It is pretty hard to think what modern man would do without a cell phone. Even though they are convenient and provide us with a sense of safety at times, they can get annoying at times. It seems like some people forget their manners when their phone rings. “Hold on, stop everything because my phone is ringing!”
Here is a guide for cell phone manners at work and hopefully, it will help you in the future.
- It is important to be subtle with your cell phone. Keep it in a bag, clipped to your belt, or your pocket. Pick a ring that vibrates or one that rings just once, so you aren’t disturbing people. This is especially important at work. The easier the phone is to reach, the quicker it can be answered or silenced.
- Don’t sit down to an important dinner or lunch with someone and then place your cell phone right on the table. If you may be expecting an extremely important phone call, you should apologize for placing your phone on the table and then explain you are expecting an important call.
- If you know the call is an emergency you can answer it, otherwise, send it to your voice mail. No one is going to fault you for being busy with important business matters.
- When in a meeting, never wear your cell phone accessories. It is very unprofessional and looks pretty stupid. By doing this, you aren’t giving respect to the person giving the meeting.
- Don’t allow your phone to keep on ringing forever. Silence your ringer, or put it on a shorter ring time. Every phone has this feature. You will irritate everyone else in your workplace and they won’t like you very much.
- If you go into a meeting, turn your phone off. You can leave it at your desk and put it on silence in case it rings while you aren’t there.
- If you are at a business dinner and really need to check your phone to see if anyone has called you, you should wait until they have excused their self to use the rest room or something.
Cell phones are important to our communication, but they need to be used correctly. If not, you may really insult a colleague or a prospective client. Really be mindful when answering your phone; is it the right time or place to pick up a call? It is much more important to converse with the people who are in the same room as you.
