How many times have you walked past a table of people eating lunch together, and every one of them is texting or e-mailing someone? Although the sight of it always seems somewhat ridiculous, many of us fall prey to the same thing. None of us are innocent. With so much packed into a smartphone, it’s no wonder they are a constant attention grabber. And besides, for most people, it’s easier to do than to think.
Surprisingly, and despite the efficiency of having a multifunction communication device at our fingertips, we may not be as productive as we assume we are. Giving half our attention to two places at once may cause us to accomplish much less. This problem is compounded in the workplace. Work needs to get done, and attention needs to be paid to the matter at hand.
The great Peter Drucker, known as the “Father of Modern Management” and grandfather of the modern-day business book, conducted the first large-scale study of a large company (General Motors) more than half a century. Drucker once said, “I never knew a chief executive who could handle more than one priority at a time.” Although he said this many years ago, it has never been more pertinent to today’s leaders, especially when you consider that we live in the age of distractions.
In addition, the concept of focusing on one thing at a time does not only apply to work. It also applies to personal relationships. Your personal relationships are as important as work, if not more so. And although it is difficult to believe now, there was a time not all that long ago before smartphones and iPads and laptops and e-mails—a time when people had to actually speak to one another face-to-face. Work is, of course, an important part of all of our adult lives, but if your relationships don’t work, not much will either.
While it is easy to shoot off a text message just to say hi or to check in, you simply cannot build a relationship based on trust with this “shorthand” communication.
Though technology has made communication easier for people who are not in the room with us, it has made it harder for the people who are. We have to draw the line of where our technological communication ends and our human interaction must begin.
Do any of the following scenarios sound familiar to you?
•Workmates or colleagues in a casual exchange around the coffee machine have to repeat themselves as various members drift in and out of the conversation to check their handheld devices.
•Every single person in an update meeting checks his or her phone when a speaker on the conference line is talking.
•A workmate or colleague interrupts an important explanation to show you a picture he has just seen tagged on Facebook.
•Attendees at a seminar reposition themselves near the doorways and halfway out the windows when they realize they can get a signal there.
We’ve all been there. Very few companies have policies on smartphone use in the workplace, which leaves it up to employees to navigate their way across uncharted waters.
Most people don’t intend to be rude. It’s just that they aren’t mindful about using these indispensable devices in a way that is not offensive to the people around them. Smartphones and manners can be compatible, however, and what follows are a few tips to help raise the bar on phone etiquette.
Give the person in front of you 100 percent of your attention, and don’t interrupt a face-to-face conversation by taking a call or texting. Keep your phone stashed in your pocket, handbag, or briefcase when you’re attending a business lunch or meeting. People notice you reading under the table more than you think. It’s not only distracting and discourteous to the speaker, but also to those around you.
The occasional phone ringing is not as annoying as is scrolling through e-mails, texting, or playing with a new app in your lap. It sends a message to the people in the room that they are not important and that they have lost a battle for your interest against whatever you have going on the screen. If those people are your clients or have power over your job, that’s a dangerous message to send.
Yes, sometimes using your phone can be beneficial. You may be able to answer a question instantly with a quick Internet search, or e-mail someone not in the meeting and get a quick answer that you can share with the others present. Or you may want to jot information into your phone that is pertinent to the meeting. There’s no hard and fast rule, and that’s where using good judgment is important.
But if you’re doing something important, the person you’re meeting with face-to-face doesn’t always know that. All he sees, from his perspective, is you playing with your phone. So if the situation allows, notify him of what you’re doing on your phone before you dive in. This is similar to the way that, if you were on the phone with him and had to leave him hanging to take care of something important in person, you would let him know beforehand, instead of just setting the phone down and coming back when he’s finished talking.
Sometimes you might be on a deadline for a project and expecting a phone call or e-mail that you must respond to right away. If that’s the case, mention it before the meeting begins and then excuse yourself and step away when you take the call. In longer meetings, wait until a break to check e-mails and phone messages.
As a rule, it’s smarter to take personal calls in private anyway. Even if you’re not sharing highly personal information, it might not be a good idea to have an unwanted audience tuned in to the conversation. Listening to someone talk on a cell phone in a public place is highly amusing; preserve your dignity.
Ironically, the people using smartphones in meetings aren’t always lower-level employees. Often they’re the managers and leaders. In that case, it can be even more detrimental. After all, leaders set the tone for what’s appropriate, and employees tend to follow. Employees interpret leaders using their phone and not paying attention to what’s being said as not caring, and if you don’t care, why should they? If you’re a leader who habitually texts, e-mails, or browses on the phone during meetings, it may be time for some well-deserved introspection. If you can, give the phone to your assistant and ask them to take messages. Another great idea that I heard from one leader was his message that said that he returns phone messages every day after 4 p.m.
In short, when heading to work, it’s not necessary to leave your smartphone at home. Whether they are indeed smart or not, they definitely have their merits. Just make sure to use them wisely. Also be aware that using your phone can often be more detrimental than putting it aside, and you have to use your common sense to discern between the two.