Work/Life Balance Tips for the Business Traveler

Balance and the business traveler has everything to do with staying "connected". As I indicate in my book, Work for a Living & Still Be Free to Live, we achieve a fluctuating balance by how we CHOOSE to stay connected with the critical areas of our life. Business travel can take a heavy emotional, physical and mental toll.

Let me suggest some ways to stay connected with these areas while "on the road":

Emotional -- staying connected with your home base and significant people. If you have children, depending upon their ages, consider the following: Take your child with you in your imagination. Ask them if they would select a SMALL toy of theirs that you could carry with you and so stay connected with them. Tape-record a favorite story or a good night ritual that can be played before the child goes to sleep. With the child, track your travels on a map and together talk about some of the places or things of interest about your destination (lobsters in Maine; skyscrapers in NY, the lions at the Chicago Art Museum.) As an added bonus, you will have a new appreciation for the place where you'll be.

Send post cards home to each member of the family (Make up labels in advance and buy stamps. You only need to write one personal line. Doesn't matter that you'll get home before the postal. You thought of them.- Leave love notes for your partner (under the pillow/ with the toothpaste/ on the bathroom mirror)- My husband leaves a message with the hotel operator to deliver "Bill loves you most!" Operators really get a kick out of delivering this message- Have a different e-mail address for family members and send home messages- Take a blank book and fill it with favorite pictures of home, family, friends, pet. Always take the book with you on your travels. (I do!)- If possible, make separate calls to your spouse and your children. That way, no one has to share "air time".

Physical -- staying connected with your body-- Be THERE. Don't keep two watch times. You'll be tempted to say "But I can't go to sleep now--it's only 7pm in CA. or :I can't get up at 6:00--it's only 3AM in CA.)-- Plan time (it won't just appear) for exercise of any kind. Bring shoes for running or walking. Bring exercise rubber bands for muscle tone. (Take up no room) Use stairs rather than elevator where possible--Bring any item which can easily make you "feel at home" This can be anything from a pillow case, a teddy bear, a small picture.--If it's your style, bring herbal scents for the room; bath salts; One friend carries a device for drowning out sound. She turns it on and selects anything from ocean sounds to raindrops...--Try a portable vaporizer. Clears sinuses and puts moisture back into the face.-- Bring saline solution nasal spray for the airlines. Also, a small atomizer of water (some kinds are mixed with aloe). Body tissues become very dehydrated on flights.--Drink more water than you ever thought possible.-- Always ask for a room away from the elevator and the ice machine-- Unless you have great stamina, avoid red eye flights. Much better to come in rested to do work than stumble your way through a meeting.-- Find luggage that works for you. Weight, size, length of shoulder strap. --Lighten the load: if an extended trip, ship home materials or clothes you won't need. Bring a pre-addressed packing slip. Concierge can help. Whenever possible, check your baggage. Carry only with you the necessities for work and personal hygiene and health. Wear clothes that could suit for your meeting should luggage not make it. There's far too much carry-on these days.

MENTAL -- staying connected with your psyche.-- Self-talk is powerful when traveling. Why become angry and upset at weather delays (over which no one can do anything)? Mechanical problems are a fact of life. If at all possible, never book yourself on the last flight to your destination. Always have a later flight. And if you can't make it, consider that you have been given a gift of time. -- Use time in flight to get caught up on journals, periodicals, etc. For me, a successful trip is when my briefcase gets lighter and the pocket of the seat in front gets heavier.--See your destination with new eyes. Consider that you are an explorer. Try something new: a restaurant, a neighborhood, a museum, even the note the difference of people. Keep a small journal and write observations. This also lets you bring home "more than work" to share with the home front.-- Start the day quiet. Meditate. Deep breathe. Allow enough time to get ready before you leave the hotel.

Lastly, expect the unexpected and let go of the outcome. Do what you can for contingencies. Bring a cell phone, essential numbers and don't book the last flight out. Then relax into the uncertainty of travel. Stress comes from trying to control the uncontrollable. Let it go.

Back Again

Finally back after long business trip and holiday.. will post new content soon.

China Business Travel 101

Ever wondered if you could deal directly with manufacturers... in China?! It's easier than you think. 

First Impression

I visited China in Autumn 2005 with a group of business associates and must admit that I was amazed, both by the warm reception we received wherever we went, and at the factories we toured. Having never been there before, and having only news accounts of "difficulties" between China and the U.S. to fuel my imagination, I assumed things would be overly formal and official at best... at worst, cold... and we would be "watched" constantly. I was so wrong on both counts. We were treated as welcome visitors and had only to ask the hotel staff for something to have it almost magically produced. 

Shanghai

Lost in Translation

Outside of the hotels and manufacturing facilities, doing business in the streets and in small shops was, at most times, terribly difficult. We had arranged our factory visits and business meetings with our contacts in China, and there were no problems on that side when it came to language. But once we stepped out on our own, we rarely found anyone - even in tourist gift shops - who could communicate in English at all. Next time I visit China, I'll hopefully be armed with a few more basic Mandarin phrases, but for everyone visiting, even just for leisure, I'd recommend hiring translators to assist you.

Cash in China 

Another word of warning: business owners back home in the States may be suitably impressed by your Gold Card, but to the Chinese shopkeeper it's just a pretty piece of plastic that won't buy a cup of Chinese tea. Even in the large cities, you're going to have to carry around Chinese Yuan (aka Renminbi) in cash if you want to be able to go shopping or eat at a restaurant. I have to say, the upside of this is that you won't find yourself going over budget. But with the incredibly low Chinese retail prices, that probably wouldn't happen anyway. 

China Money

Low Retail Prices 

Once you've overcome the communication difficulties you'll be amazed to find the bargains you'll find in the small shops. For a start, it's an electronics paradise. Just make sure you do your homework on what will and won't work back in the States. Of course it is easy to load yourself up with personal purchases, but the real value is getting even more ideas of attractive products to start selling back home. 

Factories in China 

Our visit to a manufacturing plant in Huizhou left us all . . . well, 'impressed' hardly seems like a strong enough word. The building, on the outside was sort of drab looking with banners hanging here and there but inside was quite a different story. First of all we were treated as if we were VIPs instead of mid-level managers from Kenosha. Most importantly, however, the level of automation in this factory was remarkable, even by American standards and, when you look at the numbers, you see that the productivity is really impressive. It's no longer a mystery to this American why China is finding such a willing market in America. 

Back Again 

I wish I had more than the seven days we were able to stay in China, but it won't be long before I'm back, this time with a group of my friends who have been listening to me talking about the business opportunities since I got back... and who now want to go out there to get a piece of the action for themselves. 

China Travel Tips