Coworkers showing up late/not showing up at all to meetings

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by kokonutty

Did you see the "I reject your crappy advice" part?

That's professional, right?

It's not professional but then again, he was responding to your post in an anonymous internet forum, not addressing his peers in a workplace.

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by stygmata

I live in the world of ridiculous volumes of meetings. I have to use the priority system.

1) If the agenda of the meeting is not clear in the invitation - decline
2) If my contribution to the meeting is unclear - tentative until further clarity provided
3) If you drop a meeting on my calendar when I am already booked - decline (unless a call is made to explain why)
4) Double and triple-booked timeslots? I'll make my own decision as to which one most needs my presence

I agree with this and add one more that might pertain to the OP's issue:

5) You set up a recurring meeting and I accepted it but after the initial meeting I find it's a waste of time or my presence is really not required, I'll stop attending but might not think about declining/cancelling the rest of the recurrences.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by jaypee

I agree with this and add one more that might pertain to the OP's issue:

5) You set up a recurring meeting and I accepted it but after the initial meeting I find it's a waste of time or my presence is really not required, I'll stop attending but might not think about declining/cancelling the rest of the recurrences.

Interesting. Here @Big Tech Major in metro Seattle, the social rules for meetings seem to be as-follows, not dissimilar to the 4-5 items already listed:

• Optional means "OK to blow it off, but YOU should recognize if your interests are impacted. Nobody's fault but yours if you miss something."
  
• We're pretty good on on-time start these days. All clocks are atomic, as are all phones. No excuse: at a tech firm 100% of us have at least one phone, if not more than one in the pockets. Fully 25% at this writing have wrist gadgets, confirming in my mind that's the next big frontier just like they predicted (I have a Garmin Fenix 3). I haven't heard "the clock was off" as a valid tartiness excuse since c. invention of the iPhone in 2007.
  
• Most meetings really kick off at 2 min after for 1/2 hr., 4 min after for hour long. Don't bet on it, though, if the agenda is tight
  
• Longer than an hour means a specifications or requirements review. They can go up to 4 hours, and are mostly for engineering. Choose participants wisely, or irritate everyone. Product, program, portfolio and LT certainly don't need to be there.
  
• Agendas are not always supplied. If the title is obvious, we don't need one. If not, structure it. No one has time to read more than a few sentences, so make it count.
  
• Overbooking is rude, and irritates some but not others. I am the latter. Do it, I retain right to decide which I will let-slide. I will decide which meeting is more important, in consultation with you beforehand.
  
• Recurrings are dangerous for people to start blowing them off, so unless it's operational or management (mandatory) better have fresh agendas for every session.