Etiquette advice from T-Mobile, whose survey shows that the British are hypocrites about the use of mobiles, Blackberries, laptops etc in meetings - hating other people doing it, but doing it themselves.
Nearly three quarters of employers do not have guidelines on the use of mobiles at work, which shows how is assumed, wrongly, there are generally held norms regarding the use of communications technology, without any conscious effort to surface the assumptions being made, and turn them into explicit rules.
1. Ensure your mobile phone is off or on silent mode during meetings
2. Do not answer calls during meetings
3. Do not send text messages during meetings
4. Do not leave your mobile device on the table in vibrate mode
5. If you are expecting an important call during a meeting, let the participants know at the beginning of the meeting. When you receive the call, discreetly excuse yourself from the room
6. Ask yourself: “Do I really need my mobile device for the time period of this meeting or can I leave it behind?”
7. Leave laptops closed during meetings. Only open laptops if resources are needed to support the meeting
8. Don’t check emails on either BlackBerry devices or laptops during meetings. If necessary, turn on ‘Out of Office’ to alert those emailing you that you will be in a meeting and are unable to respond immediately
9. Remember to take your phone with you if you leave your desk, or turn the phone off or onto silent mode
10. Ask your employer or HR department to provide a policy on the appropriate use of mobile devices in your workplace