Kill The Phone..

Recently, I was called on for a review meeting on some business scenarios that we were working on for a client. I landed at her desk for the discussion, and when we were about to begin, she received a call from her friend. She kept chatting on for about an hour updating her pal about her recent family outing, her new saris and so on..

Well, I understand that the lines between the personal and professional time is quite blurred. Yet, I wished that she would pause her ramblings to reschedule the meeting so that I could avoid squirming restlessly in my chair. These are the times when I strongly vote for telephone etiqutte classes in those easy chair corporate trainings..

As I write this, another incident flashes in my mind.. My friend was walking in the corridor and there is this guy who is blocking the stairway. She went to him and said, “Would You Please Excuse Me?” he appeared pretty preoccupied and suddenly he shouted, “Just Shut Up, Will You?”.. My friend got really upset, until she has realized that that guy is talking to someone else over his Bluetooth headset and paid least attention to the passerby’s.

Blaring ring tones in the office, buzzing mobiles in the meetings, pop music in quiet discussions.. Yes, that’s pretty much the scenarios that I encounter in everyday life.. Often it feels as if ring tones exist to alert the entire world that you got a call, you can lift the call at slight vibration. We give little respect to our privacy and other’s silence by talking loud in public about the most personal details unaware of the audience..

Dont you think its time we muse on our interactions through mobile.. And the disconnect we share? May be its time we shove our phone to silent mode, and train our voices for hush talk..