Properly handle the cell phone in the job
Thor Alexander, freelance computer consultant and author of the guide "Electronic Knigge - Netiquette and Code of Conduct for Professional and Private Telecommunications and Online Communications", explains what matters.
In the meeting
In meetings, the mobile phone stays off. This also applies if you hold a leadership position. If you are waiting for an urgent call during an internal conference, you should inform your colleagues at the beginning. If you need to be available during an event that lasts for a long time, such as a seminar, you can sit near the door and set your phone to "silent". Receive a call, leave the room immediately, and start the conversation outside. By the way: Even texting is taboo during a meeting, unless the SMS has a direct connection to the current discussion.
business
Do not put your phone on the table! "That distracts and falls off too much," says Thor Alexander. For such appointments, the phone should always be issued and remain invisible. Exception: you are expecting an important call. Tell us about your appointment right at the beginning of the appointment and ask for your consent. Even then, the phone is set to "silent" and not placed on the table. If it rings, you can only call if the caller is really that important conversation partner, and keep as short as possible.
Private conversations in the office
If you are expecting an important private conversation, you can start your mobile phone with a clear conscience. If you share your work space with others, however, you should set it as quiet as possible so that your colleagues are not disturbed. Take a call and immediately move back to an area where you can make calls without being disturbed. Not only because your colleague might feel bothered - he does not necessarily know you call your sweetheart "Ringlet Tail".
Silence is also a requirement when writing a text message: Remember to turn off the sound for the key clicks.
Do you feel disturbed even by the mobile phone use of a colleague, should you address that and agree on a compromise, advises Thor Alexander. For important private issues, such as when the child is ill, everyone should have the option of being privately called at work.
Call someone on the phone
Always ask if it fits. If your conversation is likely to take longer, you should give an approximate time estimate right from the start. If the called person can switch on the mailbox, you do not necessarily have to answer it. Often, then the succinct phrase "I ask for recall" instead of verbose descriptions, which is why you want to talk to the person in question.
Pushed away ...
If you've pushed away a caller, be sure to call again, because "it's like slamming the door in someone's face," explains Thor Alexander. If you have been pushed away yourself, do not be afraid to try again immediately afterwards: if you fumble your device hastily out of your jacket or handbag, you will often accidentally catch the wrong button. If the person called really does not want to speak to you, he will push you away again - or just let it ring.
