In a meeting at work and your cell phone rings, what should you do?

• A. Turn it off and leave the meeting
• B. Do not answer your phone. Turn your phone on silent and call the person back after the meeting is over.
• C. Answer immediately
• D. Ignore it and keep talking

Answer: (B)

In a meeting, the priority is respecting the speaker and keeping everyone focused. The best move is to silence your phone and not answer during the meeting, then call the person back once the meeting ends. This shows consideration for others’ time and prevents interruptions from breaking concentration or derailment of the discussion. If the call is truly urgent, you can step out briefly to handle it, but otherwise the standard practice is to silence and reconnect afterward.

Turning it off and leaving can be overly disruptive and may signal disengagement. Answering immediately interrupts the speaker and the flow of the meeting. Ignoring the ring while continuing to talk still distracts and sends mixed signals about meeting priorities.