How To Keep The Show Going In Your Team While Traveling For Business?

The digital landscape has successfully bridged the gap between people separated by geographical distance and location.

Now, you cannot cook up lame excuses like ‘I am traveling’ or ‘I am not in office presently.’

If there’s an urgency for getting things done on time, you can get them done on time even though you are traveling.

You can be the most reliable team member or employee of the company. That’s because smartphone technology and excellent internet connectivity enable people to work on the go.

And that’s the beauty of modern technology today.

Specific jobs require their employees to travel frequently within the same country or beyond international borders. But, traveling doesn’t mean work will stop for others.

No, your team should not be left handicapped simply because you have to travel for a business meeting.

Either you bestow your responsibility on someone else and give access to all necessary documents and files. Or, you can answer their queries and attend meetings while traveling.

After all, the show must always go on!

So, here is a list of tips and tricks to help you deliver your roles while traveling for business.

#Tip 1: Keep Your Battery Charged

You never know when accidents happen, right?

Don’t get concerned – we are not talking about accidents like a car crash or building collapse.

We are stating that urgency can arise at your work at any time. Your team might face unprecedented challenges in getting things done in your absence.

Clients can make unwarranted assumptions and sudden demands.

Your decisions might not fetch the desired results at the right time. And so on…

So many things can fall apart during your physical absence from work. But, you cannot excuse yourself by stating, ‘Hey! Please don’t blame me. I was traveling for a business meeting.’

That’s just a way of shaking away responsibility and accountability from your shoulders. You need to stay connected with your team while traveling too!

Companies expect such dedication and accountability from their employees. It is understood that you are traveling. You might be unable to work all the time because of poor Internet connectivity. But, you can still ensure that work doesn’t get hampered.

So, keep your phone charged and stay connected with your team on the go. It is that simple!

And, no more excuses, please!

#Tip 2: Delegate Your Role Instead

If you are the team lead or the manager, you have many tasks to cater to and a huge responsibility to deliver. In addition, you are accountable for the entire team’s overall success.

That is one role you cannot take lightly.

But what happens when you have to take a short business trip? What if you have to stay away for a couple of days?

Will your team enjoy two days of unofficial holidays? Because their boss is not around to tell them what to do. Do you think your clients will understand?

“Hey! The boss is traveling, so the team is holidaying.”

No, companies don’t or cannot work like that.

Even though you are not physically available or a call away, you will be held responsible for your team’s underperformance during your absence. In addition, clients or the management will not buy your excuses even though those excuses are authentic.

So, you should explain how your team should work during your absence. And, it’s best if you could delegate your roles to someone else you trust in the group. Train them beforehand and share all necessary information so that work doesn’t get hindered during your absence.

And, make sure you are one call/text away from your team.

When flying, ensure you respond to any query as soon as your flight touches the ground.

#Tip 3: Be Reliable

It would help if you were someone the company could trust and rely on with the timely delivery of jobs to perfection.

Companies usually prefer employees they can trust, depend on, and rely upon at any given point. That’s one of the best qualifications employees should develop over the years.

And, that quality should persist even when you are not physically available to address your company’s requirements. This is because those are when your reliability and persistence are tested.

You cannot escape your responsibility by saying, ‘hey, I am sorry, but I am traveling now. I will not be available for a couple of days. I will connect you after I return.”

You cannot give your boss such a statement and not your clients. Such an irresponsible attitude can cost your position.

You are not traveling for leisure when you are on your business trip. You are traveling to help your company gain business. So, how can you not be responsible for your roles? How can you make excuses and escape having to answer clients or your boss?

You have to be responsible for your role and address emergencies while being accountable for what you deliver. It would be best if you were someone anyone could trust and turn to during such emergencies.

So, always stay in touch with your team.

Even though you have delegated your roles to someone else on the team, you should keep track of how things are going. You need to continuously communicate with the team to ensure the deadlines are met and that your physical absence does not impact business.

#Tip 4: Prepare Your Team Too!

As we mentioned earlier, you should not only delegate your roles to someone else for a while but also prepare the rest of the team!

There should not be a one-person show. That’s the wrong culture to practice. Instead, there should be enough transparency in the team. So, each one can be the backup for the other.

No! We are not asking you to train your copywriters to design an ad copy or code.

We suggest that both your copywriters, designers, and developers should know who your clients are and what their products are. In addition, they should have clear information regarding the deadlines of each deliverance.

Further, they should know what the client’s expectations are. And where to turn to in case an emergency arises. Finally, they should be competent enough to handle a client’s call and address their query without texting you for a reply.

The flow of communication in your team should be seamless.

Ensure each member knows every detail about the clients they are working with (obviously information that concerns them only).

In short, your team can work seamlessly without your interference. Moreover, your team can deliver results as expected from them without your intervention.

So, even if you are unavailable for a couple of hours, your deliverances should not get delayed or work hampered. Your team should not be clueless about what’s happening in the group. Each one should be competent enough to cater to their roles without your guidance.

The show must always go on!

Even though you travel for days every month, your absence should never bother your team or hinder their performance.

That’s how you build a team and help them stand on their own feet without your guidance.

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