Why This Habit Is Harmful
Checking your phone during meetings signals to colleagues that you do not value their time, damaging trust and professional relationships. Multitasking is a myth — when you split attention between a meeting and your phone, you absorb neither properly. You miss key decisions, ask questions that were already answered, and have to schedule follow-up meetings to catch up on what you missed.
How to Break It
- 1Leave your phone at your desk or in your bag before entering the meeting room.
- 2If you need your phone for notes, enable airplane mode or Do Not Disturb.
- 3Bring a paper notebook to meetings — writing by hand improves retention and removes the screen temptation.
- 4If a meeting is not worth your full attention, decline it and ask for the summary instead.
Healthier Replacement
Take handwritten notes during meetings. Jot down key decisions, action items, and questions. You will retain more information and appear more engaged and professional.