Wired Etiquette

There is only one thing worse than your cell phone ringing during an important board meeting — actually leaving the room to answer or having a personal conversation right there at the table. If looks could kill, the stares you’d get from co-workers and clients would be a death sentence.

Wired Etiquette There’s no app for courtesy, so use some common sense By Desiree Stennett

There is only one thing worse than your cell phone ringing during an important board meeting — actually leaving the room to answer or having a personal conversation right there at the table. If looks could kill, the stares you’d get from co-workers and clients would be a death sentence.

Because of the help cell phones and PDA’s can provide in the business realm, they are finding a home in boardrooms and at business dinners all over the country.

Smart phones are quickly becoming the messiah, here to save the business world time and money. However, no good thing comes without its drawbacks.

As people become more “wired,” the lines that distinguish between personal and professional lives blur, and problems of cell phone etiquette arise. Many are wondering if a place still exists where courtesy outweighs convenience.

This savior-turned-plague has cost quite a few applicants job opportunities and has left a bad taste in the mouths of numerous clients forced to wait while company representatives take personal or even business calls.

According to Career Builder, Monster.com and Yahoo’s finance department, the use of cell phones is among the top five most common mistakes applicants make in a job interview, with some extreme cases going so far as to ask the hiring manager to leave their own office because the call is “private.”

This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise since, according to a recent Pew Research study, 65 percent of Americans even sleep with their cell phones on or near their beds, never more than an arm’s reach away.

Employees and job seekers are not the only ones abusing the convenience of technology. Because of the portability of our smart phones, many employers are requiring more of their employees even on days off. According to Monster.com’s HR People blog, this will most likely have many good employees doing job searches in their down time between phone calls from the boss. Experts urge employers to contact employees sparingly on weekends and at night.

Although most would agree that cell phones are assets that certainly pay for their keep in time and money saved, many would also agree that our BlackBerries are getting a VIP treatment that can make people feel less than appreciated.

“While electronic gadgets are designed to make employees more productive, they also may serve as a distraction,” says Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology, an IT firm, after developing a national survey that showed that 51 percent of chief information officers felt that cell phones, BlackBerries and PDAs brought on a decline in work place etiquette in the last three years.

“It is always a good idea to give people you’re collaborating with your undivided attention,” he says.

Since there is not yet a BlackBerry app to alert us when our cell phone habits have crossed the line, here are a few sure-fire ways to improve your etiquette right now:

1. When headed to the boardroom, the best bet is to leave the cell phone behind.
Even if it is on a vibrate setting, the temptation to check out the display to see who’s calling, text messaging or emailing could steal your attention and make you miss important information.

2. Emailing and text messaging while talking with a superior or co-worker is not efficient, it’s inattentive.
Multi-tasking is an important skill for any business associate but there are times when full attention should be given to those in front of you.

3. Learn to tell the difference between true emergencies and what can wait a while.
This one is for employees and employers alike. When you’re on the job, your child’s school calling to tell you that your daughter is sick is an emergency; your best friend inviting you out to lunch is not.

4. Should weekends and nighttime hours be off-limits for employers texting or calling workers?
When considering contacting employees during their personal time, employers need to remember to ask themselves if the issue at hand must be taken care of now or if it can wait until Monday. Even the most dedicated employees need time away to be happy.

5. Put your voicemail feature to work for you.
If you’re unsure about the importance of a personal call when in a professional situation, let your voicemail be your private secretary.

6. Ask for cell phone-free meetings.
Want guaranteed peace during a board meeting or a conference? Don’t be afraid to ask everyone in the room to take out their phone, Blackberry or PDA, put it on the table and turn it off.