Management tips to optimize time during your business trip

A business trip is a strategic plan that should - and usually is - planned in detail. This is so because time is one of the most precious commodities and, in fact, because the success of corporate meetings is marked by the extra performance of the minutes that the meeting lasts. Knowing the milestones with which to make the most of every minute of the day guarantees the success of any corporate trip.

The key to business travel is productivity. But it is not just a matter of time, but of priorities. Being able to prioritize and do the right tasks to achieve objectives is at the heart of business travel.

Bearing this maxim in mind when planning the trip, it is important to know how to make the most of any space and time we have at our disposal and take advantage, for example, of commuting.

In order to help you optimize your time and get the maximum productivity during your stays, Luca Carlucci, CEO of BizAway, corporate travel agency, shares below his best tips and common practices, which he himself applies during his business trips:

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 Allow yourself an inflexible schedule. On many occasions, and especially in cases of business managers, the agenda is calculated almost in nanoseconds, resulting in a very inaccessible program that does not give rise to possible spontaneous meetings. Although it is important to set the strategic objectives of the trip, it is important to keep some space available in the planning for any unforeseen event or opportunity that may arise during the stay. Nothing should be taken for granted, especially when traveling on business. Turning down meetings of interest can cause a bad image for no one

• Time, take advantage of it wherever you are. Whether in the airport terminal, in a restaurant or in a hotel room, any scenario is good to advance tasks. As long as you have a quality network connection, any time can be a good time to work. Probably in these occasions of waiting or transfers the logistic infrastructure will not be adequate for a long working day, but we can take advantage to organize the work, as well as to elaborate lists of pending tasks. These small tasks allow to establish a mental order and also optimize the time to start working.

 

• Anticípate to possible adverse casuísticas of the trip. Account with a plan that anticipates probable unfavorable scenarios during the trip. Planning what to do in terms of work when a plane is delayed, a client cancels a meeting or even when an accident occurs that is beyond our control will guarantee the optimization of that specific time. In order to do so, it is important to have the necessary equipment, such as a computer, a headset and even a portable wifi connection or the data network, with the highest possible quality. It can also help us to plan achievable tasks in case we do not have these conditions.

• Minimalist luggage and accessories. According to a study conducted in 2016 by the British multinational Marks & Spencer, a company dedicated to retail, of the 2.000 people they interviewed, a maximum of men and women said they used to be late for work because they had wasted time deciding how to dress, and one in 20 said they had even canceled the appointment because they did not know what to wear. So, optimizing any business trip starts with streamlining your dressing time. We must be practical and take with us a cellular closet that has the basic clothes, with a neutral range of colors that allows to combine pieces among them. In this way, we will have several clothing options without this issue becoming a headache. At the same time, structuring the different outfits days before the trip will allow us to reduce the time during the morning.

In addition to these tips, planning the logistical part of a trip will also help us to make the most of the time during the stay. Some details, such as air-conditioning the hotel room to the right temperature, choosing a place with the appropriate furniture, or flying with the weather in our favor, that is, taking into account jetlag and its effects, can help the corporate trip become an opportunity to grow professionally and not an obstacle.