Smart Phone Meeting Blues

There seem to be two types of people in meetings these days – those tethered to their smart phones (overtly or surreptitiously typing away), and the rest of us seething with anger at what they are doing.

It’s a common issue I face, not only in meetings with clients but in group workshops, etc. When someone uses their phone to talk, text, check email messages or browse the internet during a meeting they are sending a clear message that they are not completely engaged in the business at hand. Sometimes people keep their phone out to check the time (because they don’t wear a watch). In any case, the message is still the same – they will be interrupted or choose to be distracted at any time. The rule for any face to face encounter is that people always trump machines. So, clearly the proper behavior is to keep the phone out of sight and on the silent setting unless you have some burning issue (or emergency situation) that you have explained to the others in advance.

OK, so we know that’s the correct behavior, but what to do to modify the habits of those addicted to their devices? For any person charged with running a meeting, I recommend announcing a short “housekeeping” list at the beginning of each session. This would include mentioning the length of the meeting, any potential breaks, a description of where the restrooms and water are located and the mobile phone policy for the session. I usually will ask if anyone has a “fire burning” that requires their cell phones to be left on. For all others, I ask if we can agree that all phones will be placed on silent or vibrate and out of sight for the duration of the meeting. I look at all the participants while nodding and smiling to ensure that they understand and are complying. I might restate the break time so that they understand that they can reconnect at that time.

The key is to re-articulate the phone policy at the beginning of each and every meeting – just be absolutely certain to honor the break times and the ending time of the meeting so everyone knows what to expect. Sometimes, I will say “Thank you for being physically present, now let’s ensure that we are mentally present by coming to an agreement about our phones….. “

If you are not running a meeting (but want to push the group to establish some ground rules) you can even ask the leader, “What’s the smart phone policy for this session?" You might seem like a nudge, but hey, it's going to take a concerted effort to remind people that fiddling with their phone is the same as saying "I don't respect the rest of you in the room!"

We'd love to hear your comments on how you manage this issue or creative ways to stop smart phone distractions in meetings.