Check Your Firearm at the Door

We all do it, bring laptops, cell phones or other types of technology into meetings.  Why not, we can mentally check out if meetings are boring, topics don’t pertain to our area or life is busy, it’s our chance to catch up.  Guess what, it’s a major distraction, rude and downright inconsiderate to others in the meeting.

So naturally, while on a conference call with @BlueprintEd leadership, I was quickly called to the mat.

“Doug, is that typing we hear, you aren’t using technology during the meeting….are you” 

silence, somehow thinking that Go-to-Meeting in theory, is technology, therefore justifying the typing they here and exempts me from the consequence I am expecting. 

“Um……..yes?” As if responding like a question would get me off the hook.

“looks like someone needs to pay the kitty”  shamefully I pay.

Our team at Blueprint Education agrees in order to promote thoughtful and productive meetings our undivided attention is required.  Therefore, we don’t bring laptops, cell phones or anything else that causes distractions into meetings.  When we do, laptops are used as part of a presentation and only used for the purpose of the meeting. 

Often the case, we join meetings virtually and the same holds true, we shut down all windows not required in order to pay attention and engage.  We are not perfect, everyone has paid the kitty, most important is we trust one another to be held accountable.

If you haven’t checked your firearm at the door, I encourage you and see what happens to your meetings.  You might even get enough in the kitty to buy good coffee.