Boss is Not Following Company Cellphone Policy

Q: My staff and I are working on a project that my boss is interested in, so he frequently attends our meetings. The problem is, we have a company policy that no cell phones are allowed at meetings, but my boss acts like it doesn’t apply to him. He’s constantly checking his cell and typing. How do I let him know that he’s setting a bad example?

A: First, kudos on having such a cell phone policy. This is a sore point with people who work where there is no such rule. And trust me, it can cause lots of irritation and bad feelings. Workplaces should have some policy (or at least ground rules) regarding cell phone use at meetings, trainings and presentations.

Now, let’s review possible reasons why your boss is behaving this way.

He may not be aware. Many people (ahem, bosses) lack self-awareness. They don’t mean to be rude, and don’t know how they’re being perceived by others. He may just not realize employees are watching.

He may be addicted to the dopamine. We have now learned from science that brain scans show that we get a dopamine hit (the pleasure/reward chemical) in our brains every time we’re notified of new email, new text or get a “Like” on Facebook. Many people who can’t put their phones down are reacting to dopamine, consciously or not.

He may have a real business need. There may be a special situation he’s monitoring, or he’s expecting an important call. These would be valid reasons for his behavior, yet even this in unlikely. He may be convinced he has a business need, but probably nothing terrible would happen if he put the phone away for one hour.

So, what to do?

Appeal to your shared common goal. You both want employees to believe the policy makes sense and should be followed. Neither of you want employees getting conflicting messages, questioning its validity. So, ask him what he wants to do about employees commenting on his behavior. Does he want to stay away from the meeting? Attend but stop using his phone? Acknowledge the behavior to employees and explain the reason?

Other suggestions? His choice.