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Ground Rules for the New Generation
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"no texting." Doesn't that sum up everything when it's on the list of Ground Rules for a nonprofit meeting?
This large sign was photographed at a multi-racial youth organization by a staffperson who wishes her organization to be anonymous. So she will get a box of avocados delivered to her (this was a contest, remember?!) but we won't publish her name or organization.
Special thanks to everyone who sent in photos, especially runner up Robert Marsh of the Fordland Clinic in Fordland, Missouri!
Comments
I don't understand how these rules are unique to the "new generation." But they are great rules for pretty much any group of people at any meeting. I think I might create a similar list... ;-)
I don't know . . . Texting can be a valuable marketing tool.
Not during a staff meeting!
Guess what? It all depends on the circumstances.
There could be times when a tweet question to someone's network brings a necessary outside perspective to a meeting. e.g. "What would you think if we did x w/ our clients next month?"
And of course there are times when it's totally inappropriate. (Most of the time, in my view.)
Regardless of the rules, I think everyone in the room should agree to the rules beforehand, otherwise they won't work. Sadly, texting can happen even in the highest toned meetings. Only general agreement / peer pressure will change that.
I'm 23. My 35-year-old brother seems to think that people my age are obsessed with texting at work, and that it's a real no-no. One new hire at his employer was recently fired for such unprofessional behavior.
But, according to my brother, browsing Facebook on his Blackberry during meetings is fine. They're pointless anyway, he says, so you might as well.
I don't get it. I would not think of using a cellphone during a meeting, where it could actually distract someone else. This, to me, is a clear contradiction. Texting at your desk would have to be the lesser offense.
this is obviously about texting during a meeting! which I do think is a "no no" to use an old expression
See http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2010/01/13/social-media-successful-too...
If someone hadn't checked their email during the meeting, we would not have known about the idea for a vigil.
These ground rules are basic to human courtesy, not just at work but in life. What has changed is that we feel the need to be connected to as much as possible, all the time.
"Multi-tasking" doesn't really happen; you can only work on one thing at a time, but you can squish a lot of tasks into a small amount of time. But then you have to ask yourself how well you're doing each of the tasks.
Sometimes, you just need to be a person, in a room with others, and your minds are the only things connected, to only one purpose, and that's the agenda at hand. If it's boring, then that's the fault of everyone in the room, for enduring instead of leading.
There will always be an idea that comes in at the last minute, but you know what? If you missed it during the meeting, you can text everyone about it later!!
We're all connected well enough to make a last-minute idea come into fruition as something useful.
It's time to take back the time for reflection, for meaningful consideration. For depth of thought. For civility. Think you don't have the time? Think again. Away from your cell phone and computer screen.
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