Undoubtedly, business travel can be a great opportunity to learn, build your network, and bond with your colleagues. Not to mention, it is an essential part of the contemporary professional world.
However, you’ll be surprised to know that many American professionals have admitted the fact that they suffer from high stress and unhealthy habits on their business trips. In fact, in a recent survey, 16% of business travelers revealed that they drink more on business trips than they usually do due to added stress and pressure.
According to industry experts, travel-related stress negatively impacts the productivity of employees and ends up distracting them from doing their job effectively.
That’s the reason why you need to be proactive and do everything in your power to make your business trips successful and productive. Here are a few strategies you can adopt and learn how to have a stress-free business trip with your colleagues.
Plan right
The best way to have a smooth business trip is when you know exactly how and when you are going to do things, especially if you are in charge of planning the trip.
Pre-planning the trip can help you foresee possible hurdles and make necessary arrangements to overcome them.
For this, you’ll have to make a full-fledged schedule to steer clear of any last-minute hiccups. And since you are traveling with your colleagues, it would be best to keep everyone in a loop.
Research your destination way in advance, look for the accommodations, and book the tickets accordingly.
Speaking of…
Find a business-friendly place to stay
You should know that “where you stay” during the trip plays an important role in your mission.
Imagine making an important presentation for your client and getting distracted time and again by outdoor noises.
Distractions affect productivity and no business professional would want to fail on their mission. That’s why you need to make sure that you go for a business-friendly hotel or homestay to steer clear of any disturbances while you are working.
For this, you can consider looking for inclusive business centers that offer a workspace in their rooms so that you and your colleagues can have privacy and comfort. This way, you’ll be able to treat your accommodation as your very own office and work without any disruptions.
Find some time to unwind
Think of business trips as your working hours where you have to work and travel alongside. Now, that can be one of the reasons why you feel extra stressed out on your business trips.
So, even if you are planning to work throughout the trip, you need to carve out some time to relax and unwind. For this, you can go for a long walk, take a dip in the pool and do anything that makes your body and mind feel relaxed.
Believe it or not, just having one hour to yourself can help you stay productive throughout your business trip.
Also, make sure that you avoid working late nights and find adequate time to sleep. Remember, an exhausted mind and body is not a good combination for work.
After your body and mind get relaxed, you’ll notice that you are able to focus on your work better.
Try to bond with your colleagues professionally
As outlined earlier, business trips are great ways to build relationships. And that no only includes your clients but also your fellow colleagues. Not to mention, bonding and socializing with your colleagues will help you become more comfortable around them throughout the trip.
But you need to make sure that you stay professional with it. Try to keep your conversations natural. You can even use your destination as an icebreaker and ask everyone if there’s something, in particular, they would like to explore.
You can complement their work and see if your colleagues have some advice for you. You should also know that being professional with your conversations doesn’t mean that you need to limit your conversations with your colleagues to work-related topics.
Yes, it is not always easy to start a fun conversation, especially with your colleagues. Still, you can always make efforts to learn more about their interests and hobbies.
Try to play some card or board games and help everyone loosen up and get comfortable around each other.
Bonus Point: It is okay to say no
There are times when you might feel extra pressured to do things out of your comfort zones such as smoking or drinking on your business trip.
For instance, someone in the group might want to use their free time to go to a bar or meet for drinks. For the time being, attending such events might help you bond at a very informal level and set a positive impression.
But if you feel uncomfortable with such an invitation, you can always decline politely. And even if you feel the need to attend such informal events, you can use your own judgment for drinking.
Final words…
Business trips with your colleagues might feel like an added pressure. Still, you need to use the opportunity to learn and create a positive impression on everyone.
So, use the tips mentioned above and ace your mission by being productive throughout your trip.