Tuesday, May 06, 2008

One Thing At A Time

I read an article yesterday about cell phones in the classroom. The writer bemoaned that they were a given, calls and text messages sent and received. So what to do, what to do?

My response? Shut the phone off or get out of here.

I’m always put off when people interrupt or ignore. You’ve been there. A conversation is in progress. A person in the group, or a person walking up, starts talking about whatever they find to be compelling, not what was being discussed.

Polite people stop talking when interrupted and the conversation is lost.

You are talking to someone on the phone, or, you’re talking to someone in person, and their phone rings. They stop talking to you, answer the phone, not saying “I’ll call you back,” rather, completing that transaction, then getting back to you.

Someone walks up to you while you’re talking to someone else and you say “hang on a bit till I’m finished here;” and, you get a look that says you are odd.

I’m probably a throwback, my friends say I am. I don’t always answer my phone, even when I’m not involved in “something.” I turn my phone off when I get home and often forget to turn it on till mid-morning.

I don’t always answer my business phone, rather I wait until I’m done doing what I’m doing and then listen to the voicemail and return the call.

“Multi-tasking,” a recent word and concept, is not a good idea. One thing at a time, gets more done, quicker, and more importantly, better.

8 comments:

fermicat said...

I think that a lot of cell phone use is incredibly rude and/or unsafe. I generally don't like hearing them in public places like movie theaters, restaurants, etc.

Keith said...

Excellent post Dave and right on the mark too. I'm with you on this one.

Sonja's Mom said...

I agree with fermicat but it isn't just cell phones. The thing I hate the most is when I am in a store paying for something or getting information from the clerk, the phone rings and the clerk answers it and proceeds to ignore me as he or she gives all their attention to the customer on the phone. HEY. I WAS HERE FIRST! I have actually put down my purchase and walked out of the store.

Hedy said...

I'm with you, Dave. Immune to that Pavlovian ring. :)

Jeni said...

In a classroom, I think a teacher is entitled to requesting and getting the undivided attention of the students -no easy task under the best of circumstances. Why kids think they have the right to be interrupted, thus disruptive to the entire class though is beyond me. But then, I'm old school and my teachers had plenty of kids in classes then whose families didn't even have a phone, period at home! Ah, the olden days, huh?
I hate when I am talking with someone and someone else comes up, enters the conversation but with a different topic and my train of thought almost immediately is at risk of flying right on out of my mind!
My next-door neighbor can do the same thing to me when we are in a one-on-one conversation by constantly interrupting me while I am trying to explain something or relate an event to her. Irritates the living daylights out of me too, it does! To say nothing of leaving me often very dizzy when she leaves and returns to her home.

Posol'stvo the Medved said...

Two of my kids have cellphones. Their schools do not permit their use in class. In my daughter's school, if a cell phone rings in class, the teacher gets to answer the phone. That's the rule. I like that rule.

In my company, we use instant messenger a lot for our internal communication. And we had to have a rule established - turn off IM when on the phone or in a meeting. Same problem.

Gypsy at Heart said...

It must all begin somewhere. When my 3 year old son tries to capture my attention while I'm talking to someone else, I say 'excuse me a second' to the person I'm talking to, turn to my kid and tell him that he must wait until mommy finishes her conversation (unless the kid is on fire or something) and that when done, I will listen to what he has to say. It has been a long road but about 80% of the time now, he waits patiently for my attention to turn to him. I think so many parents do not teach their children proper manners, and that there is order in how one approaches tasks. One thing at a time.

Also agree with you wholeheartedly on the invasive use of cell phones. I dislike how my privacy is infringed by people who have lost all sense of public decorum. I have no desire to learn of other's sexual, family, boyfriend, girlfriend or work problems while waiting at the supermarket line. Where did people make the mental shift as to WHAT AND WHERE it is appropriate to address certain things?

Anonymous said...

I have always found it exceptionally rude when I am talking to someone on the phone and that person gets another incoming call and insists that it is of utmost importance to answer that call, interupting our conversation. That always makes me feel like I am the least important item on that person's agenda and that my conversation with him is worthless. The inventor of call-waiting should be flogged and constantly interrupted until his brain is fried.