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Successful business people know the importance of minding their manners. But in the world of 21st century wireless technology, deciphering what constitutes good manners is half the battle.

Cell phones, PDAs, laptop computers and other devices have introduced a host of questions regarding what’s polite and convenient – and what’s intrusive and rude.

“ New technology has turned business on its ear and has created a whole new set of etiquette conundrums,” said Sue Fox, author of “Business Etiquette for Dummies” and other etiquette resources. “In this new environment, where everyone is trying to fit more activity into less time, misunderstandings about etiquette are bound to arise. As technology continues to evolve, so will our ways of dealing gracefully within it.”

In the absence of standards for wireless manners, a possible guideline is to follow the leader. At Soneticom in West Melbourne, that would mean leaving the cell phone at home.

“ I don’t normally carry a cell phone with me when I’m at work,” said Tim Reynolds, president and CEO of the company, whose business areas include, ironically enough, Internet-based services and wireless voice and data communications.

His motivation is consideration for the people he’s meeting with. “When someone has made the effort to visit me, I show them the respect of not even having one on me,” he said. He’ll let his desk phone ring, too, if he has someone in his office. Instead of answering, he checks his messages often and returns calls.

He discourages staff from taking cell phones into meetings, but the rule ends there. “The customer is welcome to bring in a cell phone and talk on it or excuse himself all he wants, but I’m not going to do it in front of him,” Reynolds said.
Fox would approve. “Normally, you should never take a call when you are in a conversation with anyone, social or business. Cell-phone rudeness is an epidemic and this etiquette rule is almost never followed today,” she said.

Still, she allows for exceptions. If you’re attending an office or lunch meeting and you expect a call, let the others in the group know ahead of time that you’ll have to answer if the phone rings. Keep your cell phone on the vibrate feature and when the call comes, excuse yourself and leave the room or table, she advised.
That’s a workable solution that Kim Agee sees people use in meetings. Agee, managing director of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, remembers one board meeting when three people’s cell phones went off. “They were so flustered,” she said, because they’d forgotten to turn them off.
She has used the approach of letting others know she’s expecting a call and may have to step out of the meeting for a short time. The compromise allows business people to maintain community involvement and productivity while meeting responsibilities for their company. “It gives them the opportunity to not have to be in their office and wait for that phone call,” she said.

Joel Howell, a business development manager for Harris Corp.’s Government Communications Systems Division, puts his cell phone in silent mode when he’s with a client. “I will always call them back right away,” said Howell, who also takes business calls after hours. The caller might be a client in Europe or on the West Coast.

Gadget etiquette often falls to each person’s style, he said. “I know some people who keep their BlackBerry on throughout meetings, and some will make a point of turning it off and putting it in its bag,” Howell said.

Fox would prefer that people resist checking emails during meetings that drag on. There’s the rudeness factor, but also remember that those sitting next to you will be able to read your messages.

Also rethink using your laptop in a group. “Some keyboards are quieter than others, but loud typing during a meeting can be very distracting to your colleagues. If you’re getting the “look of death” from the person sitting next to you, switch to a pen and paper,” she said.

The laptop probably isn’t necessary in most cases, anyway. “Leave it in the car or back at the office, and you’ll project a more polished appearance,” Fox said. On airplanes, be sure your elbows aren’t invading your neighbor’s space while you type.

Fox offers a rule of thumb to use when forging a path toward proper manners: “The essence of etiquette is to put others at ease,” she said.

Howell related a personal experience that influenced his habits. While serving as student body vice president at the University of Florida, he received a visit from a young man who asked for 15 minutes of his time. Howell told him he could have five minutes and continued to work on his computer as the man spoke.

It turned out he had driven from Miami to speak to Howell about a serious personal problem involving another student. “At that point I made a promise to myself that I will never be disrespectful to someone I’m talking to face to face,” Howell said.