Whether it is a small gathering or a large one, the leader of the group has called the meeting for a purpose and needs your full attention. Checking your smartphone in plain view of the boss is tantamount to career suicide.
Just ask Troy Polamalu. Injured during an Oct. 16 game, the Pittsburgh Steelers football star borrowed a cellphone to let his wife know he was OK. Only problem: Using a cellphone during an NFL game is not OK for players. The league fined him $10,000.
The same caution holds true in the classroom or any situation where people are gathered in a group to learn. Tapping on a smartphone keyboard or getting distracted by incoming and outgoing e-mails and text messages does not improve your education, it hurts it.
