Never Truly Disconnected
The problem with business travel, frankly, is that you’re not in the office. If you’re a manager or project leader, your need to stay connected to your team and what’s going on at all times is crucial. This need may seem counterintuitive to the very idea of business travel. But with modern technology and a little coordination on your part, you can maintain a reasonable level of connectivity to important projects and your team’s activities, even while driving in a rental car or waiting for a flight at the airport.
The actual technology you use to stay connected may change over time. While in the past we could only use payphones at airports, technology has evolved to the point where you can travel and access your network via your cell phone, a wireless PC, or a variety of other devices. So the first step is to identify the type of technology that meets your connectivity needs and allows you to work productively in various locations, such as the airport, your airplane seat, or your hotel room.
As you conduct a technical review of available technology, be careful to research the durability of the equipment you’ll be taking on your trip. You may be able to afford the most advanced equipment on the market today. But if the equipment can’t withstand the rigors of travel, including being knocked around in a suitcase, exposed to heat, cold, humidity, or almost any other harsh conditions you might encounter, then it’s not the type of equipment you want on a long business trip.
Once you’ve selected the equipment, you should configure it or have it configured for internet access and the ability to access your company’s intranet and network. It’s crucial that you can communicate with your team and access company files so you can stay on top of your project’s progress back home. For example, if your project team sends a status report every Friday morning, you should be able to review the report and provide direction on what actions to take based on it quickly and efficiently, even if you’re on a ten-hour flight from Europe.
When it comes to managing your phone contacts, the idea of simply setting an “out of office” auto-reply on your work messaging service is outdated. Instead, you can forward work phone calls to your cell phone and take calls remotely so you can conduct your business as if you were in the office during your trip.
Today, adequate technology is available to allow you to access and operate your desktop computer at your desk in the office, even while traveling. One such service is gotomypc.com. But many similar services exist, and your IT department likely has a methodology for enabling such access that you can use if you involve them in your travel planning. By accessing your PC daily or several times a day, you can open Microsoft Outlook or whatever email software you use and read and respond to important business emails while relaxing in your hotel room after an out-of-town business meeting.
These are just a few of the technologies that make it possible to perform almost any function remotely that you previously could only do in the office. So don’t accept the limitations of travel. Learn how to stay fully connected while traveling, and the result will be that you can keep all your important business projects moving forward simultaneously.