I just spent a week in Vegas on business, and anyone who has to travel, especially to a big city, knows that it can really cut into your work time.  Here are some travel tips to help you when you are on the road.

  • Research your Hotel – Find out which hotels offer free wifi in the room, or have wifi in restaurants and coffee shops.  The last thing you want is to be stuck with a $25 per night wifi charge, or pay 15 bucks for 15 minutes at a kiosk to check your email.  Alternatively, if you have a 4G device, check for which hotel gets the best signal strength.
  • Plan Your Projects – Don’t expect to do everything you normally do when in the office while traveling.  Picking a few things to work on, and deciding on which can wait till you get back will save you some serious headaches.
  • Determine your Delegates – Some work will have to be delegated when you are traveling.  In my experience as an IT professional, sometimes you just have to physically be there for things.  Instead of panicking when something goes wrong thousands of miles away, have a process already in place for who will take care of things back at the office.
  • Communicate your Absence – Let your coworkers and clients know of your absence before and during using email away messages and voicemail recordings.  Most people will be professional enough to wait for your return to request your assistance in things.  If you don’t set an away message, don’t be surprised if you get swamped by angry emails.
  • Talk to your Tech – Most of us are already set up and comfortable working from home or remotely.  However if you are doing it for the first time, or have questions, make sure you talk to your site technician.  You should do this before you leave for your conference or what have you.  It is much easier to explain and troubleshoot issues in person than over the phone.
  • Charge your Devices – Charge your tablet, laptop, phone, and every other device like you have never have before.  Consider only using one at a time, to extend your uptime if you will have long periods without a chance to charge your devices.
  • Carry Extra Batteries – I found this to be a necessity for my wireless mouse, presenter, and other devices.  You will also be a lifesaver for other presenters and people in meetings who need them, which is always a good move.
  • Don’t Overburden Yourself – Most times when we go to a conference or training we worry so much about what is going on back at the office that we don’t even benefit from the event.  Don’t focus so much on the office that the event becomes pointless.
  • Sleep – It is easy to get out of your sleeping schedule, especially with jet lag, or staying in a place like Las Vegas, but sleep is a necessity.  Without it we lose concentration, reduce our information intake, and overall become less productive.  Sleep is extremely important, especially when traveling.
  • Friends and Family – Stay in contact with loved ones when you travel.  Although sometimes a short break sounds nice, making a phone call to the wife or a video chat with the kids is refreshing, and will remind you why you work so hard every day.  It is great for your emotional health and will keep you on your game.