Tell me if you recognize this scenario. You’re in a business meeting with many people sitting at a conference table or around the room. A discussion is going on or a presentation is being made. The number of people engaged in the issue at hand is a fraction – say 10 percent. The rest? All on their laptops or smart phones doing (mostly) email or other activities.
Is this the new normal? I’ve found myself in just this kind of situation a lot in the past year and clearly the trend is increasing. I can imagine the defense that would be raised by the multitaskers, in case anyone called them on it: “I’m listening but this part of the conversation doesn’t concern me. So I’m half listening, and the other half is working on other stuff. Maybe not MORE important but, well, like, equally important. Feel free to do the same.”
I’ve wondered if this is the excuse for a new kind of rudeness – or if so many are doing it, whether we can even call it rude anymore. And the more people do it, the more others will feel free to do it. I used to see a small number of people sneaking on to email, almost surreptitiously, to “just check in.” Now no one’s sneaking and the behavior is continuous, being done by more than half the people in the room.
Is this how we’ll get more work done, claiming that we’re making use of idle brain time that would otherwise be wasted? Are we bored by thinking about or doing just one thing at a time? The same attitude is on display when a teenager texts during a family meal (not that THAT has ever happened!). I can easily imagine my own son making the same defense above at the dinner table. C’mon dad, I’m just multitasking!
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| In this meeting, no one can hear you scream (they're too busy multitasking). |
So what does everyone think? Rude behavior or just the new normal?
7 comments:
In sales, I definitely find it distracting. When face to face with a client in a meeting, I expect their attention. I feel they are uninterested in what I'm presenting if they pull out their phone to check their email (which may not be the case, although it's perception). Is there really anything that can't wait 15 minutes?
As a recruiter, we expect you to be checking your phone/email immediately. We used to have to wait an entire day if someone was attending an all day conference. Now, if we don't get an answer the same day, we assume our manager isn't interested in our candidates.
Seems to be two issues. Concerning "lack of attentiveness in a meeting", I would consider it important for those involved to give there reasonably undivided attention. Of course that assumes that the right people have been invited to participate in the meeting, the agenda is clear and concise, there is a sensitivity by the person calling the meeting for starting on time and not wasting time. My rule of thumb would be to turn off the phone and close the laptop.
Multi-tasking, in general, is another whole topic. Does the ability to multi-task really add to increades productivity and is all multi-tasking behavior based on being as producitve as possible or filling not prioritizing transactions to be dealt with. Last in, first out is not necessarily the best way to conduct business.
Multi-tasking while in the presence of others (face-to-face or on the phone), even if I am old-fashioned, is still considered to be disrespectful and disruptive to me.
Unfortunatly technology lends itself to such behavior. I believe one of the rudest inventions was call waiting. While I'm sure the intent was good, it really allows folks to choose a percieved more important call over another. So in so is calling, gotta run.
Loss of focus whether via multi-phone calls or multi-tasks often leads to a partial or half attempt at something. In some way we are gaining more and lossing at the same time. The loss of focus surely impacts our ability to do a job attentively. In the unfortunate event of a surgery, for example, I just hope my doctor doesn't get distracted (multitasking via technlogy) and forget to put something back or stitch something up !
Funny, just last evening I was in a meeting where I was presenting the draft of a rather important document. One attendee asked me to itemize certain changes that still need to be made - I complied. At one point in my review of those changes I looked over at the person who'd asked for this review - he was on his phone. (I admit he COULD have had the doc on there and been following along. But it struck me as rather odd that he'd asked for details and then gone on to something else.
Besides, research has and is showing that multitasking is a bad idea - we don't do any one of the tasks well when we do them "all at the same time."
I believe that multitasking is an important strength to have. However the scenario that you described is just rude. If you are attending a meeting the purpose is to get information out to all the proper people. If you are in that meeting them that includes you. Budget your time more effectively so that you can give the person who is running the meeting your undivided attention. Contribute, be part of the human equation. I think that the cell phone is both one of the best inventions ever made AND the worst one ever made. By the way I really like the phrase, "be here now."
It is definitely becoming more of the norm and I do find it rude. It you are not interested in contributing, then do not attend the meeting. No matter how good you are at multi-tasking, it means you are not thinking about the topic of the meeting as you should be, thus why are you there.
The expectation of people today is that they get a response from you within hours, not a day. Being in a meeting or "off site" is not considered a reason to not address their question any longer.
The bigger question is how to change it, as the new generation will not know any other way.
Maybe there is a message: Talk less, do more. One thing we need to do is change our presentation style. Prezi has made a good contribution to make what is being projected more inviting to watch. The challenge, though, is getting people to look up at what you want them to see. Involve them. Engage them.
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