Why aren’t laptops welcome in business meetings?
- The screen of the laptop is a barrier, blocking the view between you and the other people in the meeting.
- There is no way to tell if you’re paying attention, or just checking your email.
- The clicking sound typing makes is distracting.
- Looking into the laptop screen means there is little to no eye contact with the speaker, or with the other people in the room.
- It causes feelings of disengagement and discomfort.
What it boils down to is, laptops in business meetings are alienating. The person sitting behind the laptop usually has their eyes down and they’re typing away. It’s hard for the presenter to know if the note taker is listening or goofing off.
The goal of a meeting is to solve problems as a group. When someone in the room isn’t engaged in the meeting it takes away from the feeling of camaraderie. The other people in the room feel uncomfortable, and will be less likely to participate in the meeting discussions.
Excellent advice. I’m a graphic designer and I originally bought the iPad Pro with Apple Pencil to use as a digital art tablet. But now I’ve found immense utility in taking notes and making sketches where I’d ordinarily write stuff down on paper. And since this is relatively new development, many colleagues and clients have made positive comments about the iPad’s note taking capabilities. One client actually wanted me to add the handwriting that I was using for my notes to the website we were developing for him. I’m all in with this paperless movement. In the end, it’s about… Read more »
Thank you @Garyhorseman for your awesome comment! I full agree with you. The iPad and the Apple Pencil brings back a lot of personality through actual handwriting that was lost when only keyboards were used for writing. Nice to have you in the #PaperlessMovement!