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Simon says…put your phones down!

Cell phone addiction is a real thing at work and at home according to Innerlight Media Group founder Simon Sinek. He’s sounding the warning bell on the use of phones and social media across all demographics. Consider taking 3 minutes to watch this insightful video and lend to the discussion in the comments below.

Perhaps you’ll notice some of your own habits are not sending the right signals to your team members or colleagues while you are at work. Have you ever felt uncomfortable because everyone was on their phones at a meeting? Have you presented to a room full of people who were not really paying attention?

Here’s a tip from Simon:  Put your phone away! When your phone is in your hand it signals to people that you are not the most important thing at the moment.

Is your phone face-up while you work? Do you take it to meetings and look at it consistently? When was the last time you had a casual conversation before a meeting instead of looking at your phone?

You could be missing important networking opportunities at work before and after meetings, on the elevator, or in line at the restaurant all because your head is down and you are not being receptive to or observant of other people. Just think for a minute how having a phone in your hand (or on your wrist) has changed the way you interact with people during your work day.  Are you addicted to your phone?

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Here’s a challenge:  At your next meeting put your phone away, don’t just turn it over. Put your phone (and even your laptop) away and really participate and listen at your next meeting, dinner, or one-on-one. Think about this—if you are not fully engaged at a meeting, do you really need to be there?

Challenge yourself and your colleagues to be better co-workers— to be better humans.  It all starts with a simple action—put down the phone.  After all, Simon says!

Note:  Depending on your job we understand there is no absolute solution here. We all have times when we need to keep a phone close by, the trick is to tell people when you are waiting for a call, or are “on-call” and need your phone in hand. This will help them understand why interruptions ,may need to occur.

Do you think phones are a problem?  Tell us your opinions and stories below.

Guest Blogger: DeAnne Boegli

About Guest Blogger

Guest bloggers for the TDS Business Blog.

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