Having just returned from another business trip out west to Calgary, it's becoming clearer to me that the 'travel' part of business travel isn't really all that glamourous. In fact, it's usually rather exhausting... you just want to ARRIVE!
Through my recent experiences, I'm learning some simple lessons that are helping me be productive and do my best work:
1. Pick a hotel that's close to the client's office. Okay, so maybe one that's actually connected indoors is a bit too close (this time, I always walked the 40 yards door-to-door outside), but not having to travel much back and forth saves time and energy.
2. Eat a hearty breakfast. Day after day, a couple of glasses of juice, a bowl of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and toast with peanut butter mightn't very exciting, but it does give me energy for a full morning's work (especially when I'm working in Mountain Time but waking up on Eastern Time).
3. Pack good technical tools. Although you end up with a second rolling suitcase loaded with electronic gear, I found it so handy to have a portable printer with me (Canon iP90), together with my Rogers Portable High-Speed Internet modem, USB hub, mouse, digital camera-cum-tape-recorder and of course, cellphone. I've even labelled the different power cords for each device, and got separate little carrying pouches (orange-coloured kids' pencil cases) for all the accessories, which makes packing easier and reduces the likelihood you forget essential cables or chargers. I even sprang for a second battery for my MacBook Pro laptop, which has more than paid for itself in extra productivity on longer flights.
4. Bring some office essentials. I ended up buying a mini-stapler, file folders and a hole punch at Grand & Toy, so I could keep the documents from my various meetings neatly organized. Use a few hotel envelopes to organize receipts, so your wallet doesn't get overloaded.
5. Get a good little carrying bag. I just bought a wonderful black Hedgren shoulder bag with countless zippered pockets. It's perfect for carrying all my 'stuff': pens, cellphone, iPod, retractable Sony earbuds (since untangling headphone cable has got to be one of life's great time-wasters), memory sticks, digital camera with extra batteries, chewing gum, water bottles, books, etc. Tip: Keep your boarding pass in the same pocket every time to avoid rifling through the entire bag in line-ups.
6. Pack up as you go. Next time, I'll do a better job of keeping my stuff nearly 'ready to be packed' for departure, thereby minimizing the scambling when heading home.
7. Avoid arriving home in rush hour. Just when you're finally ready to collapse into the back-seat of the limousine to get home from the airport, you discover there are dozens people ahead of you -- and precious few limos or taxis to be found. Once it does arrive, the highway home is a veritable parking lot. Lesson: try to stick to flights arriving in the evening!
8. Most important of all: smile. I'm coming to appreciate the value of smiling at the many people you come into contact with when travelling -- from airport check-in staff to restaurant servers, flight attendants to taxi-drivers, hotel front-desk staff to office-tower security guards. A warm, genuine smile or greeting makes a connection -- from one human being to another -- that shows you appreciate their efforts, and can help you get that 'extra bit' of attention or service or flexibility you may need.
No comments:
Post a Comment