Anyone who has spent time in a professional environment understands that courteous workplace behavior is essential. Creating a respectful, productive atmosphere requires mutual consideration—we must extend the same courtesy to colleagues, students, staff and faculty that we hope to receive in return. At its core, Studio etiquette embodies a simple principle: treat others with the respect and consideration you would want for yourself. Despite this straightforward principle, workplace norms are routinely overlooked in everyday interactions. Common breaches include taking clearly marked food from shared refrigerators, conducting personal conversations that disturb colleagues in open work environments, or overstepping professional boundaries by asking new team members inappropriate personal questions during initial introductions. These behaviors not only violate basic professional standards but also foster uncomfortable dynamics that erode workplace culture. While these infractions may seem trivial, they can profoundly damage team morale and professional relationships, underscoring why maintaining fundamental workplace courtesy has never been more important.

Shared Conference Rooms Means Shared Responsibility

Conference rooms in the Studio operate under their own set of behavioral expectations, rooted in the same principles of mutual respect. When individuals share meeting spaces, adhering to established norms of conduct and communication becomes essential for maintaining a professional environment that honors everyone’s dignity and comfort. A single inconsiderate individual can dramatically deteriorate the workplace atmosphere for an entire team, demonstrating how one person’s disregard for common courtesy can have far-reaching consequences across the organization.

Basics of 71 North Meeting Rooms Etiquette

Let’s shift from understanding the importance of proper meeting room etiquette to examining the specific guidelines: what are the fundamental principles that every meeting participant should observe, regardless of the meeting format or venue? While some of the etiquette standards outlined below may seem self-evident, experience shows that even the most basic courtesies benefit from occasional reinforcement and clear articulation.

Keep Conference Rooms Clean

Conference rooms function as communal spaces that require collective stewardship. Upon concluding your meeting, ensure you collect all personal items and dispose of any beverages you brought. Leaving behind a trail of coffee cups or other debris forces the next group to use their valuable time addressing your cleanup, creating resentment and disrupting their schedule before they even begin. Equally important is preserving the room’s designated technology and equipment. Speakers, cameras, projectors, and other installed resources should remain in place, as future meeting participants depend on these tools for their presentations and discussions. When equipment disappears, it compromises the effectiveness of subsequent meetings and creates unnecessary obstacles for other users. If you need help, please don’t hesitate to ask 71 North staff to help.

Start and Finish Meetings on Time

Conference rooms serve as shared organizational resources, making punctuality essential to prevent disruptions for subsequent users. Utilize the 71 North Space Request Form to specify your meeting’s location, timeframe, and duration, and promptly communicate any schedule modifications to 71 North staff. Starting and concluding meetings as scheduled demonstrates professionalism and consideration for others’ time commitments. Conversely, when meetings run over their allotted time, it forces the next group to wait and disrupts their agenda, sending an unintentional message of disrespect for their schedule and priorities.

Schedule and Cancel Meetings as Early as Possible

Plan ahead and reserve meeting rooms well in advance when you know your scheduling needs. Early booking not only increases your chances of securing your preferred space but also allows colleagues adequate time to adjust their own schedules accordingly. This same principle applies to cancellations. Last-minute cancellations prevent others from utilizing valuable conference room space, essentially squandering a critical shared resource. However, when you cancel with sufficient notice, you create opportunities for colleagues to book that newly available time slot, making productive use of the space. Advance planning and timely communication create a more efficient system that honors everyone’s scheduling needs while maximizing the utility of shared meeting spaces—a practice that reflects both organizational consideration and professional courtesy.