Sounding off: The technological evolution is all well and good, but employees need to follow some good etiquette when using gadgets in the workplace.

Obnoxious people and technology do not a happy marriage make. Sometimes, between juggling our BlackBerry, iPod, mobile phone and desktop, do we forget our manners?

In an open office environment some disturbances are par for the course, but isn’t that funny video from YouTube blasting from your computer driving your colleagues bananas?

The protocol associated with the use of technology in the office milieu is much the same as general good manners in business, says Pamela Fay, director of Business Performance Perspectives, a Dublin-based firm that advises on business etiquette.

“All etiquette is about three things: respect, consideration and honesty."

“Looking at the typical example of the mobile phone — it’s great for business, but in an open-plan office, put the phone on vibrate on the desk beside you,” she says.

Noise levels can cause people a lot of stress. This is especially the case if noise is extended into the boardroom when people insist on covert emailing or letting their phone ring out — something that many businesses have strict policies on, says Fay.

“It is getting to the stage where companies have to regulate for this.”

While many businesspeople claim their attachment to their BlackBerry or iPhone is crucial, she refers to statistics that state how 85pc of the average worker’s job success is directly related to their people skills.

“You hear people complaining about how long business meetings can go on for, but they would be much shorter if we just switched off our gadgets and concentrated!”

Therefore, is this a prime example of technology getting in the way of human interaction, or is it just a case of people using gadgets as an excuse for a lapse in good old-fashioned manners? Fay thinks it is very much the latter.

While blasting out tunes from your computer, or leaving your phone ringing out, may drive your co-workers crazy, silence can be just as bad etiquette as noise.

The MP3 player has the power to alienate. Getting stuck into your work with earphones on, oblivious to your surroundings is also counterintuitive to the open-plan office, she says.

Is it plain rude to turn on and tune out? “Yes. I’ve had many discussions about this with clients. They say the reason they have chosen an open-plan office environment is to enable communication in the first place. Listening to your MP3 player blocks this interaction,” says Fay.

So whether we are talking about noise pollution or anti-social behaviour, gadgets in the workplace bring with them a code of conduct.

“If it goes against respect and consideration for other people, then it doesn’t make sense.”

©2008 Irish Independent