Should your meetings be low-tech?

Tired of your employees checking email during your meetings? Disappointed that your staff spend time logging onto twitter while you’re discussing company strategies? You’re not the only one. Laptops, smartphones and tablets are fantastic tools. However, this technology can play havoc with your company meetings.

The Solution

Because of this Jake Knapp, design partner at Google Ventures, writes in a recent post on the Medium Web site that staff need to be forbidden from bringing technology into meetings. Bosses, then, have a much less challenging time attracting the attention of their workers.

No gadgets

Here’s what Knapp says shouldn’t be allowed in meetings: laptops, tablets or smartphones. Yes, all the good stuff. Employees ought to keep those devices at their desks.

The timer is key

And to give hope to your all of the sudden tech-deprived employees? Set up a timer so that everyone in the meeting can see it. When that timer goes off, the meeting is finished – no matter what.