Blackberry Blackout?

News of a CEO who flags and fines people for checking their blackberries during meetings hit the papers last month raising interesting questions. Sure, it’s almost certainly impolite to others.

But why does it happen and what right does a CEO have to enforce his brand of courtesy? Perhaps even more importantly, what is the likely outcome? One is suggested on another ad agency CEO’s blog. He’ll steal your angry staff in a heart beat (while doing shameless promotion at the same time).

Did I fail to mention this was a unit of an ad agency… where CEOs like to live up to the reputation of flaring tempers and imperial command? We’re dealing here with evolving generational etiquette as well as everyone under pressure to keep up. Why risk driving valuable staff into the arms of hungry competitors?

Well, when you brag you’re the best I suppose you imagine you can do whatever you want? But isn’t there a better way? As a victim who had to sit through monthly and often weekly three hour meetings with 25 people for many years, the first questions ought to be what use the meetings are, why so many silent people have to endure them and what sort of boss demands that.

If you set up meetings so attendees aren’t engaged, chances are you’ve set that pattern for your entire company. Better to spend a few minutes at the beginning or end questioning whether the meeting was useful and how it could be more so. Are there are reasons for them being there other than hearing updates they could probably read faster – maybe on their blackberries at other boring meetings?

Most meetings could be focused on decisions and over in less than half an hour, but, heck, since we have everyone there… finally, since it’s so hard to get them when they have so many other meetings… why not deluge them with “other stuff.” Build up that agenda with routine reports and pages of numbers on slides that most can hardly see instead of supplying the information ahead so they can bring thought-out comments.

Bosses who actually ask for regular input on how useful meetings are and how they might become more so are rare. It really isn’t so hard to do.