Take a stand against bad mobile manners! Remind your team about these Dos and Don'ts of digital etiquette for better meetings and business communications.

  Do:

Shut off all connective devices before a meeting.
Request others do, too. This is especially important in business settings, says Lew Bayer, president of Winnipeg’s Civility Experts, “where people may be insulted and perceive you as rude, self-indulgent, oblivious and socially incompetent.”

Exercise self-control during business calls.
Yoo-hoo: That means no texting please! “Remember, technology is not an etiquette-free zone,” Bayer says. “All the basic rules of polite social interaction apply: don’t interrupt, don’t shout, don’t use foul language, speak clearly, listen, show emotion and be timely in your reply.”

Count to 10.
“There’s so much left to interpretation in email and texting,” says Carlton Aylett, partner and senior producer with Krista Slack + Aylett Inc., a full-service event marketing boutique in Toronto. Be careful how you word things. “Sometimes it’s good to take a minute before letting your fingers do the thinking.”

  Don't:

Choose technology over the human in front of you.
“It’s always rude to divert your attention to a connective device when a real person is right there, trying to interact with you,” says Bayer. “How many times have I been out for dinner with friends and colleagues alike and nobody’s talking to one another?” quips Aylett. “They’re all texting and pinging others.”

Put a “goofy” ring tone on a business phone.
“There’s nothing more unprofessional than having MC Hammer’s ‘I like big butts’ screaming out of a client’s coat pocket mid-meeting,” stresses Bayer.

Text during face-to-face meetings.
“Unless the meeting organizer states it’s okay, attendees should consider it off limits,” says Bayer. “If someone is talking the least we can do is give our full attention.” Aylett has a different approach. “In our industry we’re always multi-tasking and juggling several projects at a time, so sometimes it’s necessary and convenient to handle things during a meeting,” he says, adding, “Be polite and warn a client you’re waiting for an important message.”

Have your own dos or don’ts for connective devices? Share them with us on Facebook or at IgniteMeetingsConnect. Check out more meeting resources at ignitemag.ca.

INCENTIVES + MEETINGS
CMP program goes global
When the meeting standards for the Certified Meeting Professional Program (CMP) are next updated by the Convention Industry Council (CIC), they will be renamed the CMP International Standards (CMP-IS). Like the current CMP Blueprint, the CMP-IS will be a comprehensive body of knowledge for the meetings industry, but will also include internationally relevant best practices and more detailed descriptions of industry skills and competencies. CIC incorporated findings from the meeting and event competency standards of both the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council and Meeting Professionals International. CMP-IS takes effect January 2012; CIC will also offer computer-based testing in the second quarter of 2012, globally increasing the program’s reach. Click here for more information or to download a copy.

CORPORATE TRAVEL MANAGEMENT
Cost of corporate travel on the rise for 2012
Travel buyers can expect airline average ticket prices (ATPs) and hotel average daily rates (ADRs) for top corporate travel destinations to generally be a bit higher next year in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, and the moderate to weak negotiating conditions of this year will continue, according to Egencia’s 2012 Corporate Travel Forecast and Hotel Negotiability Index. ATPs are expected to increase 4% in North American and European destinations, and up 6% in Asia-Pacific destinations; ADRs have an estimated increase of 5% in North America, 2% in Europe and 7% in Asia-Pacific. Click here to download the full report.

Corporate Gifts + Rewards
Reap the rewards
An online survey of 215 office workers at companies of varying sizes and industries conducted by Staples Advantage, the business to business division of office products company, Staples, Inc., revealed that holiday gifts leave a lasting impression on employees. Representing various levels and departments within their organizations, respondents were asked how they were impacted by holiday gifts received from employers. Seventy-five per cent of employees reported improved morale, 33% claimed it promoted productivity and 60% said it made them like their company more. When asked how they were impacted by gifts from business partners, one in three people surveyed said they were more likely to conduct future business with that company.