Share

cover art for Best of Working It: ‘Flight shame’ and the return of business travel

Working It

Best of Working It: ‘Flight shame’ and the return of business travel

Season 1, Ep. 45

Given the climate crisis, can we still justify those quick jaunts to sit in airless conference rooms and sip bad cocktails with strangers? Isabel Berwick, Working It host and the FT’s Work and Careers editor, talks to Evan Konwiser, executive vice-president of product and strategy at American Express Global Business Travel. He paints a picture of how he sees business travel making a comeback, but FT columnist Pilita Clark wonders if companies have become used to doing without it during the pandemic.


Want to read more? 


Pilita Clark on the future of business travel: 

https://www.ft.com/content/75d096e5-a429-496b-a62d-f8f6b9b2fb35


More on the Swedish ‘flygskam’ or flight shaming:  

https://www.ft.com/content/5c635430-1dbc-11ea-97df-cc63de1d73f4


Emma Jacobs on the rise of ‘bleisure’:  

https://www.ft.com/content/8003a384-bc22-4ae9-b1c1-2c5452136cbe


EY sends new recruits on a trip to Disney: 

https://www.ft.com/content/da797e20-85fe-4beb-a054-c611aebfdfd9 


American Express business travel report outlining its view that business travel will become the centre ‘of the new company culture’:

https://explorer.amexglobalbusinesstravel.com/Why-Business-Travel-Is-the-Center-of-The-New-Company-Culture.html 


Salesforce’s ‘trailblazer ranch’ for staff meetings in California:

https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/introducing-trailblazer-ranch/


We love to hear from you. What do you like (or not)? What topics should we tackle? Email the team at workingit@ft.com or Isabel directly at isabel.berwick@ft.com. Follow @isabelberwick on Twitter  

Subscribe to Working It wherever you get your podcasts — please listen, rate and subscribe! 

Presented by Isabel Berwick. Editorial direction from Renée Kaplan and Manuela Saragosa. Assistant producer is Persis Love. Sound design is by Breen Turner, with original music from Metaphor Music. Produced by Novel.  


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 56. How to get ahead without managing people, with Martin Wolf

    14:43
    The higher up you go in most careers, the more likely it is you’ll become a manager. But plenty of workers want to keep doing what they’re best at, and not get involved in the messy admin and politics of overseeing other people. Martin Wolf is a leading economics commentator at the FT. He hasn’t formally managed anyone in 35 years – and doesn't’ regret it. What can we learn from Martin’s success?Producer Mischa Frankl-Duval speaks to Martin to hear his story. Later, host Isabel Berwick chats to Karl Edge, KPMG UK’s Chief People Officer, to find out how career progression works at the company.Want more? Free links:Why being a manager matters more than everStop making fun of managersThe UK’s productivity problem: the curse of the ‘accidental managerPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 55. No schedule, no meetings: are 'working hours' history?

    14:25
    The pandemic showed us we could all work in different places; can we all work at different times, too? That idea – known as ‘asynchronous’ work – has gained traction at a number of companies. Workers march to the beat of their own drum, and only occasionally speak to their scattered colleagues in real time. That gives them greater flexibility; but does it make collaboration harder? How can a manager get a handle on their team’s work if they’re several time zones away? And how can colleagues be expected to bond, or trust each other, without spending real time together? Guest host Mischa Frankl-Duval speaks to Scott Farquhar, CEO of software group Atlassian, whose employees work from 13 countries; and Jen Rhymer, an assistant professor at the UCL School of Management, to find out how companies make asynchronous work… work.Want more? Free links:We are not ready for the asynchronous futureLetter: Some offices are not suited to ‘asynchronous’ workingHow to make sure the remote workforce is a winning teamPresented and produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 54. ‘Supercommunicators’ are made, not born

    18:25
    Most of us are hired because of our “hard” skills. But the more senior we get, the more important soft skills become; none more so than how we communicate with people. Isabel Berwick speaks to Charles Duhigg about how the world’s best communicators (or “super communicators”) listen, experiment and ask questions to get into sync with people. Later, Isabel speaks to Ruth Girardet, an executive coach and moderator at the Aspen Institute, for some practical tips on how to listen to employees – and when to stop.Want more? Free links:Listen and you might learn somethingThe quiet art of being a good listenerHow to communicate better at workPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi and Breen Turner. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 53. Is the CV dead?

    14:33
    Crafting a CV (or résumé) can be extremely tedious; wading through CVs as a hiring manager can be just as boring. So why are they still the default method for filtering job candidates? Can we do better? And might alternative hiring methods help managers choose more suitable candidates – rather than ones who just look good on paper? Isabel Berwick speaks to Jess Woodward-Jones, co-founder of talent-tech company Vizzy, who explains where she feels the CV falls short. Later, Isabel speaks to Jonathan Black, director of the Oxford University careers service, who tells her that the CV isn’t going anywhere just yet…Want more? Free links:AI in recruitment: the death knell of the CV?How to write a tailored CVLinkedIn: the end of CVs as we know them?Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 52. Office politics: how to play the game

    16:45
    Office politics isn’t something we choose to do – it’s an inescapable part of working life. Our workplace rituals, friendships and the alliances we forge play a big part in how our careers pan out; so how can we make sure we’re doing them right? Can we ever get ahead without our colleagues hating us? And why does it matter if we’re late for meetings? Isabel Berwick is joined by John Curran, CEO and founder of organisational development consultancy JC & Associates, and FT deputy opinion editor, Miranda Green, to find out.Want more? Free links:Office politics is not optional: learn to play the game or you’ll be its victimThe fraught politics of the office whiproundHow can I be more political and still be myself?Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 51. Why people-pleasers fail

    16:18
    If you’ve ever helped a colleague out just so they’d like you, or overburdened yourself to make your boss’s life easier, you may think of yourself as a good team player. But you might actually be a people-pleaser. Host Isabel Berwick speaks to NYU psychology professor Tessa West, who explains why people-pleasing rarely works in the long term. Later, Isabel talks to Christine Braamskamp, London-based managing partner of law firm Jenner & Block, who explains that a little people-pleasing is sometimes necessary – especially in a newer working relationship.Want more? Free links:Just say no if working while femaleAnxiety: the office fear factorPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Jake Fielding. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audioRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 50. Why ‘sh*t-fixers’ make the best managers

    15:20
    Few things at work are more frustrating than tedious bureaucracy – and few things make employees happier than when their managers get rid of it. Isabel Berwick speaks to Huggy Rao, professor of organisational behaviour at Stanford, and co-author of 'The Friction Project,' to find out how managers can become 'shit-fixers’, clearing unnecessary obstacles from the path of their teams, while making sure they don’t go too fast for their own good. Later, Isabel speaks to FT senior business writer Andrew Hill to learn what the consequences can be when managers introduce too few checks and balances – and why generative AI might actually make bureaucracy worse.Want more? Free links:‘I work in a frustration factory’: how to make workplaces run betterLetter: Frictions and frustrations of modern office workingPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 49. The return-to-office debate is heating up

    19:26
    Hybrid working is an entrenched part of most office workers’ lives – but at some companies, that could be changing. Major firms including Bank of America and UPS are taking tougher stances on working from home. Will workers drag their feet in returning to the office? And if so, how can companies convince them to come back? Kevin Ellis, the UK head of PwC, tells guest host Andrew Hill why he encourages younger workers to come to work. Later, the FT’s global business columnist, Rana Foroohar, speaks to Jeremy Myerson and Phillip Ross – authors of the book ‘Unworking,’ about how better tech could win remote workers over.Want more? Free links:Bank of America warns return-to-office laggards with ‘letters of education’UPS to cut 12,000 jobs as revenue outlook falls short on weak parcel demand The home-working revolution is harming younger workersEmployers and staff seek truce on office working Presented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
  • 48. How can I help a grieving colleague?

    17:50
    Dealing with the grief of a bereavement at work can be extremely difficult, both for the person suffering a loss, and for those around them. So how can you make life a little easier for grieving colleagues? How can you best support them while respecting their privacy? And how can you ensure bereavement-related absences don’t make life harder for other colleagues? Isabel Berwick speaks to Andy Langford, clinical director of bereavement charity Cruse for some practical tips on dealing with workplace grief. Later, she talks to Gabriella Braun, director of workplace consultancy Working Well. Gabriella explains that grief goes beyond death; we can feel grief in any number of workplace scenarios.Credits: https://www.cruse.org.uk/understanding-grief/Want more? Free links:Workers and bosses opt for Christmas payments over partiesThe office grinch may have a point — it’s not fun if it’s forcedPresented by Isabel Berwick, produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval, mixed by Simon Panayi. The executive producer is Manuela Saragosa. Cheryl Brumley is the FT’s head of audio.Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com