The only reasons to bring your technology in a person to person meeting are:

1) you are taking meeting notes,
2) you are using it to present something to the group or
3) you are expecting a life or death phone call.

In the case of number three, you will announce to the group you are meeting with that you are expecting this call, apologize for the disruption it will cause and then excuse yourself when it does come and take it privately. When you return to the meeting in progress, do so quietly, resume your seat, unless it’s to announce a death or near death.

What are you thinking?

Bringing your mobile devices to a meeting and plopping them on the table does not make you look cool – it makes you look rude.

Bringing your mobile devices to a meeting won’t make you look busy. It makes you look like a poser.

Looking at every message that arrives on your mobile device, even if it’s on quiet is distracting and signals that you are not really part of the meeting. You may want to consider therapy.

Talking on your mobile device in a meeting is an outrage and should be punishable by death.

If you use your mobile device as a distraction because you don’t want to be in the meeting just don’t come to the meeting. The meeting will be more productive without you.

If you have too much work to do and can’t leave it for an hour, please excuse yourself from the meeting.

Hiding your device under the table while you play with it is childish – we all know what you are doing. Stop it.

Meetings are slow and unproductive when you are distracted on your mobile device and resurface asking for clarification because you didn’t catch the point that was being made.