Business Trips: What To Do On The Road

Posted by Richard on October 16, 2018

There’s nothing like a long business trip to make you envy Dorothy’s ruby slippers in the Wizard of Oz. Click Click Click. I want to go home.

But, fact is, no one has ruby slippers. The only alternative is to make the best of it.

Two strategies have often been suggested for dealing with loneliness on the road, both diametrically opposed.

One strategy: According to the Harvard Business Review, get out of the hotel room and into the lobby, co-working spaces, or coffee shops that will provide a buzz of background social activity along with the potential to chat with a stranger when needed.

Connect with the family on Skype and FaceTime. Families could even leave a computer open with an active Skype connection so that the other person can casually observe what is happening around the house such as children’s piano lessons or the dog playing to inject some normalcy into life when there is a disrupted routine.

Another strategy from seminar experts: Never go into public spaces in your hotel. The worst thing you can do after a long week on the road, is to run into customers and coworkers, especially if you want to enjoy a martini in the bar. If you must go out, take a taxi to at least a four-star restaurant a few miles away from the hotel. Dress in work clothes.

In this view of business travel, it’s essential to establish a routine after the workday that doesn’t include leaving the hotel. Shower, lay out clothes for the next day, work. Phone home. Keep up with the family. Watch a movie. Go to sleep early. Breakfast is acceptable in the hotel, but consider room service if customers or coworkers are staying in the same hotel.

With most business travel, sightseeing is out of the question. However, if museums are nearby, travelers might consider a tour if the day hasn’t been too long. Stay away from clubs and bars.