Businesses large and small alike frequently send their employees around the country – or even around the world – without giving much thought into what they’re doing during their travel-time. More often than not, employers and employees often shrug their shoulders, claiming it’s simply too hard or too inconvenient to stay busy during travel periods.
The reality, however, is that smart managers and company owners have long since realized that keeping your employees busy during travel not only keeps them motivated to achieve their goals, but provides a boon to your business. Keeping your employees busy as they get from point A to point B isn’t easy, but can’t be forgotten if you hope to rise in the ranks of the marketplace. So how should you go about motivating your employees to work while they’re on the move?
Keep organized and connected
The first step towards ensuring your employees are productive even when travelling is to ensure everything is organized and that plans are properly communicated between managers and workers. Your employees may justifiably feel they have the day off if they’re not in constant contact with their bosses, and especially won’t feel compelled to do work if they’re not explicitly given instructions beforehand to do so. The key, then, is to plan ahead of time and stay connected once travel begins.
It’s no secret that employees often appear to be working hard just to look busy around the office. When they’re on the road travelling, the opposite is often true; there’s no one around to keep them in check, so why should they bother working? Realizing this, then, the importance of having your employees check in with their managers and bosses while on the go cannot be understated.
Well-organized systems and efficient chains of communication should be established before business trips are embarked upon, and clear goals set about what you intend to achieve while on the move. This will help keep your employees motivated and ensure that those slacking in the field won’t get off scot-free if they shirk their duties.
You can’t expect your employees to work in the office if they don’t have the right tools or atmosphere for the job. Similarly, you shouldn’t expect them to get things done on the road if they’re unaware how to stay happy and healthy while on the move. Travel is virtually always stressful, and often brings with it unexpected delays or dilemmas. Make sure your employees are prepared before they hit the road, then, and briefed on how to stay cool in the event of a layover, if you hope for them to get anything done.
Make it as easy as possible
When it comes to motivating people to work during stressful periods of travel, particularly when they might be tired or have their personal resources stretched thin, your company should ensure it’s making it as easy as possible for your employees to get their work done. Taking care of their transit concerns ahead of time, for instance, is a great way to alleviate a common travel burden for your workers, meaning they’ll have more time to focus on the task at hand and getting the job done while moving.
Your employees should be properly briefed to always be on the lookout for opportunities to take a breather and get some work done while on the move, too. Unexpected flight delays or heavy traffic are often frustrating, but also provide ample time to break out a laptop or smartphone and help clear their inboxes of pending request. It won’t hurt to remind your workers that maximizing productivity while on the move is a great way to pass the time during lengthy trips that might otherwise go on for seemingly forever, either.
It can be hard to motivate your employees to stay working while on the move, but the reality is that the alternative is a serious loss of valuable time and efforts for your company. It’s not impossible to work while traveling; indeed, your employees may be surprised at the amount of work they can get done while passing the time as they wait for their transit to arrive. By merely pointing your employees in the right direction and giving them the tools they need, you’ll have them working on the fly in no time.