65% 1. DOING OTHER WORK

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3 65% 1. DOING OTHER WORK No one was surprised by this one. One of the big advantages to a conference call is the opportunity to multitask. Almost two-thirds of people said they do other work while on a conference call. While we applaud the multitaskers and overachievers, it can also be dangerous to become so distracted with other work that the conference call becomes ineffective. Pro Tip: Chances are, if you can get away with multitasking during the meeting, you really didn't need to join in the first place. Get some time back in your day and decline the meeting if you don't really have to be there. Sometimes it's actually OK to be excluded.

4 63% 2. SENDING S This isn t a shocker either and may sometimes even be necessary. More than three out of five people send s during a conference call. This isn t always a bad thing, especially if it is related to the call. But, keep in mind that if you can t type and pay attention at the same time, you might want to put a hold on the s. Pro Tip: Only send out s that are requested or needed for the call you are on. If you are a loud typer, put yourself on mute while you compose the so the other attendees aren t distracted by the constant clack, clack, clack.

5 55% 3. EATING OR MAKING FOOD The survey found that 55% of people eat or prepare food while on a conference call. They must not be contributing much if their mouths are full. It isn t unusual to keep snacks at your desk, but no one wants to hear you chomping your cheese curls during a heavy discussion about budgets. Pro Tip: Just don t eat during a call; you won t starve. But, if you have to, put your line on mute before you dig in.

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8 43% 6. CHECKING SOCIAL MEDIA It should come as no surprise that more than four in 10 people surveyed said they use social media during a mobile conference call. Social media has permeated our society. That being said, it can be very distracting while trying to pay attention to something important. Social media has become intertwined with the business community, so it may be necessary to use it during the work day. But, like most things, there is a time and a place to tweet or post a status. A conference call is rarely one of them. Pro Tip: Unless your job title has the words social media in it, play it safe and limit your status updates while you re working.

9 25% 7. PLAYING VIDEO GAMES There is just something strange and almost offensive about a client or coworker playing Call of Duty or Madden while the team is trying to discuss budgets and program strategies. But alas, a quarter of our respondents claimed that they have played video games during a conference call. Pro Tip: Don t risk yelling at the virtual football player and then realizing that your phone isn t muted. And try to withstand the need to play Candy Crush until lunchtime. The other people in your meeting will appreciate it.

10 21% 8. SHOPPING ONLINE More than one in five of those surveyed fessed up to shopping online during a conference call. This isn t so surprising. Most people browse the web while working. But, again, when you re on the clock and on a call, you should probably be giving 100 percent of your attention to the meeting. Pro Tip: Park the cart. Unless it's Cyber Monday, those online deals will be there when your call is over.

11 9% 9. EXERCISING So, almost one in 10 people admit to getting a sweat on while participating in a conference call. It s possible that their version of exercise is squeezing a hand grip instead of running on a treadmill or trying to set a new world record for a bench press. Either way, no one wants to hear your heavy breathing while you are trying to give a status update. Pro Tip: If your schedule is so packed that you need to overlap your workout and your conference calls, hire a personal assistant to optimize your calendar. You really should save the leg warmers and muscle shirts for after work.

12 6% 10. TAKE ANOTHER PHONE CALL With just six percent of respondents admitting to taking another call while on a work conference call, this has likely never happened to you. But, as anyone who has ever tried to call customer service about your cable bill will attest, being on hold is one of the more maddening things in the world. Pro Tip: If you are expecting an important phone call, make sure you announce that fact at the beginning of a conference call so people aren t surprised or put off when you take it. That way, too, when they ask for your feedback and there s only silence, they won t wonder if you re sleeping.

13 HOW TO KEEP PEOPLE S ATTENTION ON A CONFERENCE CALL It would be easy to be discouraged by these numbers. People, it seems, are doing all kinds of things that distract them during conference calls. One problem with conference calls is that they are a completely audio experience. Several studies have found that about 65 percent of people are visual learners, so it is no wonder that people tend to wander off.

14 What can you do to make sure people on your calls are engaged? STOP STRIVING FOR INCLUSIVITY Change the idea that all attendees should be on a conference call from start to finish. Stagger invitations so people are only on the call for the portion they are needed. Even better, don t invite everyone and their brother because you can just get the people who really need to be there on the call.

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