The first mobile cell phone was invented and released in 1973, so work like it’s 1972. If there is one thing that most any manager picks up on right away, it’s the use of a cell phone in the workplace. Even if you are secretive and don’t get caught being on your phone, the inference can be made when your job performance and work efficiency are lacking.
I have always understood the urge to check your phone at work because work is boring and you will get paid regardless. The truth is that while work might not be your favorite thing, work can be fun when you are engaged in it. Being on your phone creates an unengaged and distracted presence in your workplace, creating an attitude towards your job that will hinder your performance in a way that everyone will notice, but no one will mention.
Some people would say that phones in the workplace are great when they are used in a way that compliments your work and doesn’t distract you from it. I agree. However, when you are in the first stages of proving yourself capable of the next position, just keep it away. You are trying to first show your team that you can work hard without distraction, and if they don’t know your relationship to work and see you on your phone, their first thought is going to be, “lazy”.
So, when is it appropriate to begin using your phone to compliment your work? Well, it depends. Using your phone effectively results in a solution to the problem without coming across as distracted and unengaged. The first question you need to ask is, “What is my perceived organizational effort?”. The perceived part of this question is very important. When we are seeking promotion, the thoughts we have of our own performance are only relative. We need the people deciding the promotion to also believe we are well equipped for the job. Avoid being on your phone until you have a clear understanding that your perceived organizational effort has been recognized as "high" by the management team. In my experience, this understanding typically comes from a current manager showing interest in your ability to do the job. Once you have a clear understanding that people in the organization perceive your efforts as high, then the following question should be asked -Does my job provide me the tool to complete this task? If the proper tool is provided, use it. Even if you have easier access to your phone, go get that designated tool. If the proper tool is not provided and your phone can provide the needed function, then do it quickly.
There will come a time when your phone will be a useful tool in your workplace, but being able to identify that time is the determining factor of your phone being complimentary of, or a hinderance to, your perceived organizational efforts.
The first step to promotion is proving to our peers that we can be constantly engaged without distraction, and what better way to prove we can manage our distractions than to successfully manage the number one distraction found in the workplace? Work like it's 1972.
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