Executives across industries are growing frustrated with employees glued to their phones during discussions. Airbnb’s Brian Chesky admitted he, too, often zoned out mid-meeting, inspiring a “fester list” of internal issues where distracted behaviour topped the chart. The habit, once dismissed as harmless multitasking, has now become a cultural and performance concern, the Wall Street Journal reported.
CEOs call it out publicly
Jamie Dimon used his annual investor letter—and a later appearance at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women summit—to demand that managers “close the damn thing” when phones appear on desks. Other leaders, like QXO’s Brad Jacobs, say meetings have grown so dull that participants seem “like cardboard cutouts.” The call for engagement, they argue, is about restoring the basic human act of listening.
From bans to creative fixes
Some companies are going beyond polite reminders. At UCHealth, executives withheld Wi-Fi passwords during retreats to force real-time discussion. Others are experimenting with playful penalties—a “phone jar,” where anyone caught texting donates to charity. UKG’s leadership now asks staff to place phones face down and rely on colleagues to gently self-police.
The grey area: when texting helps
Not everyone agrees on a strict ban. Leaders of remote teams, like Goodwin Recruiting’s Andy Decker, say internal texts can quietly improve meetings by signalling when to “land the plane” or cut a rambling point short. Some managers view these parallel chats as useful feedback loops rather than distractions.
Changing expectations
In today’s hyper-connected workplace, employees are expected to stay reachable even during meetings, blurring boundaries. Business coach Ashley Herd says she uses visible phone use as a teaching moment to discuss workload balance instead of reprimanding people. Barry-Wehmiller’s Bob Chapman adds that smartphones now hold “meaningful information,” and outright bans may ignore how work is actually done.
Airbnb’s approach: lead by example
Airbnb won’t impose new rules. Chesky and his senior team have pledged instead to model restraint—only checking devices for emergencies. “The phone isn’t the problem,” Chesky said. “It’s how long we stare at it.”
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