Technology acting as a barrier to face to face interaction, 30% of information impact is lost

The bottom line is that people have more to gain from practising and nurturing their face-to-face relationships than they do in replying to the call of their BlackBerry ”— Steve Prentice, president of workplace technology consultancy Bristall Morgan Inc.

"The fundamental rule of career success is the quality of your relationships. Any action that diminishes your attention and rapport with others is a threat to your career prospects," he adds.

"This is not about being a Luddite or about being old-fashioned. People must always come first."

But that doesn't mean you have to hide your BlackBerry in the process. In fact, you can demonstrate that you are a savvy user of technology, he says.

Dealing with the devices: Here are tips from etiquette expert Linda Allan and office technology consultant Steve Prentice:

• Take charge
  Set times during the day when you choose to check messages; otherwise put the gadget away.
• Shut it up
  The "new message" reminder or sound can tempt you, so turn it off.
• Filter priorities
  Set up your e-mail filter during busy work hours to forward messages only from specific, high-priority contacts. Save the others to read at less hectic times.
• Say I shall return
  To allay expectations of an instant response, set up an out-of-office message that promises a well-thought-out reply as soon as possible.
• Talk rather than text
  Text messages beget more text. A phone call can often solve problems more quickly and completely. A bonus is that vocal messages are more personal and can carry more authority than written words.
• Hide the face
  If you need to have the device out in a meeting to reference calendar or memos, place it face-down so you are not tempted to look and to show you are paying attention to the gathering.
• Schedule text breaks
  At meetings, set ground rules for checking PDAs. Instead of an outright ban, consider a 20-minute break in mid-meeting.
• Ask permission
  If you're waiting for an important e-mail or call, let others at the meeting know ahead of time that you're expecting it.
• Take it outside
  If you must answer a message or take a call during a meeting, excuse yourself from the room to avoid distracting everyone else.
• Set boundaries
  Avoid replying to messages on evenings and weekends, or contacts will be conditioned to always expect instant answers.
• If you really must...
  Don't succumb to stealth. Keeping the device under the table and typing sneakily will only make people think you are hiding something; better to let people see what you really are up to.