Staying Organized on the Go
Travel Tips for your Next Business Trip
Hectic, hurried, scattered – you may find these words describe your latest business trip.
Between coordinating meetings, managing a tight schedule and keeping up with your luggage, business trips make organization seem like a distant dream.
New Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations about what you can bring on a flight make it even more difficult. For the busy traveler, four tips can help you organize your next business trip.
Plan ahead. Whether you are driving, flying or taking the train, planning ahead is the first step in having an organized trip. Look up details such as the address of your hotel or the number of a taxi service. Make an itinerary of your trip and stick to it. Be sure to include travel time, short breaks and any free time activities. If you are driving, print out a detailed map to carry with you. Put all your travel documents in one notebook or planner along with your itinerary and other details and keep this with you in your carry on.
Pack light. The bulkiest item you will usually have to pack on a business trip is your suit, so wear it on the plane. You can hang it up when you get to the hotel and iron it before your meeting. Pack several shirts and ties or accessories that can coordinate with the suit to save room in your luggage. Include interchangeable pieces that can be worn more that once on your trip and pack an extra shirt in your carry on, just in case the airline misplaces your checked luggage. Packing travel size toiletries will help you save room as well. Most hotels provide complimentary shampoos, conditioners and bars of soap, so you may not want to pack these items.
Know what’s where. New travel regulations are very strict on what can be packed in carry on bags. Almost all liquids or gels must be packed in checked bags. Keep all important business documents and your travel notebook with you on the plane. If you are taking one, have your laptop easily accessible for security checks. Keep your boarding pass and photo ID readily available while waiting to board. Try to pack any personal items you do not need during your flight in your checked luggage.
Mind your time. Nothing is worse than being late on a business trip. If you are driving, allow plenty of time for the unexpected wrong turn or flat tire. Make sure to arrive at the airport or station in plenty of time. According to the TSA, you should arrive at least two hours before your domestic flight’s departure time earlier for international flights.
Following these simple guidelines can help you stay organized and have a successful, stress-free business trip.
Differentiate your Workplace
Focusing on Customer Service
It’s a phrase we hear all too frequently, and you may have uttered it yourself at times. “Customer service is dead.” And in a day where speed, convenience and bottom-line pricing seem to be of highest priority, it seems all too true.
In this global marketplace, having great customer service is a true differentiating factor. Think about a time when you experienced great customer service. Maybe it was at the grocery store where someone bagged your groceries and carried them out to your car without asking. Or, it could been at a gas station that has attendants who wash your windows. Examples of great customer service are so rare, they are clearly memorable. That’s why capitalizing on customer service is a great way to grow your business and create loyal customers. It can even position you to charge a premium for your products and services.
So how can your organization have great customer service? The following tips can help you create memorable experiences for your customers.
Start on the inside. Great customer service begins within the organization. Experts agree that the way employees are treated by management and the way they treat one another plays a big role in the level of service your customers experience. Happy employees are more likely to have a positive, helpful attitude that will impress your customers.
Praise individual efforts. Customers interact with employees on an individual level. That’s why it’s important for you to emphasize and recognize great customer service on an individual level when you witness it.
Make it a must-have. While it’s important for you to recognize outstanding examples of customer service, make sure your workforce knows that you expect nothing less. Make it a part of job descriptions or your organization’s mission statement. Consistently communicate that customer service is key.
Build relationships. True success is built on relationships, whether personal or business. Within your organization, relationships are essential in creating a team that can deliver great customer service. Managers who build relationships with their employees ensure a productive, service-friendly workforce. Valuing relationships with your vendors and consultants will boost your business as well. Also, building relationships with customers or clients helps create life-long business opportunities.
Remember, your customers and your employees are your best advertisements. What they say about your organization can bring in more business than a great ad campaign. Emphasizing customer service within your organization will help make it an actuality. And providing superior service to each customer who walks in the door will establish your place as a preferred business in no time.
Monday Morning Leadership Tips
Tips for Hiring Right and Managing Time
Leading can be difficult for managers at any level, but having the wrong people on your team can make it even harder. David Cottrell, author of Monday Morning Leadership, offers tips for hiring tough to create a great team. He also discusses the importance of the mindset to “do less or work faster” as a way for mangers to cope with workload.
Hire tough.
Not just people, but the right, people are the most important asset to a company. And, the wrong people are its greatest liability. That’s why managers must take the time to invest in the hiring process. In the end, it will pay off for your whole team. These three simple tips can guide you through the interview process as you hire your next team member.
- Prepare in advance. The first step in a great interview is recognizing that you need to prepare. Create a list of initial and follow-up questions before you meet candidates. This will help you focus on analyzing the answers so you don’t waste your time thinking of the next question.
- Avoid being emotional. Many people are ovely emotional when they interview. Often, managers deal with feeling overwhelmed, rushed, frustrated, anxious or uncertain. Fight these feelings by talking about them. Try discussing hiring issues with an expert in your organization outside of your department. They can offer neutral input and help you make better decisions.
- Follow the three-by-three rule. This rule is simple: 1) For each opening, interview at least three qualified people. 2) Interview good candidates three times. 3) Include three people in evaluating the candidates. It takes time and planning to fulfill the three-by-three rule, but it will help you refine your candidate pool and hire right. Remember, if you don’t find a good candidate for the job in your initial search, fight the temptation to hire someone anyway. Do not lower your hiring standards, because it will hurt your team in the long run.
Do less or work faster.
The hiring process is not only tough, it’s time consuming. Time management is an issue not just when you are interviewing, but frequently throughout the work cycle. However, this problem is not always solved by working harder. Doing the wrong thing harder will not free up time. Instead, learn to manage your time by doing less work or doing things faster.
- Do less. This can be accomplished by identifying the type of things you do. Track your time for two weeks and then make two lists: main things and wrong things. Main things will align with your goals and priorities. Wrong things do not. Try eliminating as many items as possible from the wrong things list to open up time to spend on the right things list. It may surprise you which side of the list consumes most of your time. Many of us focus on tasks that are wrong things for various reasons, but even if they are done in a timely manner, they are still wasting time.
- Work faster. Identify how you do things. From the perspective of time management, you will do things one of two ways – the right way or the wrong way. If you did something that wasted time, it was done the wrong way. If you made good time management decisions and completed something quickly, you did it the right way. Try using time management tips to help you accomplish the items on your right things list the right way.
Employment Situation Summary
United States
Non-farm employment rose by 113,000 jobs in July, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.8%.
Major Industry Employment for July 2006
• Construction: + 6,000
• Manufacturing: - 15,000
• Retail Trade: No change
• Professional & Business Services: + 43,000
• Educational & Health Services: + 24,000
• Leisure & Hospitality: + 42,000
• Government: No change
Canada
Employment was unchanged in July, and the unemployment rose to 6.4%.
Major Industry Employment for July 2006
• Agriculture: - 1,000
• Construction: + 22,000
• Manufacturing: - 33,000
• Trade: - 2,000
• Transportation & Warehousing: - 17,000
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate & Leasing: - 14,000
• Business, Building & Support Services: + 10,000
• Educational Services: + 12,000
• Health Care & Social Assistance: - 3,000
• Information, Culture & Recreation: - 2,000
•
Accommodation
and Food Services: + 500
e-Xchange is a publication of Express Services, Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Copyright 2006.