7 Things About Travel Your Boss Wants To Know

travel

Most of us regard travel as a leisurely activity, but it can also be a learning experience. So, the next time you need to take a vacation, you can pitch your travel plans as a crash course on skills that your boss wants you to know. While your actual holiday may be filled with fun activities and relaxation, there is a lot of planning and effort that goes into any travel itinerary. From coordinating with each friend and family member in your entourage, to dealing with ticketing agents and hoteliers, you will have to harness every skill in your arsenal, normally reserved for the workplace. Yes, essential workplace skills that are sharpened and cultivated through your travels will eventually help on the job.
Here are 7 skills that you can gain from your next journey:

1. Planning

Whether it is planning international trips or visiting a single city, poor planning can cost you a lot more than money. Failure to plan logistics, carry a map, activate GPS, carry adequate supplies, and so on, can result in a great deal of inconvenience and ruin your holiday experience. There is a lot of planning and preparation that goes into travelling, as you need to consider various factors, including lodging, transportation, budgets, health, and lots more.
How does this help at work?
As a traveler you must learn to plan ahead, pay attention to details, and take precautions – traits and skills that are essential for every professional. Good planning is valuable at any workplace as it improves efficiency and productivity.

2. Coordination

Every family member and friend who is part of your travel entourage will have a different idea of what is ideal in terms of travel dates, budget, hotel accommodation and activities. Therefore, making travel arrangements requires great coordination skills, as you need to get everyone on board with one final plan of action.
How does this help at work?
In corporate enterprises that follow a hierarchical structure, professionals need to coordinate and satisfy the demands and expectations from various parties involved. Whether you have to work with your boss, colleague, or subordinate, it is important to coordinate smoothly with everyone involved. This is where those skills that you honed, while dealing with your traveling companions, will come in handy.

3. Teamwork

Travel is almost always a group activity and it needs to be a team effort for the trip to be enjoyable. Group travel can only be fun if the group sticks together. You need to work as a cohesive force, keeping the group together, making sure that everyone participates in activities and shares both the responsibilities and the rewards.
How does this help at work?
The ability to work cooperatively is an asset at any workplace. For the success of any business project it is important for a team to work well together. Experience that you gain through your travels will help you inculcate that team spirit in your co-workers, while keeping them motivated towards shared goals.

4. Time Management

Time management is one of the most vital skills when it comes to organizing a successful trip. If you don’t manage your time effectively and follow a schedule, all of those detailed plans that you drew up will amount to nothing. From the moment you step out of your door, to the time you get back, time management is critical, as any unforeseen delay can result in huge expenses or missed flights that may even result in the cancellation of your holiday.
How does this help at work?
Time management is also one of the most essential skills at your workplace. If you do not have time-management skills, you will not be able prioritize tasks, set goals, and maintain a healthy work-life balance. The skills you gain while traveling will come in handy as you create work schedules and meet deadlines at the office.

5. Communication

A holiday experience is incomplete and imperfect without some kind of interaction with the locals. Through these exchanges, you get the chance to experience and embrace cultural, linguistic, and social differences that might otherwise be barriers to communication. This makes you a lot more sensitive to the needs of others and it also broadens your horizons.
How does this help at work?
Your communication skills often referred to as ‘people skills” at the workplace, will be scrutinized and will affect your professional relationships from the first time you step into an office for an interview to the time you make your exit. Your experiences as a traveler, communicating with people who can barely speak the same language, will make workplace communication seem like a walk in the park.

6. Decision-Making

To get off to a good start you need to be able to make sound decisions when making your travel plans itself. This said, even the best-laid travel plans can go awry. In such circumstances you need to be able to make quick decisions, so that you can salvage the situation and not ruin the entire trip. You cannot allow the closing of a museum or cancellation of a snorkeling activity to completely derail your vacation. When traveling, you need to always be ready to come up with alternative plans that will be just as satisfying, without endangering the health and safety of your companions.
How does this help at work?
Your decision-making abilities can make or break you, especially if you occupy a leadership position. Whether making decisions for yourself or for your team, you need to be able to think quickly on your feet to evaluate goals, asses the risk involved, strategies and execute a plan. Your experience traveling can come in handy as it helps you make well-thought-out decisions and deal with worst-case scenarios.

7. Leadership

While all of the above skills could help make your trip a success, they will be of no use if you cannot take charge of situations and implement the plans. You need to be able to convince everyone involved about the merits of your decisions, while making sure that their views are also taken into account. To get everyone on board with travel and stay arrangements, not to mention the itinerary, you need to have leadership skills.
How does this help at work?
Without leadership skills, you would stagnate and never be able to climb the corporate ladder. No matter how qualified or competent you might be, you need to be able to make yourself heard and obeyed. This is where your leadership skills come into play. At every stage of your travel, you need to be in command of the situation to ensure that everything goes according to the plan.

So, if you’re looking for a quick and painless way to hone these seven valuable management skills that your boss would want you to know, try them out while planning your next vacation. Your getaway could be more than a chance to reconnect with loved ones; it could also help prep you for a career change or promotion, without having to endure hours of boredom at a leadership skills program.