Two Cents: We get it, you're f***ing important

Thu, 29 September 2011 22 Comments

about this blog

Two Cents

Sam Geer and Alex Ryan are two young thinkers trying to make their way in a big agency. Working at MediaCom, they're passionate, media savvy and unashamedly opinionated, standing up for the belief that young people need a voice in this industry.

Today I sit down to write this blog and I'm absolutely fuming. I've just walked out of yet another meeting where some dickhead has openly sat using their phone while people are presenting to them. The utter arrogance and complete lack of respect shown so often by these people defies belief.

Now I know this isn't a new issue or a revelation by any means, people have been complaining about it for years. But it's worth talking about in this public forum because despite everyone's hate for the matter, not only has it been allowed to continue but it is getting far, far worse.

In the beginning, at least it was subtle. Like little ninjas, people would carefully hold their BlackBerry in one hand, hidden down next to their leg and type furiously from memory with their thumb. Those people were rude yes, but at least they had the common decency to try and cover it up. At least they realised that what they were doing was socially unacceptable.

It seems in more recent times that this acknowledgement of "yes I'm being a dickhead but I really need to be in this case" has disappeared. This narcissistic behaviour is now flaunted in meetings with not only phones but tablets in full view, being used while people are talking and presenting to each other. As a Gen Y-er who has grown up being told by my preceding generation that I'm "obsessed with technology and have an undeserved sense of self-importance", I say to you – WTF!?

It's not even just when I'm presenting, I get even more upset for some reason when I am sitting next to someone doing it. I keeping staring at them as if to say, can't you see how unbelievable rude and disrespectful you're being? People work hours and hours on a presentation, only to be given 40% of the audience's attention, who most likely will be the ones that asked for it in the first place.

If you are too busy to come, then tell me and don't waste everybody's time. If you can only give me half of your attention, then let's make the meeting half as long. That way I will have full attention and you can spend the remaining minutes checking Facebook in your own time.

It's an issue that plagues not just advertising but most of the business world and I for one am fed up.

For all those people who think a "CrackBerry" addiction is funny... It's not. You can give it a funny name and have a laugh about it but in reality you receive about as much respect as you give. Playing with your phone while someone is talking about a topic you've both agreed is important enough to have a meeting about is juvenile and pathetic behaviour.

My 2 cents is this; if you wouldn't do it in a job interview, then don't do it in a meeting. Because the people you offend in that room may very well one day end up being your employer.