I work with Fortune 500 companies, consulting on their
communication. I recommend several cultures norms for cell phone behavior. One
is to try turning off and putting away the cell phone when sitting down and
beginning a meeting. So, for example, for Deloitte I recommended that all
consultants begin the meeting with a statement such as, “This meeting with you is
so important I am turning off my phone and putting it away.” And then actually
putting the phone away off the table and out of reach, so they were not tempted
to do what I call “hip checks” where they might rest the phone on their hip and
gaze at it. You can get more information about etiquette and research on cell phone
use from my book SNAP Making the Most of First Impressions Body Language and
Charisma. The last piece is how cell phone use affects the brain by laying down
neural pathways to the ego centers of the brain so that we act and feel
superior to those around us.
Patti Wood, MA, Certified Speaking Professional - The Body Language Expert. For more body language insights go to her website at www.PattiWood.net. Check out Patti's website for her new book "SNAP, Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language and Charisma" at www.snapfirstimpressions.com. Also check out Patti's YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/user/bodylanguageexpert.
