Business Travel Without Leaving Home

Lucy Kellaway, a columnist for the Financial Times, is proposing a new method of business travel for executives. Her theory is that part of the reasons the upper echelon of the business world travel is the productivity gained by the restricted airline environment. She proposes what sounds like a study hall for grown ups. The location would act like the interior of an aircraft, in which customers receive champaign, cannot use cell phones or email and can only get out of their seats to use the restroom. All in some random office in the city.

What a bunch of baloney. It’s actually hard for me to believe this is real commentary, but it seems to be presented as such. I find it pretty offensive that business travelers are assumed to be so ADD they can’t concentrate on getting their work done without being locked in some creepy aircraft replica. Sure, it takes away the regular interruptions of phone calls and other forms of communication, but a responsible business person can do the same. For free. Shut off your phone and ignore your email if you’re working on something that important. Shut your door, go to your home office, work in your hotel room. Whatever you need to do, but creating a virtual flight jail in cities is just ridiculous.

Here is the link if you need a laugh.

Via Fast Company.