Do You Follow Your Company Core Values During The Meetings?

One of the great boasts of the 21st century is just how connected we are how we are just a few people or contacts away from a film star, president or musical artist. Social media gives us greater access to newsfeeds, updates, tweets and so much more. The outcome of this connectivity is that we feel obliged to be online all of the time even if it means ignoring people right in front of us.

Think about how many times you have been in a meeting and the person that you are speaking to isnt even listening to you annoying? Frustrating? Makes you want to reach over and give them a shake?

I was talking to a business partner of mine who was in such a meeting the person in front of them was, in effect, being given $2m of business. Let me repeat that piece given $2m of business. My partner patiently explained what was required in order to hand the business over on a plate. The person in front of them ate her lunch; checked her emails; refused to make eye contact.

OK, pop quiz for everyone would you want to give $2m to someone who cant even be bothered to stop chewing food and checking Facebook while you are actually talking to them?

At what point are you no longer speaking with someone that it becomes talking to someone and then, finally talking at someone?

Rest assured, however, in meetings, you will have done the same thing at one point or another.

Check it out: people walk into meetings with a laptop and as they sit down, they open it up, as people are settling down they are on their smartphone or tablet to check emails or texts, even when people are talking, while others are staring into their laptops and typing.

Here is the message leaders are really sending by not giving their full attention: I am so important that I have to be in this meeting but I cant really be that bothered, I am so important that I HAVE to email people instead of listen to people and finally that I am so important that hey, I dont have to justify myself here.

When in business meetings I lay down five basic rules:

1. No surfing the net during a meeting unless to research the topic of discussion.
2. No use of messaging services (Twitter, email, text).

3. You can type notes during the meeting.

4. You can use information on your laptop to share on the screen with your colleagues/peers.

5. Everyone will contribute (otherwise why are they there?!)

Meetings are a time for people to listen, discuss, and contribute and they deserve full attention. To ensure that clients, partners and colleagues understand this view I apply one simple approach: If they cant be bothered to be present in the meeting, I leave and let them re-arrange it when they can put the time to it.