Be it by plane, train, or automobile, it’s a guarantee that something will go wrong, testing your patience and making you wish you could just teleport to your location like they do in Star Trek.
Whether traveling for business is a hassle or a joy, the surefire way to ruin your trip is embarrassing yourself and acting sloppy.
Modern Manners Guy is hosted by Richie Frieman. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
Have an etiquette question? Email Richie at manners@quickanddirtytips.com.
Modern Manners Guy is a part of Quick and Dirty Tips.
Links:
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/
https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/subscribe
https://www.facebook.com/ModernMannersGuy
http://www.richiefrieman.com/
You know what makes work even more stressful than having to put out a surprise fire at 5PM on a Friday? No, not Gary’s off-color sense of humor or Maggie’s inability not to burn her microwave popcorn (even those are two very good methods to frustrate you). The correct answer is work travel. Be it by plane, train, or automobile, it’s a guarantee that something will go wrong, testing your patience and making you wish you could just teleport to your location like they do in Star Trek. But, regardless of the means of travel, you can’t let others and their improper traveling behavior get the best of you nor should you fall victim yourself.
So, before you witness—or even worse, become—a viral “sensation” for a public flip out on the tarmac, check out my 3 Rules For Proper Business Travel.
This week I traveled for work, visiting three airports and spending way too much time in the airport waiting areas. Luckily, there were plenty of dining options to keep me busy as I waited for a delayed flight (lovely… just lovely) which also provided opportunities for some incredible people-watching. One group I witnessed was six men, late forties, all donning a “corporate vest” with their company’s logo, overjoyed about the free golfing at the hotel where their work event was being held. How do I know so much about this group of classy gentlemen? Well, everyone in the airport could hear their conversation as they slammed back drink after drink at the terminal bar, as if they just finished 18 holes at Augusta. I’m all for getting a cocktail at the airport to calm your nerves but it was 7:45 AM when I arrived at my gate and they had already been there for at least two rounds of drinks. Everyone was looking at them with some level of embarrassment. I left before they did and they showed no sign of slowing the party down. I’m sure that flight was a blast for the other passengers on the flight.
Another situation happened that same day when I arrived at the hotel and grabbed a bite to eat at one of the restaurants in the hotel. I sat at the bar, ordered some delicious fish tacos, and watched some TV. Two seats down from me was a man, wearing a conference badge, with two empty tumblers of whiskey in front of him. He then asked the bartender for “the good stuff” and proceeded to knock back two more tumblers before I even finished my meal. His speech was slurred, others at the bar looked at him questionably as he talked to anyone and everyone around him, and overall, he was just a mess. All the while, his company’s name was clear as day on his conference badge. I’m sure they would be proud to know he’s working so hard.
But hey, a work trip is a vacation, right? No, not at all.
For the record, I am not a square when it comes to enjoying a drink and I’m not trying to wave the flag of sobriety into anyone’s face. Here, I’m pointing out that it’s incredibly rude to drink like you’re back in college just because you get to expense it. First, for the goobers who were one more drink away from doing keg stands, if you have to get that sloshed before a flight, then you need to rethink your ability to travel at all. Even if you can handle your alcohol like a pro, how about you take your bladder into consideration when you’re jammed up on a flight for a few hours with only two bathrooms to be shared by dozens of people? Then, to my sloshy salesman, racking up a record-high solo bar tab at 1 PM during a work function, it’s improper—and tacky—to use your lunch break as a personal happy hour. It may be five o’clock somewhere but it’s surely not now. He was on full display and made a fool out of himself, all while representing his company.
When it comes to drinking on a work trip, by all means enjoy yourself but don’t indulge like it’s Mardi Gras. You’re there to work—which can be fun—but acting like it’s your 21st birthday just because you’re out of the office is one quick way to lose travel privileges. Keep it classy with the bubbly, my friends.
In my book, REPLY ALL… And Other Ways To Tank Your Career, I talked about how traveling for your first job is wildly different than a trip with family or friends. There’s not much relaxing, not much downtime, and between all the traveling as well as work obligations, you have to do double duty to make the company’s ROI for your travel worth it.
With that being said, I know traveling for work can be hard for the first time—at any age—but this is a time to look the part or at least try to do so. I often think of the 2009 movie, Up In The Air, when the work travel rookie Anna Kendrick joins seasoned vet George Clooney for the first time. George’s character spends the majority of his life in airports, while Anna’s character looked like she packed everything she owned into a giant suitcase for a short trip. Sure enough, when she gets to the airport, she fumbles over everything and makes a spectacle of herself, as George rolls his eyes.
Even though I’m guilty of over-packing myself, when it comes to traveling for work, you have to be more George than Anna and operate as smoothly as possible. Fumbling around is one example of showing your rookie status when traveling for work and when that happens you’ll be even more stressed out about the trip in general. Another way is how you dress for the travel, too. Many people say that there are “proper travel clothes” such as athleisure or easy to get on/off shoes. I don’t disagree but some people (including myself) don’t mind wearing jeans or a button-up. At the end of the day, work with what makes you comfortable, yet keep in mind that your comfort can’t come at the expense of others’ discomfort. It’s highly unmannerly to bring so many layers onto the flight that it looks like it could add extra weight to the plane’s axis and overflow into the seat next to you. Also, regardless of how relaxed you are traveling, it’s rude to lounge out like you’re watching TV at home; your seat is the only area you get to call your own while traveling.
I say this because it takes one person to call you out, look at you in an unflattering way, and then realize who you’re representing to ruin your trip before it started. If it’s your first time traveling for work, just ask someone else at the office if they have any tips. From dressing, to packing, and even to the hotel room, the more you master the art of travel, the better you will feel about doing a good job for the company as a whole.
Folks, I’m the MODERN Manners Guy, not the Stick In the Mud Manners Guy, and in all my years of witnessing rude behavior, I have learned from others—as well as my own—mistakes. Fortunately for me, I have made a career of discussing said screw-ups and apparently the QDT world enjoys hearing about it.
So, for the record, I LOVE to party. Love it! In fact, if you are having a party, please send me an invite. I’ll be happy to show up and show off my dancing skills. Yet, being a partygoer when you’re traveling for work—similar to when you’re at a holiday work party—is not the time to make yourself the center of unwanted attention. Partying like a rock star with the company credit card also falls under Rule #2, where you’re making a rookie mistake by looking like an idiot in front of your peers. I get wanting to be the “fun person”—everyone wants to hang out with the “fun person”. In fact, I am that person, but I’ve learned that trying too hard and not understanding what works and doesn’t will only make you lose points on the professional scale, rather than win over others. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll surely be talked about, but not for the right reasons. People, act like you’ve been here before! Partying and networking are a big part of a work trip but making a scene is never on the agenda.
When it comes to a work trip and enjoying the perks of a happy hour or evening event, use that casualness to your advantage. Sure, you can drink and absolutely you should loosen up (at whichever degree you feel comfortable), but don’t feel like you’re on a stage performing. In fact, the best way to take full advantage of a work travel event is to not even make it about work at all. In my decades of attending work events, parties, golf outings, sporting events, etc. with clients or business partners, the best results always came from being myself and not being pushy. As I said in my last episode about business meal etiquette and understanding everyone’s motives, when you travel for work the last thing people want to do at night is keep the work day going longer than it should.
After all, you’ve spent hours traveling, are likely going on limited sleep, and spent the entire day working in one way or another, so who wants the work-life to continue even longer? No one! Yes, it’s work, but instead, use this time to show them who you really are as a person. The setting is already set up for you and everyone is already relaxed, so take full advantage of that luxury and the lowering of their walls to connect on a friendlier level. It’s no secret that business is about relationships and when you’re well-liked, polished, and people enjoy your company, you become more connected, as well as professionally rewarded.
That is what we call a win-win for a work trip.