Quick Summary
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A proliferation of workplace digital communication tools (e.g., texts, e-mails, collaboration platform notifications), coupled with an increasingly prevalent “always-on” work culture, are making meetings even less productive.
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Employees are routinely checking out mentally from the meetings they attend (not just via videoconference, but also in-person) as they multitask to address messages and requests from other colleagues.
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Leaders can combat this toxic dynamic by setting a clear example (always staying present in meetings, and resisting distractions from other devices), as well as setting clear expectations for what constitutes “reasonable responsiveness.”
“This has to stop. It’s disrespectful. It wastes time.”
That’s a quote from Jamie Dimon’s April 2025 annual letter to shareholders. To what was the JP Morgan Chase CEO referring? The widespread practice of people reading and responding to texts, e-mails, and other electronic notifications while they’re in a meeting with others.
It’s an infuriating workplace dynamic that has become even more prevalent with organizations’ increased reliance on digital communication tools.
And it’s not just a remote work problem. People are routinely checking out mentally from meetings they attend, whether in-person or virtual (though increased use of videoconferences has no doubt exacerbated the issue).
Workers have long groused about how useless business meetings are – too many attendees, ill-defined objectives, ambiguous agendas, poorly managed discussions, an absence of ownership and follow-up – the list goes on and on. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse, now, on top of all these same deficiencies, many meeting participants aren’t just not listening, they’re actively doing something else.
The most brazen offenders don’t even attempt to hide it. Others try to be more subtle, convincing themselves that their multitasking is invisible to everyone else. But there’s no mistaking the telltale signs – the prolonged, dead-eye stare into a laptop screen or the constant downward gaze onto a smartphone display.
It’s time to call in-meeting digital diversions what they really are: Not admirable nor necessary multitasking (which is highly unproductive, for the record) – but bona fide acts of workplace incivility. If you want to foster a company culture where employees feel valued and appreciated, then start by giving them the unrivaled gift of your undivided attention.
[A version of this article originally appeared on Forbes.com.]
Jon Picoult is the founder of Watermark Consulting and author of the Wall Street Journal featured book, “From Impressed to Obsessed.” A former Fortune 100 executive, Princeton-trained in Cognitive Science, Jon helps global brands use the psychology of “memory sculpting” to drive ROI and turn customers into lifelong fans. Follow Jon on LinkedIn / Instagram, or subscribe to his monthly eNewsletter.