8 Common Smartphone Mistakes You're Making At Work

It used to be that poor workplace etiquette was about taking someone else’s food from the office refrigerator or dressing too sloppily on casual Fridays. Now that everyone has a smartphone glued to their hands, there are all kinds of new ways to trip up.

In fact, upper and mid-level managers say that “untimely and inappropriate use of cellphones” is the number one etiquette breach of their employees, according to a recent survey by Kessler International.
“It seems like the workplace has changed significantly in the past 30 years and not for the better,” said Susan Peterson, Kessler’s chief operating officer, in a press release.

Here are a few ways you might be missing the mark when it comes to smartphone use, according to Rachel Wagner, founder and president of Rachel Wagner Etiquette and Protocol in Bixby, OK:
You check your phone during client meetings. If you’re in a face-to-face conversation, you should never take a non-urgent call or text—so put your phone away and leave it alone. The exception: You work in an emergency field. “Maybe you’re an on-call physician, or you work for the national security advisor,” Wagner says. “But the important thing there is that you let the person know ahead of time that you’re expecting an urgent call.”

(Photo credit: Meet the media Guru)

Pete Czech found this out the hard way, when he put his phone on his desk during a pitch meeting. Two minutes into the meeting, he received a text message about an urgent matter. “I picked up the phone, took a look, and put it right back down,” says Czech, founder of the New Possibilities Group, a boutique digital agency in New Jersey. “The person we were pitching got up and left. He was clearly a bit old school, but it did teach us a lesson. From now on, we ask, going into all meetings, if it is okay to even have our phones out.”

You have your phone out when someone is in your office. “It sends a message to the other person that the cell phone is a symbol of something that’s more important than the person across the desk, whether it’s a co-worker, guest or client,” Wagner says. “You don’t want to give that impression.” Stash your phone in your purse or briefcase, or even in a drawer when people drop by.

You are on your phone at networking events. You are there to talk to other people, not to check your social media feed. “Some people aren’t confident being in those situations, so they tend to get on their phones,” Wagner says. “If a call comes through, just let it go. Keep 100 percent focus on the person you’re talking with at the time.”

You’re checking email during a business meeting. It apparently bears repeating—if you’re looking at your phone, you’re not giving your full attention to whomever is speaking, and it’s rude. “What some of my clients are doing is at the beginning of a meeting they’ll say, ‘This is going to be a 30-minute meeting, so we would appreciate everyone putting phones away until the end,’” Wagner says. Just put your phone down. You won’t die.

You have your phone on the table during a business meal. It’s probably habit—you sit down at a table at a restaurant and put your phone next to your plate. But if you’re eating with clients or higher-ups and you aren’t expecting a call indicating that your spouse is in labor, put your phone away. “A lot of times younger workers have been raised in this generation where your phone is an extension of your arm,” Wagner says. “I have to remind them that your phone is not part of the place setting.”

You’re still yelling into your phone. “People talking too loudly is one of the biggest pet peeves,” Wagner says. “People forget that these cell phones have very sophisticated, powerful little microphones.” In other words, you don’t have to scream. Just talk like a normal human being.

You take very personal calls in your cubicle. It’s one thing to take a phone call from your spouse about your dinner reservation that night. It’s another to take a call in which you’re going to get emotional, argue with someone, or discuss very private information. Plus, you’re probably yelling about it. (See previous point.) “Find a private place where you can take the call, like a conference room or the community kitchen if it’s empty,” Wagner says. And by the way, “the restroom stall is not a private place.”

You’re using Maroon 5’s “Animals” as your ringtone. Yes, this still happens. And your coworkers hate you. “I try to remind people to keep it professional,” Wagner says. “Have a professional sounding ring tone, which is usually a ring sound.” While you’re at it, just turn your ringer off. Leave your phone on vibrate or silent in the office to avoid making the people around you listen to every text message you receive.