Young professionals entering the workforce are increasingly valuing companies with an international business model and the possibility to travel for work. But despite all the benefits of corporate travel, frequent travelers know these can often be tiring trips. With disrupted sleep, poor food choices, and unpredictable internet connections, staying productive might prove to be a bigger challenge than expected. In this article, we give you our tips to stay productive and focused on your next trip.
5 Tips to be more productive on your next trip
1. Plan everything in advance
A productive business trip begins even before you set foot in an airport. Prior to departure, organize your agenda to schedule in time to work at your destination between meetings and important events. Additionally, make all your bookings in advance so you can save money and time on your trip. With RoomsCo’s personalized service, you can focus on your job while our team handles your entire accommodation booking process.
2. Pack only the essentials
When you are traveling for work, every minute counts and so it is essential that your suitcase is organized so that you have everything you will need within easy reach. Make sure your travel documents (ID, hotel booking confirmation, plane tickets, etc.) are all stored together in a place that is easy to reach. To be well prepared, take a look at our checklist before you start packing.
3. Communicate with your team before you leave
Prior to your departure, it is also important to ensure that you leave your team back at the office with everything they need to continue to work efficiently while you are away. Meet with your staff to get a status report on any ongoing projects and decide on the next steps to take. Don’t forget to also let your team know when you will be available by phone or email when you will be unreachable, and how your coworkers should notify you of urgent issues (for instance, by sending a text message on WhatsApp or writing “Urgent” in an email subject line).
4. Stay organized during your trip
Between meetings and events, corporate trips are full of opportunities to network and come up with new ideas that will certainly help grow your business. So it is essential to stay organized so you can jot down these new contacts and projects. Here, technology will be your best friend as there are many perfect apps to take all kinds of notes – and most of them are totally free. Try Evernote which synchronizes all your notes across devices or platforms like Asana and Trello.
5. Learn to avoid jet lag
A good night’s sleep is essential to have a productive workday. But when travelling, there are many factors that may interfere with your sleep such as sleeping in a new hotel room or attending networking events that go on past regular business hours. On most international trips, there is yet another factor to consider: changing time zones. In these cases, the best thing to do is to immediately adapt to the new time zone as soon as you land and go to sleep at your usual time. Your first day may be more difficult but this is the fastest way to help your body adjust to the new time zone and thus avoid the nefarious effects of jet lag.
