Conference calls are very common in everyday business and let’s be honest, most of them are boring. As a result, most people cannot fully concentrate on the call and press the mute button to do other activities. Below are the most common things people do on conference calls.
- Driving: Some people prefer to take conference calls on the go. While it is understandable that you are busy and want to use your time as efficiently as you can, attending a conference call when you are driving can be dangerous for you. You have to concentrate on the road in addition to the call so dividing your concentration between these two things can make you vulnerable to car accidents.
- Sending Emails or Checking Social Media Accounts: This is the easiest thing to do to keep yourself awake if you are bored during the call. If the email is related to the call, it is okay to send it but don’t forget that you cannot type and focus on the call at the same time. Unfortunately, human brain is not created to do two things at the same time. However if you are replying personal emails or commenting your friends’ photos on social media, try to wait until you take a break. You never know what you are missing during the call when you are typing. Also, the sound of typing can distract others in the call.
- Eating: Unfortunately it is very popular to schedule conference call during lunch time but you can be prepared and eat your lunch before the call or at least eat a quick snack like an apple and wait until the call is finished before eating your lunch. Keep in your mind that you cannot contribute to the call if your mouth is full. Besides no one has to wait so you can swallow your bite.
- Take Other Calls: Some people take personal calls or call customer services because they know they will be put on hold for several minutes before reaching a representative. Therefore, they think that they can handle both calls at the same time. Nevertheless, if they call your name during the conference call and you are talking with a call center representative about your credit card bill at that moment, it will be very obvious that you are not paying attention to the meeting. As you all know, this is not a very professional behavior.
