User-Friendly Business Travel

MAKE TRAVEL WORK FOR YOU...

If you frequent airports and airplanes on a weekly or biweekly basis, you will notice that air travel becomes a little more to bear during the holidays or peak seasons.  As a business traveler, the pressures of work deadlines and demands create little room for patience for the novice traveler, crying children, rude TSA officials, and slow moving lines.  Since beauty is in the eye of the beholder, here’s a few ways to make it more user-friendly and productive for your needs.

Become A Known Traveler.  Airlines you frequent may automatically sign you up for the TSA precheck but you can sign up yourself and have it readily available when you travel on any airline.  Go to the Global Online Enrollment System (GOES).  Complete the online form and once conditionally approved set up an appointment to talk to one of the friendly officers.  With the horrible experiences of airline mergers you might just switch your allegiance and this will make it very easy for you.

Club Lounge Quiet Areas.  Each club lounge now offers a quiet area where no one can be on a cell phone, speaking to other individuals in their travel party, or watching television.  Sometimes these areas include a personal desk and printer to help with the productivity.  These areas are the best when you are tired, overworked, or need to get some work done before boarding a flight.

Organize Before Boarding.  Prepare three piles of work/leisure “to dos”: 1) requiring WiFi, 2) not requiring WiFi, and 3) not requiring any mobile device, tablet, or laptop.  This allows work to be done regardless of the scenario – boarding, takeoff, in flight, and landing.

Take Time to Know Your Neighbor.  This may be a little more difficult on a short flight but nothing beats face-to-face communication.  Sitting down, talking on the phone or listening to music immediately upon boarding is quite rude.  You never know who you are sitting next to and how both of you can connect to conduct big business or make even bigger philanthropy happen. 

With these tips travel should be even easier and friendlier than before.  After all, it is what you make it and how great you make it.  Bon voyage!

If you have WiFi on your flight, feel free to follow the blog, Facebook page, and download the e-book, Get A Clue - 10 Steps to an Executive IQ.

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Posted in: business travel,corporate travel,Temeko Richardson

Executives Need Downtime Too

STRESS EATS AWAY EXECS...

Executives have it hard because of their frantic schedules, constant travel, crucial deadlines, and extensive scrutiny on the rise and fall of the company of which they are responsible.  But they have even more stress because they find themselves alone with no one to talk to about their family woes, work issues or potential company problems like massive layoffs, looming sales, and the idea of failing a group of employees if the company does not survive.  Work-life balance and confidantes are key to their longevity.

Zurich Insurance Group's Chief Financial Officer Pierre Wauthier was found dead at his home from an apparent suicide.  Two weeks prior the Chief Executive of Swisscom, Carsten Schloter, committed suicide after facing pressure from leading a 1.3 billion EURO writedown after a poor acquisition choice.  While the company was under investigation, Schloter in prior interviews confessed in previous interviews that it was "difficult to unwind" and that he had failed relationships with his three children in Germany after his marriage dissolved.

Stress is real and kills, if not over a time period or self-induced.  Executives need a work-life balance that involves downtime of which they do not have to discuss the woes of leading a company.  This includes exercise or recreational activities with friends and family, where there are no expectations except for them to be themselves. There needs to be a set time in the schedule that includes some form of movement and pressure for cardio burn and body agility.  Even better a fun day at the beach or golf course can ease the stress as well.

Genuine friends and people interested in their well-being are hard to come by.  There will be people around because they are at the top and will leave the minute they seem close to hitting rock bottom.  A simple conversation in the hallway to just ask about non work-related matters can relieve a minute of pressure from pretending that everything is okay. Of course, executives must remain guarded but there must be discernment regarding the true camaraderie they need to just simply vent.

Workplace stress, long hours, and unfriendly work environments combined with tumultuous business partners, picky customers, and unmanageable deliverables can cause a perception there is no need for downtime.  However the suicides of late tell something entirely different - relax a little now so the stress doesn't hit hard later.

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Posted in: corporate etiquette,corporate travel,employment stress,Exec Get a Clue,executive,executive suicide,stress,stress management,Temeko Richardson,work-life balance

Tips for Secure Corporate Travel

SECURE BUSINESS TRAVEL TIPS...

Travelers can never be too comfortable in airports, hotels, restaurants, and lounges with confidential information or even their identity.  Business travelers, especially, tend to let their guard down and what can be deemed as trivial can lead to identity theft and corporate confidentiality breaches.

Don't let the "friendly skies" fool you.  Watch this video to include some important tips in your frequent travels to prevent being the victim of unnecessary fraud.  http://youtu.be/6t6hUA1gn2E

For more business and motivational tips, check out the following:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/temekoruns
Facebook: http://facebook.com/execgetaclue 
 

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Posted in: Business Etiquette,business travel,corporate travel,New Employment,productivity,Social Media and Business,strategy,Temeko Richardson