I’ve noticed that many of us have become addicted to our Blackberries. We bring them everywhere; we check them incessantly. But how do you get the attention of a group of people who are using Blackberries rather than listening to a presentation? Or using Blackberries rather than participating in a meeting? Or using Blackberries to fact check you as you are speaking? This article, How to Deal with a Blackberry Junkie, addresses the issue in part using K-12 teaching techniques:
Make meetings more interactive. Push for participation. Call on — and call out — that CMO. Create expectations that inhibit leaning back and promote the lean forward. If people think they can get away with diverting their attention, they will. Do you think commercial airline pilots all over the world will think twice before they spend more than 15 minutes on their laptops doing non-flight-related calculations? I do. Do you think students will think twice about IM-ing their sweetheart if there’s a better than even chance they’ll be called on in class? I do. Do you think a CMO will think twice before checking her messages if two of the best-regarded advertising agencies simply shut up — or decline to present — until she makes it clear to everyone in the room that she’s fully engaged? I do.
It’s not bad advice, but I wonder if it will work if we are dealing with genuine addictions to electronica. Thoughts?
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