Long business trips can offer a blurring of lines between professionalism and the real version of yourself.
Running a business is an incredibly varied experience. You don’t spend much time in one place. If you get to the point where you’re looking to expand your business, you need to go travel abroad. It’s impossible for you to do this all by yourself. This means that you start to put more trust in your employees, or even have a few come with you. But this is where the term “duty of care” comes into play. On long business trips, there can be a blurring of lines between professionalism and the real version of yourself. But also, how can you look after your employees on these long road trips?
Adequate Insurance Cover
You have a lot of responsibility for your employees while you are out on these long business trips, and this means that you need to provide the appropriate cover from an insurance perspective, but you also need to know if the place where you’re going requires a bit more preparation. Take something like the rental cars; it’s not just enough to have the insurance for the vehicle, but you need to think about you and your convoy. While it’s the last thing on your mind, what are you going to do if something detrimental happens while you’re out there on the road? While there are firms serving the legal needs of personal injury victims that get caught up in car accidents, you need to think about the personal and professional repercussions. Planning and having adequate cover is the best method.
Refuel, In Both Senses!
Long business trips, sub-par hotels, and an exhausting job to complete means that you will need time to rest and recover. If you are all bunched up in one car, be sure to plan out adequate breaks and also think about what it really is like on the road. Think about it from the perspective of your employees. Because they are, no doubt, wanting to make a good impression on you, and in order to remain professional, they may not say if they need a break or have specific dietary requirements, which means that they cannot chow down on those roadside burgers! Refueling isn’t just about the food, but it’s about ensuring your employees feel rested enough to continue. It’s a long journey to get to the location, but then everyone has to be firing on all cylinders, whether it’s at a trade show or an important meeting with clients. This means that you’ve got to provide the foundation to ensure they are operating at their best.
Remember To Have Some Time To Yourself
It can feel like a pressure cooker. You’re all inclosed. If you can’t afford enough hotel rooms between all of you, you may find yourself sharing rooms. This means that you may not get proper time to yourself. Every employee needs time to themselves. Not just so they can recover, but so they can get in contact with their loved ones. In one respect, they are being professional for your benefit. They also need to let their hair down and have proper time for themselves. You need this as well. And it all depends on the type of business you run. If you run a more relaxed atmosphere, then you can all hang out and have a bit of fun. When it comes to these situations you never really know if your employees are doing everything they can to relax. It’s easy enough to tell them to relax, but perhaps they aren’t able to do so in your presence. There’s nothing you can do about this, so give them an opportunity to be by themselves.
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Make Sure You Keep It Professional And Fun
Probably the hardest the line to straddle. It’s a business trip, and you’re all away from home, which means that you could all benefit from letting your hair down. It’s a good opportunity to get away from the pressures of the business. At the same time getting to know your employees a little bit better. Be sure that you don’t take it too far. By letting your hair down, you could very well be sending the wrong signals to your employees, meaning that a swift drink after business hours could very well turn into a dozen! Keep it professional, keep it fun, but know where the balance lies. There is nothing wrong with having fun on a long business trip, especially as you’ll be able to get out of a stuffy office environment but you’ve got a job to do.
