Smartphones in meetings

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the woman who is in 70% meetings for her work-day, you need to set aside time for addressing emails that is not in a work setting. If you have to, put an hour on the calendar every day when you take care of such business.

This really is the solution. I took a recent time management class, and you should be scheduling time to read and respond to email in your schedule, and then stick to it. Checking your e-mail while you're also doing other work (particularly work that requires thinking and analytical skills) is counterproductive. Schedule in three to four 15-minute blocks during the day when you're going to read and respond to e-mail. You can even add in an auto response on your e-mail that lets people know that "I check e-mail periodically during the day; if this is an emergency, please [call me/contact my AA]"

Also, if you're legitimately doing research, etc. that is related to the meeting itself, wouldn't it be more useful and less alienating to have a computer with a projector screen so that everyone can see, for example, the Twitter account? Or send an assistant out of the room to do the research requested?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always have my phone with me at meetings. My colleagues all know that I am the first line of defense for my kids, if something happens at school or daycare. I have to be available to take a call b/c my DH is in a job where he is not reachable.

If I'm in a meeting with clients or others, I usually quickly explain why I have my phone out.

That is incredibly rude and self-centered. We all have major obligations. The vast majority of us are the "first line of defense" for our kids. If someone explained to me that was the reason their phone was out -- I would laugh at them.

Being on your phone during a meeting is rude and generational. It doesn't make it right.

I'm a senior manager and "first line of defense" for my kid as well. I would never bring out my phone in a meeting, it's in my pocket or next to me on vibrate. I would probably reflect it in your review if you were constantly on your phone in a meeting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the perspective. As I mentioned in my original post, in that particular instance, I used my phone to pull up data for that meeting and it was quite obvious when I was referencing it. Funny enough, it was a meeting to discuss our social media strategy, so I really was adding value by pulling up our Twitter site to refer to some stuff. But I do check my phone at other times, so I'll remember that people have other views on that.

As for reading the room, I'm almost always the most senior person in the room. So yes, they should be following my lead, but I'll also be more mindful of my influence and possible reactions. Only a few are above me and we all have phones and tablets with us all the time. Heck, the company paid for most of them (except mine!). It's the norm for senior staff.

And whomever suggested I get someone else to attend or just show up for the last 15 minutes, these are genius suggestions. It really is that I'm expected to be away from my computer for the majority of my day, as we are a highly-dysfunctional, inefficient organization; yet I am also expected to be immediately responsive to situations (I oversee an internal service department--there are a lot of fires to be put out). I don't like it, but that is what is expected in my role. I think I read and respond to the majority of my emails on my walks back and forth to the restroom.

Also--I'm a mom. But I would never justify/excuse my phone usage by saying I have mom duties. Even I know better than that!

You should have prefaced your phone usage with, I'm going to look up out twitter page on my phone and....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I always have my phone with me at meetings. My colleagues all know that I am the first line of defense for my kids, if something happens at school or daycare. I have to be available to take a call b/c my DH is in a job where he is not reachable.

If I'm in a meeting with clients or others, I usually quickly explain why I have my phone out.

That is incredibly rude and self-centered. We all have major obligations. The vast majority of us are the "first line of defense" for our kids. If someone explained to me that was the reason their phone was out -- I would laugh at them.

Being on your phone during a meeting is rude and generational. It doesn't make it right.

I'm a senior manager and "first line of defense" for my kid as well. I would never bring out my phone in a meeting, it's in my pocket or next to me on vibrate. I would probably reflect it in your review if you were constantly on your phone in a meeting.

NP here -- the OP probably should sign up for a time management class as meeting etiquette is usually covered in such a class. The OP would learn that hauling out a phone during a meeting should usually be prefaced with an apology, along the lines of "My apologies, I am waiting for an important call and will need to step out briefly shortly."

Senior managers at my employer are known to have dinged direct reports on performance reviews for behavior like the OP described.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my department, every single person has a device glued to their hand during a meeting or face up on the table. I think nothing of answering emails during a meeting and neither would my boss. He would also take a call if need be. Now we are department that deals with IT so that probably makes a difference.

In general in our org, it's not considered rude to look at a device during a meeting - even if a senior level person is speaking and often the end of a meeting is signaled when the majority have all picked up their devices and started actively reading emails and responding.

I am going to be in the minority here and say that a) my situation is just like that of the PP I am quoting (though we are not IT); b) DB puts a VERY high premium on immediate response to email (<2 minutes); and c) if I can't provide quick feedback to my team on the many projects we are running simultaneously, valuable time is wasted. As it is I am running on constant overdrive; if things slip I have to bring them home for the 9-11pm shift after kids/homework. Exhausting, and i am not going to do it if I can get more finished during the day by sending quick emails during long meetings. I think this etiquette is very situation-specific. My job requires me to be constantly up to speed on certain types of breaking news (feeds come in through our smartphones), and get a LOT of work done very quickly. It also requires meetings.

I agree with those that say the "first line of defense" thing is better addressed with your vibrate setting. HOWEVER, walk a mile, people. I also have 3 elementary/middle school aged kids, and their after school activities/carpool setup is complex and sometimes needs attention during the 3-6pm time period. I spend a lot of time at home making sure it is organized, but stuff happens. Sometimes a quick text makes the difference between a kid waiting in the rain or being home and dry (carpool driver A has a flat tire, so I ask Carpool driver B to help or dig myself/DH out to ride to the rescue). Or, my lovely SAHM neighbor gets sick and I say it's fine for her DS to come hang out with my DS and our sitter. Sometimes I swap things around--leave early to be with the kids BUT still get the work done via email. So long as i have my command central smartphone, i can do my job and still be a little part of the village (that it takes to raise a child...). It's not perfect, but it more or less works. Life is very rich, if often messy. I don't think it's always possible to compartmentalize your life anymore, as men used to do. I can listen respectfully to a colleague and participate in the discussion, while keeping an eye on my phone when I am not needed. Why do people feel judgmental about a subject like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my department, every single person has a device glued to their hand during a meeting or face up on the table. I think nothing of answering emails during a meeting and neither would my boss. He would also take a call if need be. Now we are department that deals with IT so that probably makes a difference.

In general in our org, it's not considered rude to look at a device during a meeting - even if a senior level person is speaking and often the end of a meeting is signaled when the majority have all picked up their devices and started actively reading emails and responding.

I am going to be in the minority here and say that a) my situation is just like that of the PP I am quoting (though we are not IT); b) DB puts a VERY high premium on immediate response to email (<2 minutes); and c) if I can't provide quick feedback to my team on the many projects we are running simultaneously, valuable time is wasted. As it is I am running on constant overdrive; if things slip I have to bring them home for the 9-11pm shift after kids/homework. Exhausting, and i am not going to do it if I can get more finished during the day by sending quick emails during long meetings. I think this etiquette is very situation-specific. My job requires me to be constantly up to speed on certain types of breaking news (feeds come in through our smartphones), and get a LOT of work done very quickly. It also requires meetings.

I agree with those that say the "first line of defense" thing is better addressed with your vibrate setting. HOWEVER, walk a mile, people. I also have 3 elementary/middle school aged kids, and their after school activities/carpool setup is complex and sometimes needs attention during the 3-6pm time period. I spend a lot of time at home making sure it is organized, but stuff happens. Sometimes a quick text makes the difference between a kid waiting in the rain or being home and dry (carpool driver A has a flat tire, so I ask Carpool driver B to help or dig myself/DH out to ride to the rescue). Or, my lovely SAHM neighbor gets sick and I say it's fine for her DS to come hang out with my DS and our sitter. Sometimes I swap things around--leave early to be with the kids BUT still get the work done via email. So long as i have my command central smartphone, i can do my job and still be a little part of the village (that it takes to raise a child...). It's not perfect, but it more or less works. Life is very rich, if often messy. I don't think it's always possible to compartmentalize your life anymore, as men used to do. I can listen respectfully to a colleague and participate in the discussion, while keeping an eye on my phone when I am not needed. Why do people feel judgmental about a subject like this?

Get in line. There are thousands of us in similar positions, and we not only work from 9 - 11 pm but sometimes even until 1 am or (shudder) start working at 4 am before the kids get up and are off to school.

Still no place for you to be rude to colleagues in a meeting where you are supposed to be paying attention to the meeting vs. copping a "my time is more important than any of yours" attitude. Unless you have a family member undergoing heart surgery.

[Anonymous]

Funny, I work in a building where phones don't work and I'm a single mom. I survive just fine. Stop checking them in meetings. If you must pull it out in the context of the meeting, it means you're part of the discussion and you say "oh, I don't remember the exact specs, let me check" and THEN you pull out the phone and check for the information which you are about to turn around and recontribute for the discussion.

And for the OP. It doesn't matter what's right, if it's your boss and s/he expresses dislike for you checking your phone at certain times, stop doing it.