I check before/after the meeting, unless I am waiting for my son to get home (that's 3-4), then I am watching it like a hawk. He got locked out in single digit weather the other day. Had I not checked? Well, I don't want to know. Aren't we all expecting something important is my point. And, who is to say you can tell when it is or isn't important, unless you ask. I can't see most of us asking?

I agree with you 100%, kittiemom.

Rob, please understand that I'm not disagreeing or criticizing. Just curious. Would your son not have known to go to a neighbor's house and called to let you know, leaving a message (or text) on your phone?

No, I don't think everybody is expecting something so important that they have to have their phone in meetings. And yes, I am also pretty plugged in.

I see nothing wrong with having the cell phone on your person during a meeting, set to vibrate (although I can often hear that, too). However, do not pull it out and check it unless you are expecting a VERY important call. I know that's hard. We are all naturally curious.

I was at a funeral on Monday and a cell phone rang in the pew behind me. Come on, people -- think.

At my company most people bring phones into meetings. Sometimes it's to take calls but it's mostly to monitor emails from clients. I don't find it rude unless I see someone texting or playing games.

I was at a meeting this weekend. Honestly thought I had turned my phone on silent. ( waiting for a baby to be born) Imagine my horror when it RANG when everyone was completely quick. I was mortified. Hit the mute button and called the person back later

We are too plugged in! And, it's addicting! Phones are now a source of entertainment. Mt sister does not want an iPhone and she finds it disturbing when others are constantly checking their phones. She called me out in it.

She is right. Should there be an emergency, I would get a phone call. But when in other people's company, it is necessary to check emailed and phone messages?

I don't and never have worked in the corporate world. But, years before cell phones, companies were successful. It is is critical multi task nowadays?

don't work, so no problem...dh is plugged in 24/7...not that he actually gets calls past 5pm, but it has been known to happen...meeting are the same, although he will got to vm...

It seems to me that a lot of people are impolite about their cell phone use now. No, I don't go to work every day thinking that I'm going to be getting emergency or very important phone calls. Honestly, a lot of these "important" calls could wait until later. And most of us have backup emergency contacts. If something happens to my dad, his facility has my DH's number and my sister's in case I can't be reached. They also have my work number and know that if it's an emergency and I don't answer, they can call the office and the receptionist will find me.

A few years ago, when I was doing software training, I required everyone to turn their phones off during training. After one disastrous training where several people walked out to take calls, I decided that something had to change. Several people took calls, interrupting everyone else by walking out. They stayed outside for several minutes, then were behind and wanted me to cover the material again because they'd missed something. Not fair to the rest of the people there or to me.

I agree with dedtired. I have nothing against someone having their phone I their pocket during a meeting. But setting on a table and answering every call or responding to mundane texts during a meeting, funeral, or other function disrupts others and shows no respect for them.

Like I said, I'm pretty plugged in. But it seems that a lot of people now think that they must answer every call or respond to every text immediately, when a lot of them could wait.

chi, that's different, and not what the OP was questioning. Your situation is related to clients/business. I believe she was talking about personal stuff.

No one he knows was home in our neighborhood (we all work!), so I guess he could've walked down the street to a store. But really, I would rather know my son is home safely. So I watch that one hour of the day (between school and home, the bus!) and I get home minutes after he. This year, he learns to drive and I can only imagine my worry level, but for now, he depends on me. And I will get him into that house. It doesn't negate that what one considers an emergency another might not. Single degree temps and no one coming home any time soon, didn't seem like something he really needed to tolerate. But that's my call for my son.

Thanks Susie, but I understood what she was asking. She wanted to know if we find people bringing cell phones into meetings to be inconsiderate, and my point was that cell phones are brought into meetings for all sorts of different reasons. And I don't know how anyone, unless they follow the person out and eavesdrop, or read their email over their shoulder, would know whether it's business or personal, and if it's an emergency or something that can wait.

That being said, I don't believe in holding up others or repeating information if someone decides to step out and take a call. That is their choice and they need to deal with the consequences. It's very inconsiderate to expect everyone to wait on them.

No, actually I clearly said that I realize that some people do have a business need to carry their phones into meetings. I was talking about personal use. And honestly, even a lot of those important business calls/emails could wait a half hour for a meeting.

People wouldn't think of answering their phone or email while at the doctor and ignore him, yet they think nothing of doing that to their coworkers.

There are some exceptions, obviously. I'm talking about the people who interrupt a meeting to take every personal call or answer every text.

I'm as plugged in as they come but common courtesy is my motto. If were having lunch and holding a conversation, put the phone away. If your at church or the movies, put the phone away. If your checking out at a store or a drive through, put the phone away. Doing an interview on either side, working a people job, or sitting at a meeting with the boss, put the phone away.
There are exceptions but not many in my book.

How did people and businesses ever survive before there were cell phones? Somehow we older folks all did survive. We were lucky to even have a house phone and many times it was a party line, shared with others.

But I also think there are exceptions to the exception. Like taking a kid to a kid movie? If the whole theater is kids and their parents, I'm much less concerned about the little one sitting still and or being quiet. No one else is, and I fully expect a lot of the leeway that I am giving.

Cell phones/laptops are standard business practice at meetings. I cannot see cell phones disappearing at meetings. Cannot. It's only gotten more prevalent over the years, and I think you're trying to fight a rising tide expecting it to be limited to what you find "acceptable". Now none of my associates who would bring a phone to a meeting and read emails before/after a meeting, would bring it to lunch and text all lunch long. Maybe you're not so lucky, and that's the problem? Not here.

Honestly, I really don't understand the mindset of the whole cell phones are evil thing. People have always carried on conversations. For some reason, it is absolutely acceptable when the participants are standing nearby, face to face. But put a cell phone in one of the participant's hands and have the other person be somewhere else, and it's evil/wrong/bad manners??? Cell phone conversations being overheard is becoming more acceptable, and less seen as bad manners any more. I never saw it being a problem, except when someone couldn't hear and they were yelling. Which has gone by the wayside too, so maybe that's why it's more tolerated.

I truly don't understand cell phones being in business settings as being wrong. Just don't get it. Even if I didn't have a son to watch. I saw colleagues using their phones before I had one and it didn't bother me then.

I really am beginning to wonder if this is a generational thing?

My experience with business meetings in which smartphones are visible (usually just for email) :

-some people are multitasking, they're in the meeting but they're also on call for something else or needed for a higher priority or they need to keep something else moving.

-some are bored or uninterested in the meeting and are looking to spend their time on something they think is more important

-some are just rude, they don't know when to put their smartphone down.

It makes meetings less effective, though some would say meetings are often not effective anyway. Sometimes it's said "Please keep your attention in the meeting and away from your phone, then we all can finish this in 20 minutes (or whatever it is)".

In a meeting with clients present, no matter how many people were in it, my phone always remained in my briefcase. They were paying for my time, they got my full attention.

If you're expecting a phone call so important that you cannot part with your phone long enough to attend a meeting, you shouldn't attend the meeting.

A generational thing? I have to admit that I got a big laugh out of that one. Robb, I think you're assuming that I'm much older than I am.

I was an early adopter of smart phones and I certainly don't see them as evil.

Not specifically you. I was speaking generally.

And I am not going back to the days before cell phones or internet. Yea, we got things done but it was freakin' hard. So much better than carbon paper, carrying around boxes of files filled with paper, or mailing things across the world when i can do it instantly even though my boss is in China or London and I am in Tennessee, Texas, or sitting in my house while sitting on the couch... sure, it worked but not well.

Some people are better than others at keeping their hierarchy of priorities in order of relevant importance.

ole joyful

and then, there's folks like me, who can't have my phone out at work at ALL, or I'd get fired! Except on my break.

the only times I carry my cell phone on me at work is if I'm expecting a very important phone call. Like when my son was in ICU last summer, or when my niece was expecting her baby last week (normally not an emergency, but in her case it was). Otherwise, it's turned off and in my locker. I'm one of the few at work who does that. I have an iPhone in an Otterbox so it's way too bulky to throw in my pocket and I'm not clipping it to the waistband of my uniform pants. No use, because we are not allowed to have our phones on us during work hours.

I'm not going to comment on what others do, only on what I do. Most of my meetings any more are phone meetings, since I work remotely, and my 'meeting' phone is on mute unless I am speaking and my cell phone stays on. AlsoI have, at times in recent years, certainly received very important calls (both business and personal, a couple of times life changing) on my cell phone. But there are still times when I turn my cell phone off, UNLESS I am on call (pager duty) for work.

I turn my cell phone off for in person meetings.

I turn my cell phone off during church.

I turn my cell phone off during performances (theater, movie, school concert, etc).

I turn my cell phone off during doctor, dentist, eye exam appointments.

I did forget to turn my phone off once recently when I should have. I went in to have outpatient surgery on my hand. I undressed and was in a hospital gown, but they took my clothing along into the OR rather than leaving it in a locker (which to me would have made more sense). Of COURSE although the phone didn't ring, a daily 'reminder' alarm went off while I was on the operating table. A nurse located the phone, brought it to me, and I (with my non dominant left hand) located the very small spot that I had to 'touch' to turn it off. It was good for a laugh for everyone there, but I sure felt bad about not having turned the phone off to begin with.