Business trips are part and parcel of most career tracks, especially those that belong in the corporate world. That is why it shouldn’t come as a surprise when we’re invited to our first out-of-town trips to represent our respective organizations, at one point in our careers.
There are several considerations to keep in mind when going on these trips. Some are unique to the roles that we are assigned to since some of us will go as mere participants. Others have to make arrangements and prepare the itinerary for the group beforehand.
Regardless of our roles, we have to do the following before and during business trips to ensure their success.
Plan Ahead Of Time
Just like with any other trip, our business trip’s success lies in how much preparation we did before the trip. The first thing to do as participants is to make a list of everything that we’ll need while we’re away.
This includes clothing that follows the dress code, spare ones, footwear, and casual clothes for when we have breaks in between meetings. A few other things we should always have are identification cards, business cards, spare cash, toiletries, and gadgets and their chargers.
We also need to check with whoever is in charge of the trip to know better the details of the flight, hotel, and itinerary. Having this knowledge will also help us prepare any material we may need for the meetings and conferences.
Don’t Forget About Breaks
The days making up the entire business trip are most often stressful, packed, hectic, and, at times, overwhelming. To operate efficiently during meetings and conferences, participants should be allowed to have breaks in between each activity, if not at the end of the trip itself.
This is especially important to note for those who are planning the trip schedule. If you’re given this responsibility, try to choose hotels near the meeting venues in Seattle or whichever destination that is also close to hot spots for recreation. Doing so will allow your team to visit these locations without having to travel far from the intended meeting venue.
On the other hand, planners shouldn’t prioritize leisure over business when preparing for the trips. Before anything else, make sure that the schedule for meetings and conferences are finalized.
Get Some Sleep
Aside from recreation, sleep is also important to increase the efficiency and productivity of participants during business trips.
While it’s a given that we all have busy schedules, we should at least attempt to get some rest despite how hectic things can be. Do you have some downtime in between meetings? Opt for a power nap instead of scrolling through your phone.
It’s the same when we get back to our rooms come night time. It may be tempting to look through our materials for the events, but our brains function better when we receive the proper amount of sleep. So, instead of staying up late, consider waking up early to prepare while eating breakfast.
Eat Breakfast
One thing that many business trip participants tend to forget during these trips is proper sustenance. With our full schedules, we’ll likely end up tired, cranky, and in need of rest and recreation. In the whirlwind, we also need to listen to our stomachs when they start yearning for proper meals.
Breakfast, especially, can tide us over till late afternoon, provided that we had a full one. It may seem like a waste of time, sitting down to have a meal, but it’ll do our bodies and brain right.
Our first business trips may be staggering, but we can triumph over these busy days by being forward thinkers and taking note of our bodily needs.
