If you want to boost your productivity levels and at the same time, focus more on the meeting agenda, consider not taking your smartphones and even laptops with you inside the conference or meeting room. A recent study finds that banning 'gadgets and other technologies' during meetings helps in coming up with better outputs - achieving a more desired result.
According to new research from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, you are probably annoying your boss and colleagues when you bring your devices such as phones and laptops during meetings, more so, when you check on them from time to time.
Furthermore, the research indicates that older professionals and those with higher incomes are far more likely to think it is inappropriate to be checking text messages or emails during meetings of any kind.
Despite the Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) trend among workplaces, LogMeIn report states that 73% of the workers are taking a laptop, smartphone, tablet or a combination of these devices into face-to-face meetings which can actually do more harm than good. BYOD at work especially in meetings may not always mean you are multitasking. At times, you may even be ignoring more important things.
During brainstorming and presentations, your utmost attention and concentration are anticipated. These 'personal technologies' can also distract you, losing your focus on your tasks and targets, decreasing your productivity levels, and eventually affecting your performance and compromising your success in the corporate ladder.
Consequently, there have been some previous reports that explained why some successful people do not check their mobile phones and open their laptops during corporate meetings.
Furthermore, you can improve your meetings and finish all your agenda within the expected period if everyone in the room knows such etiquettes for using personal devices at work. Orienting your subordinates and colleagues and making them aware of what they should do are strongly advised. Everything must be clear to everyone.
And if you are the boss or the one presiding the meeting, you should always "walk the talk" by leading a good examples to everyone.
