In recent weeks, a striking headline in The Wall Street Journal caught my attention: “CEOs Are Furious About Employees Texting in Meetings.” Well-known people in the business world, like Jamie Dimon of JPMorgan Chase, have bluntly called out the behaviour: “If you have an iPad in front of me and it looks like you’re reading your email or getting notifications, I tell you to close the damn thing.”
It struck me: Although the original article speaks to the C‑suite, the same dynamics play out in the boardrooms of associations, both volunteer and corporate. When Board members are distracted, the meeting suffers, and decision-making is hampered. In the world of associations, where your Board’s engagement is mission‑critical, this loss of focus is felt even more deeply.
The Relevance of Meeting Engagement for the Association Volunteer Board
As someone who’s worked with dozens of provincial and national associations, I’ve seen this scenario before: The meeting begins, the agenda is ambitious, the energy is there, but then, somewhere around item 3, someone glances at their phone, half‑listens, then “just checks one thing” and their focus cracks. Meanwhile, others notice. The chair adapts, but it’s not the same anymore; the attention of everyone is affected.
In a volunteer Board setting, the implications are clear:
- • Your Board members are giving their time and expertise freely. They expect that time to be meaningfully used, not eroded by side distractions.
- • Each Board member’s voice matters. When someone is multitasking, the group loses their full participationand the collective benefit of their perspective and experience.
- • Tone matters. If even one or two members appear disengaged, it sets out a precedent that can be hard to reverse. The chair and staff must model, early and explicitly, the engagement standard.
- • The culture of presence begins with leadership. Don’t allow your Board chair or executive director to have one eye on their email or treat the meeting as background noise; the message must be loud: being physically present isn’t enough.
Three Key Lessons for Board Chairs and Executive Directors
1. Establish explicit meeting norms upfront
Companies are increasingly including policies on device use in meetings; Boards should do the same. At the start of your next meeting, you might say: “We are all here for this full [time period.] Please silence phones and focus on the agenda. If you must respond to something urgent, please step out quietly.” Including such a line in your Board handbook or pre‑meeting email reinforces the expectation that we are here together, committed for the next session. It’s simple. It’s powerful.
2. Design meetings that demand attention and respect time
The main cause of disinterest and disengagement in meetings is the feeling that they are passive, too long, or unprepared. QXO Chief Brad Jacob said of distracted employees: “Chairs might as well be filled with human‑shaped cardboard cut‐outs.” Crafting a streamlined agenda or creating templates for recurring meetings are some ideas you can use to streamline your Association Board Meetings and make them more engaging.
For volunteer Boards, you can guard against that by:
- • Sending materials ahead of time so everyone arrives ready .
- • Keeping the agenda tight and time‑boxed; allocating only what’s necessary.
- • Using active formats: ask each member to speak early; use round‑robin updates; break into brief small group discussions.
- • Reconsider “just for information” items. These could be handled in a written update. Replace airtime with focus time.
3. Lead by example, and gently realign when needed
If you, as chair or executive director, never glance at your device, you send a clear cue. Jamie Dimon’s call to “close the damn thing” is extreme, but the principle is plain: face‑to‑face time deserves full attention.
If you spot a Board member checking their phone or tablet or disengaging, talk about it in the moment in a neutral way: “I notice a lot of screens up. Would you prefer a short break or shift this item to another meeting when we’re all refreshed?” That acknowledgement brings awareness without shame. You don’t need gimmicks like a “phone jar”, but you do need consistency and willingness to address the culture.
Why This Matters for Your Association
When your Board is fully present, engaged and intentional:
- • Decisions are smarter, debates are enriching, participation is more productive, and perspectives are solid.
- • Credibility grows. Your members, stakeholders, and partners see a Board that takes its role seriously.
- • Volunteer morale improves. When all members feel their peers are equally committed, goodwill thrive.
- • Efficiency improves. When your Board uses it well, you maximize value and respect volunteer time.
Device‑etiquette Checklist for Your Next Board Meeting
These are some ideas you can use to reduce distractions from cell phone or tablet use at your association meetings.
- • Opening remark: Use phrases like “Let’s commit to our time together, silence your devices, focus on the agenda.”
- • Ask participants to keep non‑essential devices out of reach in silent mode or not to bring them to the meeting.
- • Confirm materials were sent ahead and encourage members to review before the meeting.
- • Conclude with: “What worked today? What could we do to make our next meeting better?”
Key Lessons to Prevent Devices from Distracting the Board During Your Meeting
The Wall Street Journal article may have been written for CEOs and corporate meeting rooms, but the lesson is universal: if you are in a room together, your presence matters. For association Boards, whose members’ time is given freely, the purpose is mission‑driven, and expectations are high. When your Board meeting shifts from distraction to direction, everyone goes from simply being present to actually contributing.
As Jamie Dimon said: “It’s disrespectful. It wastes time.” Let’s translate that into our world of volunteer service and say: let’s show up for the mission. Let’s show up for each other. Let’s make our Board meetings a space of focus, respect and smart strategy.