<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Today’s world is an electronically connected one. It is rare to escape it all. However, there are times our full attention is needed, and meetings are one of those times.</span></span>

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is what is happening.</span></span>
<ul>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">As people walk into the meeting, they have their laptops in hand. They sit down, and up go the lids.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">As the meeting begins, a smartphone is pulled out of a pocket, and a text is sent.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">During the meeting, people are staring into their laptops and typing something.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">People across the table are receiving an instant message from someone on the other side.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How can anything productive be accomplished in such a distracted meeting? What message is being sent to the participants and leaders in the meeting? People at all levels in an organization are exhibiting this behavior, but it seems to be condoned by the leaders through their complicity. </span></span>

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is time to step away from our devices for an hour, listen, interact, and reach agreement on the issues being discussed.</span></span>

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In school, we used to get in trouble for passing notes during class. In today’s meetings, we are passing electronic notes via instant messages. What is being exchanged? Why can’t it be shared with the group? We should make people doing this get up in front of the meeting and read what they just sent via an electronic text or message!</span></span>

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If our attention cannot be gained for 60 minutes, then cancel the meeting! Multitasking is one thing, but multi-meeting is almost ridiculous!</span></span>

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here is the message leaders are really sending by not giving their full attention:</span></span>
<ul>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am so important that you can only have one-third of my attention for the next hour.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">What this meeting is about is not that important, so I am going to stare into my laptop and do something else.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am going to give my real opinion about this meeting to a person across the table through an instant message.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are many challenges we are trying to address. We need us to sit up, listen, and participate fully. If our presence was requested at a meeting, then we need to be fully present!</span></span>

<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here are the rules. First, the <em>“you shall not”</em> rules are:</span></span>
<ul>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">You shall not surf the web during a meeting.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">You shall not send an instant message to anyone in the meeting.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">You shall not send text messages with any mobile device.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next, the <em>“you can”</em> rules are:</span></span>
<ul>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can research topics that are relevant to the meeting.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can type notes.</span></span></li>
	<li><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: small;">You can share information from your device to a projector for all to see.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meetings are a time for people to listen, discuss, and solve problems. Meetings are a time to share and discuss with your voice and ears. Meetings are a time to align people, activities, and initiatives. Meetings are a time to give your full attention.</span></span>

<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let’s make the most of our meetings. Let’s set the right example.</span></span>

<strong><em><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">During meetings, what rules have you set for the device-enabled and electronically-connected?</span></span></em></strong>