How many meetings have you been in recently–in the last week or month–where you saw a PDA in use? How many people were using a hand-held device to send and receive messages?
Quite a few I’d wager.

So let me ask you a question.
Do you consider the following statement as true or false?

“Multitasking increases productivity and promotes smart decision-making”

Hmmm. Let’s see. True or false.

Come on. This is not a trick question.
If you aren’t focusing, can you really make smart decisions?

If you’re sitting in meetings concentrating on you’re your little picture screen — what percent of your attention is on the conversation? Don’t kid yourself and say 100%. It’s just not so. You know where your focus is. And it sure isn’t on what is being discussed.

Now the battle cry if you are hooked to ‘being in touch’ sounds like this:
“I need it! You’ll have to pry the Blackberry out of my cold dead hands!”

And most people would admit to being completely hooked on staying connected–they have to.

“I’m never letting go. I’d die first before I release my grip.”

By the way, I’m not suggesting that hand-held tools are destructive. They have a powerful and positive impact if used constructively.

But how are you using yours? Compulsive focusing on email during meetings affects your concentration. And affects other people. Your habits could be contributing to reducing the quality of conversation, thinking and productivity.

Recently I’ve started making a list of common excuses I hear from participants in meetings who are checking their PDA. These range from top executives to supervisors to hourly employees. Here’s what I hear as the most common excuses to check a PDA during meetings:

1. My kids need to reach me
2. I have to check this–it’s urgent
3. We’re remodeling and the contractor has questions
4. I need to get the results of the game
5. I shouldn’t be in this meeting–I have a deadline to beat

It goes on and on.

But at the same time, the meetings continue. Product launches. Project Planning. Alignment meetings. Strategic planning. Curriculum planning. Sales strategy meetings.

If you are more invested in checking messages than in learning, listening and sharing ideas — what do you expect?

It seems that the distinction between urgent and essential are blurring. And too often the urgent issue is the one that gets attention - at the cost of smart strategic thinking on the bigger issues.

If you find yourself constantly racing after urgent issues, and using your hand-held device as a tool to stay in ‘code red’ — the issue isn’t the tool. It’s how you’re making decisions.

Why not take a risk and run a little personal experiment? Put the thing in your briefcase and turn it off. It’s just like the old fashioned saloons. Check your gun at the door. Only now it’s a personal choice. Turn off your PDA at the beginning of the meeting.

Yikes. I know that’s scary. But go ahead and live dangerously.

Check it at the end of the meeting. Did you really miss anything?

Apply and repeat. Who knows–you could earn your company a boatload of money. Just because you’re focused on the meeting you’re in.
“Pry It Out of My Cold Dead Hands”

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