CEOs furious about employees texting in meetings

Bosses have long railed against distractions in meetings but some say it’s got worse. (Image: Daisy Korpics/WSJ, Michael Bucher/WSJ, iStock)

The Wall Street Journal

Sat, 01 Nov 2025

By Chip CutterA few weeks ago, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky asked his top lieutenants to identify the problems they saw quietly plaguing the company. Chesky called it the “fester list”.One executive threw out an issue: Too many Airbnb employees weren’t “present” in meetings because they were checking their phones or laptops. “It’s a huge problem,” Chesky said. Then the chief had a realisation. He was guilty of zoning out, too.“Sometimes I’m like, ‘Okay, I heard i...

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