A few weeks ago, I was talking with someone on the phone, and in the middle of the conversation, I felt things shift slightly.
All of a sudden, her replies got just a bit slower, and her answers became a bit shorter.
Sure enough, when I paused for breath, I could hear the quiet clunk of her keypad’s keys in the background. She was now “multi-tasking.”
As the quality of the conversation plummeted, she did what we all try to do when we think we get busted. She gave a response that was a little bit longer than necessary, trying to prove that she was indeed listening.
Which I guess she was, but I certainly didn’t have 100% of her attention. That, of course, was what I wanted.
I am thinking that it’s time for a new personal policy… no talking over other people when they are using their smartphone or keyboard, unless I am dictating information. That doesn’t seem to be a bad idea.
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