeting participants depend on their cultural background. In order to smoothen the differences, let's go through fundamentals of a good business meeting.
Since we don't meet just for fun, it would be appropriate to envision the purpose of a meeting with topics, issues, and questions facilitating the discussion. The Japanese, for example, learn the agenda by heart; it is a "gospel" for the Germans, and an "order tool" for the Russians. So, if you have a meeting to organize, remember to send the agenda to all the participants in advance.
Failing to be punctual is the height of bad manners. The Italians are used to wait a few minutes if somebody is late, but other Westerners are less tolerant to wasters of other people's time. By being late, you will always arrive disadvantaged and on the wrong foot. Conversely, being punctual always scores you bonus points. So if you see you are going to be late, call and inform immediately the person who organized your meeting.
Stick to the time frames. Ask yourself: what is really essential? The Americans consider it essential to start with a good joke, as it's a good emotional release. Though the beauty of a joke would be lost if your meeting is in Finland or in Sweden because locals would judge it useless (well, they would applaud you in the name of politeness anyway). The Italians tend to digress from the meeting goals, so keep an eye on your meeting agenda and match your materials to your audience.
Silence is sacred but staying too silent at meetings can damage your career. It may seem obvious, but deciding what key observations you want to share with others is a vital first step. A clear topic and focus will make your speech far more efficient. If you don't know everyone in the room, you should present yourself before your speech. Allow time for audience reaction and never interrupt other meeting participants.
Switch off your phone, or turn it to vibrate, when you are going into meetings. Remember, ringtones could be deeply embarrassing. People in the flesh deserve more attention than a gadget, so don't be compulsive in using your shiny iPhone all the time. If you have to take an important call, excuse yourself and withdraw somewhere private.
