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Recently, traveling for work has turn out to be almost a full-time job.
On a recent trip to Southeast Asia, I visited 4 countries in 4 days – Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines – before flying straight home. What followed was a whirlwind tour of Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands, during which I ran in Stockholm in the morning, had lunch in Lübeck and had dinner in Eindhoven.
As the chief of staff at a global technology company, I’m on the road to work two or three weeks a month. While this may occasionally be an extreme, now that Covid is in the past, business travel is back with a vengeance. Businesses around the world are on track for record spending $1.48 trillion for it this yr – over 10% greater than in 2023.
For business leaders, travel comes with the territory. Just ask JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon who thinks it’s essential for anyone who doesn’t want to fail. The typical CEO only spends about half of their working time at the company’s headquarters, devoting the rest to tasks involving travel.
It’s essential to make every journey count. Here’s how a leader can get the most ROI on their journey.
Manage your time and energy correctly
The basis of every successful business trip? Meticulous planning and management of your time and energy. An hour on the road is price much greater than just an hour in the office. For a leader, this implies much more precise control over how their time is used.
An excellent executive assistant could be a lifesaver here, but there are basic steps anyone can take. Change your schedule by skipping routine meetings at home so you possibly can be present at your destination. Think about what needs to be achieved personally and set your priorities. For example, a face-to-face meeting with a key client can be at the top of the list. Maximizing transportation time is also essential – taxis, trains and planes are ideal for catching up on routine office tasks and checking in at headquarters.
It is equally essential to arrive stuffed with energy. Imagine that you simply didn’t sleep on the flight, you didn’t exercise and you are in a bad mood. When it comes time to answer staff questions at City Hall, you possibly can’t fake your enthusiasm.
To achieve maximum mental acuity during work hours and minimize jet lag, I use Time turner an application that has been tested by NASA astronauts. When I’m on the road, I also want to live the same life I have back home in Maryland. In addition to sticking to the same morning exercise routine, I incorporate other non-work-related activities into my day. I try to learn Japanese, practice on the travel piano, and read, even for 10-Quarter-hour.
Business travelers make energy and time management a priority. In recent surveyalmost half said they modify their every day routines before leaving to adjust to the latest time zone, and 80% said they extend business trips for leisure purposes.
Intentionally connect with a cross-section of team members
To gather information during a site visit, leaders should forged a wide net.
I learned that during my time at the Pentagon, I traveled with then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. In addition to briefings with generals, Gates often held roundtables where no one exceeded the rank of staff sergeant. To make everyone feel comfortable, he asked open-ended questions: What works? What doesn’t work? What should we do otherwise?
Having served in the military and in Washington, I know that general officers and policymakers who lose touch with the realities of the battlefield and political terrain operate blindly. One of the biggest dangers any leader must deal with is isolation — hearing only what they need to hear from individuals who are afraid to tell them otherwise.
So they have to be on the edge where an engineer may reveal that a key piece of kit is broken, or the HR department fails to disclose that a competitor is paying 20% more for talent, making it difficult to hire the best graduates. You don’t hear these anecdotes in the conference room. You also don’t see how plant managers are perceived by their employees and how well they impart company strategy to all team members.
Town halls are invaluable in obtaining this information. Walking itself is also powerful. Since joining the company earlier this yr, I have visited roughly 25 of our facilities, speaking to everyone from management to factory employees.
Oscar Munoz used this approach to rebuild United Airlines. After taking on as CEO of the struggling carrier in 2015, Munoz launched a nationwide operation listening tourinterviewing mechanics, baggage handlers and flight attendants.
Double down on cultivating key relationships
When it comes to building relationships with colleagues, customers, suppliers and investors, a leader’s physical presence matters. Almost nine out of 10 CEOs say technology won’t ever replace in-person meetings for essential meetings. That being said, this is very true for latest relationships greater than half of the communication is non-verbal.
I recently returned from Japan where we encountered a roadblock in dealing with one other company. Since I used to be on my way there for a board meeting, it was convenient for me to contact them in person so that we could find common ground.
Given the likelihood, I’ll also step away from Zoom to get to know latest key employees in real life – not only how they deal with problems, but who they are as a person and what motivates them. This can best be achieved over a meal on your home turf.
The same applies to an investor who is considering whether to increase his or her stake in your company. A private meeting can significantly increase your self-confidence. Similarly, leaders shouldn’t write off in-person industry events. For example, trade shows are extremely efficient places to meet with all members of the ecosystem, from investors and analysts to customers, suppliers and talent.
Use your presence to light a fire
For a leader, travel can serve one other useful purpose: lighting a fire under people.
In every large company, bureaucracy and bureaucracy are common. Sometimes things reach a crisis point where it is crucial to escalate them up the chain of command. The CEO can use this trip to force progress – or even delay it.
Let’s assume that a company has an ongoing problem with low productivity, wastage of materials and production capability, and lack of profits. If a leader wants to explore this operational challenge, presenting slides on a Zoom call won’t be enough. They have to see the factory with their very own eyes, walk the assembly line and talk to engineers.
Boeing’s latest CEO, Kelly Ortberg, has the right idea. Although the troubled aerospace giant is headquartered in Chicago, Ortberg moved to Seattlewhere his planes were built.
Ultimately, for any traveling business leader, showing up is half the battle. It shows those that you care.
This also applies to events that will not look like business priorities. I go to essential company celebrations and holiday meetings. Will I gain any deeper insights during these trips? Not necessarily, but I’m sure it can matter to those that of all the places I could be on my big day, it’s with them. I have to run and catch the plane!