Are you planning a business trip abroad soon? The idea might seem quite fun, but the reality is usually different, particularly if you have to do actual work rather than spending your time enjoying sights or meeting new people and partying.
The lack of productivity becomes even more of an issue when you have to travel overseas to end up in a different time zone. So the question is this – what can you do to maintain the work quality? The four suggestions below should be a good addition to your working abroad strategy.
Find Reliable Internet Connection
If you have a fast and reliable internet connection back home, do not expect to experience the same thing abroad. Not every country has decent internet. If you do not know where to find a reliable connection, ask locals. The internet may be bad at your hotel and prevent you from doing actual work.
Having a computer that runs without any hiccups is not enough. Sure, you may know how to type special symbols on mac keyboard, create documents, record videos, etc. However, you will still need the internet to stay in touch and exchange information with your colleagues or supervisors.
The locals may suggest going to a nearby cafe or a library. If so, do not hesitate and take their advice. In case there are no better options nearby, you may need to go to a store or a gas station and buy custom internet for the time you are staying.
It is recommended to check these things beforehand. Similar to how you make sure that your work tools (like the laptop) are okay before traveling, you should also confirm that there will be little issues having a solid internet connection.
Get Rid of Distractions
Being in a new environment may prove quite tempting as far as distractions go. Instead of focusing on work, you may desire to check new locations, meet people, have a few drinks at a bar. Even when you are in a hotel room alone, you could be leaning toward watching Netflix or playing video games instead of doing your actual work.
Despite these distractions, you should still focus on work and prioritize it. If there are some things you want to do because another opportunity for it may not happen in the future, why not take a different approach? Rather than procrastinating, wake up early, finish your work, and enjoy your free time.
Create a Plan
Speaking of enjoying free time, creating a plan before your business trip is a good piece of advice. When you have a clear idea of what you want to do abroad, it will be easier to find a balance between work and fun.
For example, if there are some sights you want to see and they are far away from your hotel, find out how much money it would cost to travel there by getting a taxi or a bus (provided there is one available). Moreover, figure out how much time it will take to travel to and from the location.
When you have concrete numbers in front of you, you can plan ahead and not worry about missing opportunities that may not appear again.
If you are uncertain about how certain things work in a country you are traveling to, look for information online. Also, there might be someone who had traveled there before. A coworker might provide some useful information.
Creating a plan and preparing in advance will be a good way to worry less about side activities getting in the way of work.
Stay Healthy
Sticking to a healthy schedule is the last suggestion in this article. Even if you are traveling abroad only for a couple of weeks, you should not get tempted by exotic food that disrupts your workflow.
You will already have issues adjusting to a different time zone and suffer from jet lag. Additional health hazards will only worsen your well-being further and leave you with next to no motivation for work.
A business trip abroad may seem like a good opportunity to let off some steam, but relaxing too much will likely backfire and leave you with more problems than you expect.
Besides eating healthy, you should also do your best to get enough sleep, even if it is difficult because of a different time zone. Try listening to music, taking a long shower, or exercising until you are exhausted (sports is also a good way to keep your health in good condition).
Different methods work for different people when it comes to sleeping in a new environment. You may need some time to find what works for you. However, the sooner you do, the more work productivity you will have.
Conclusion
To sum it all up, traveling abroad on a business trip is a tricky experience. It is not all fun and games since you will need to do actual work, and finding motivation can be difficult due to the circumstances. Hopefully, the suggestions in this article will be of use to those who plan to go on a business trip in the near future.