[tobtoh]

When I was an IT manager, I never answered my phone if I was talking to someone, and especially if they were one of my team (unless it was the incident response desk which would mean they were escalating a critical problem).

I had constant looks of surprise that I would let calls go to voicemail, even if it was my boss. The feedback I would often get later (via 360 reviews, or even just during casual conversation) was that it was a huge positive tick in their opinion of me as a manager (and person). They felt they were being listened to and that I was paying attention to them.

I remember reading an etiquette guide once where 'proximity' (temporal and spatial) should be the deciding factor in prioritizing your attention. Someone standing in front of you is closer than a phone call or an email - that should always be #1 (and phone > chat > email). It's generally what I try to follow.

[Bokanovsky]

I remember once as a junior developer meeting up with the head of technology to rely a project update to him. During the meeting his (desk) phone started to ring. He looked down at it and pressed the mute button for the ringer. While commenting that they don't get to jump the queue just because they're phoning him.

At the time I found it reassuring that I had his undivided attention.

[SV_BubbleTime]

Hmm, nicely worded and intended. I’ll give that a specific try. I can think of a few conversations I’ve cut short because I got a more important call that ended up just being something I would have got the gist of from a voicemail.

[drdeadringer]

"... Aren't you going to get that?"

"Right now, I am talking to you."