Is It OK to Check Email during Meetings?

Survey shows the verdict is still out, although many executives are doing it.

Eighty-six percent of senior executives polled said it is common for professionals they work with to read and respond to e-mail messages during meetings.

About 31 percent, however, disapprove of the practice.

Thirty-seven percent of respondents feel it’s OK to respond to e-mail as long as the message is urgent, and 23 percent of those polled said professionals should excuse themselves from the meeting before responding to e-mail.