Signs you’re the one ruining the meeting

THERE’S always that one annoying person in the office, and usually they don’t realise it. If you do any of these things, that person might just be you.

Picard Facepalm

MEETINGS can never just go as planned — there always has to be some sort of interruption or distraction. The office environment is supposed to be productive, yet every time everyone is gathered together, someone ends up ruining it all.

Whether they’re being loud, annoying, disruptive, or anti-productive, there’s usually at least one person derailing things. If an individual doesn’t come to mind, then this person very well could be you! Here are the top signs that you’re the one ruining the meeting.

YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE SPEAKING

If you notice that nobody else has said a word in 45 minutes, then you’re probably speaking too much. Nobody wants to sit and listen to you jump from tangent to tangent, starting with “project synergy” and somehow ending up defending Ross from Friends because “they were on a break!” This isn’t a dictatorship, you aren’t giving a State Of The Union address and you don’t have a podium in front of you. Avoid rambling and let the others have a turn.

YOU ALWAYS SHOW UP LATE

Some offices are more lenient than others. A 1:00pm meeting at one company may mean, “Get here at 12:55 or you’re fired,” while another place may be more of the “Don’t worry about it, 1:15 is fine. Get here when you can” type. Never take advantage of that type of kindness. Show up on time, because you’ll regret missing some important information and you’ll disrupt the whole meeting by walking in late. Plus, your co-workers may start to resent you and smash their thumbs into your ham sandwich when you aren’t looking.

YOU DON’T TURN YOUR PHONE ON SILENT

We get it; we’re all busy. We all have important calls, texts and e-mails coming in, but whatever it is can usually wait. If it’s of the utmost urgency and you’re waiting to hear back from your lawyer to know if you’ve been acquitted, then just put your phone on vibrate. Nobody wants to hear your awkward Nicki Minaj ringtone every fourteen minutes.

YOU’RE ON YOUR PHONE THE ENTIRE TIME

That trending hashtag game you have a clever tweet for can wait. Put it in drafts and save it for after the meeting. The same goes for all those snapchats you have to open, and don’t even think about answering that phone call from your cousin Cliff who just wants to talk about the big game last night. Just leave your phone in your pocket and pay attention to the task at hand. This way, you’ll be aware of what’s going on and, who knows, maybe you can even participate!

YOU’RE A SCHEDULING NAZI

Meetings usually have several topics to cover, and some will take longer than others. If you’re the type to schedule out every single second, then be ready to modify that schedule. If a conversation is going well and ideas are flowing, don’t cut it off just to stay on schedule. Go with the flow and let things progress naturally.

YOU THINK YOUR OPINION IS THE ONLY ONE THAT MATTERS

Here’s something you may not know: other people sometimes have good ideas too. You aren’t the only one with a fully functional brain and the capability to come up with innovative thoughts and ideas. Rather than finding holes in absolutely everything that anyone suggests, you could benefit from hearing them out once in a while. Everyone deserves the same opportunity to be heard and let their ideas resonate. On that note …

YOU INTERRUPT EVERYONE

Just. Let. Them. Finish. And try and listen to what people have to say, rather than just waiting anxiously for your turn to say what you want.

YOU DRESS LIKE A SLOB

Try and keep your attire choices somewhere between “white glove dinner party” and “Family Feud re-runs and leftover pizza on the couch.” It’s important to properly present yourself as a professional, or at least someone who showers regularly and knows how to work a washing machine.

YOU’RE COMPLETELY INAUDIBLE

You won’t always be able to make it to every single meeting. With the marvels of modern technology, you now have the ability to use Skype, FaceTime, or a number of other tools that make it as though you’re right there. As great as this is, don’t add 25 minutes on to the meeting by struggling to connect properly. Wherever you are, make sure you have a decent enough signal strength or internet connection so that you won’t cut in and out. Also, make sure you’re somewhere quiet. “Yeah, sorry, I’m in a parking garage basement and there’s a tonne of construction going on,” will almost surely put a damper on any meeting.

YOU ASK THE MOST USELESS, UNIMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Always make sure that there is value to what you’re asking. Remember in primary school when the teacher would say, “There’s no such thing as a dumb question”? Well, that’s not true. We all have things to get done and work to get back to, so always think, “Is this useful?” before asking something in front of everyone.

This article originally appeared on AskMen.