It’s OK to Ban  Devices from Your Meetings

We love to hate meetings. But since they aren’t going away any time soon, we should think of ways to make them more effective. One answer is to ban devices. The reason is simple: devices distract us. Many people think they can finish an email or read through a Twitter feed while listening to someone in a meeting. But research shows we really can’t multitask. When we’re focused on our phones, we’re missing important information being discussed and ignoring opportunities to contribute to the conversation. Devices also distract others. Research suggests that we feel annoyed when people are on their devices during a meeting, yet we fail to  realize that our actions have the same effect on others. When people are presenting, they can also feel hurt or insulted when someone reaches for their phone – especially if that person is a senior leader. So  leave your phone behind, and pay attention.
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*Source: Harvard Business Review’s Management Tip of the Day.
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