Laptop Etiquette

When attendees enter meetings these days, they often pull out laptops instead of notepads. And why not, it's faster to type and your typewritten notes can be easier to read than your own handwriting. Plus, with wireless Web access, meeting questions can be answered quickly or colleagues can be informed about issues that come up in meetings immediately. However, the same access allows attendees minds and mouses to wander.

A recent New York Times article addressed the effect of laptop usage on meeting etiquette. Examples of poor meeting laptop behavior in the article included sending personal e-mails, passing instant messages and surfing the Web. The article lists a few ways meeting leaders can counteract Web distractions in meetings and also points to a list of the “Seven rules for using laptops in meetings” from Microsoft.com.

I’ve found this behavior is not limited to business meetings. When I was earning my graduate degree, I occasionally brought my laptop to class, which I used for taking notes as well as checking baseball scores. Other classmates were worse about their personal use, and some students became so distracted that one professor eventually banned computers from his class. It seems to me like a laptop etiquette refresher course is definitely in order. But are laptops causing the distraction or are they just a new outlet for meeting boredom; people have been passing notes and doodling in meetings forever. What’s your experience? And what are the solutions you find helpful?

--Ellie M. Bayrd
Assistant Editor
Meetings: Minnesota's Hospitality Journal

Comments

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Its a good article.