{"id":3884,"date":"2017-10-04T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-10-03T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/?p=3884"},"modified":"2020-04-02T05:34:18","modified_gmt":"2020-04-01T19:34:18","slug":"surviving-work-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/business\/tips\/surviving-work-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"How to survive a work trip with your colleagues"},"content":{"rendered":"

If Hell is other people, then travelling with colleagues can turn into one of Dante\u2019s lesser known Circles (the 10th<\/sup> one, with the weak wall-mounted hairdryer and disappointing minibar. It\u2019s too upsetting for most translations of Inferno<\/em>). But it doesn\u2019t have to! Some of the Wotif team recently spent three days together in <\/a>, and we\u2019re still friends (well, most of us). Here\u2019s how we made it work.<\/p>\n

1. Make a flight (seating) plan<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Depending on your destination, your work trip may well begin and end with a flight. If you\u2019re sitting next to a colleague, that\u2019s where you\u2019ll make your first AND your last impression. And if it\u2019s a long-haul flight, or just at a time when you\u2019re likely to fall asleep, that impression could be \u201cPerson whose snores sound like a freight train and drools all over my shoulder\u201d. Yikes! My tip: Check in online and pick your seat strategically. If your co-workers go for window seats, bag one for yourself too. Can\u2019t get stuck next to each other then! Or if they like to sit up the front, make sure you go for a row in the back.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, you could just ask where they\u2019re sitting and be upfront about the reason why. They\u2019re probably not looking forward to your dribble fest either.<\/p>\n

2. Adjoining rooms<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Personal space. It\u2019s a thing. An important thing<\/strong>. If your travel budget won\u2019t stretch to individual rooms, look for a hotel with adjoining or dual-key rooms. They count as a two-bedroom unit, making them cheaper than two separate hotel rooms, but usually have one en suite bathroom per bedroom and a locking door to separate the two living spaces. We stay in two-bedroom dual-key apartments at Mantra PortSea<\/a> and it\u2019s basically like having our own rooms.<\/p>\n

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3. Get up early<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Okay, hear me out. I\u2019m no morning person, but getting up early gives you time to yourself and a chance to make the most of your hotel and destination. Road test the local coffee spots, do some laps in the hotel pool, or go exploring with your camera and\/or selfie stick. The time is yours!
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4. Don\u2019t be last on the bus<\/strong><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re travelling to another site for the day, here\u2019s a second perk to getting up early – you won\u2019t be the last person on the shuttle bus. And there are two big reasons you want to avoid that. No.1 \u2013 one person running late holds everyone up (including your boss, who probably won\u2019t be impressed). Don\u2019t be that guy. We hate that guy. No.2 \u2013 getting on last means getting stuck with whatever seat is left (which may well be next to that now peeved-off boss). Awkward!<\/p>\n

Same rules apply after your flight. Don\u2019t waste time in the airport \u2013 grab your bag (or save even more time with carry-on only) and make a beeline for your transport. Your reward may well be a sweet, sweet window seat.<\/p>\n

5. Keep up your regular routine<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s easy to fall into bad habits while travelling, especially if you\u2019re flat-out shifting paradigms and blue-sky thinking. But it\u2019s your good habits that keep you happy, healthy, and feeling like yourself. So go for your morning run, do your 6am meditation, or add some extra vegies to your dinner. You\u2019ll feel better for it \u2013 I promise.<\/p>\n

6. Drink (in moderation)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Work trips are a great opportunity to relax with your colleagues, catch up on workplace goss, and ask the important questions, like who keeps stealing Ash\u2019s lunch (we see you there, Wotif Carrot Thief!). But keep it in moderation, at least for the first night. You do still have *some* work to do.<\/p>\n

7. \u201cCheck\u201d your emails<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Team bonding nights are great, but when one night out turns into two, three, or more in a row, you might find yourself needing a quiet night in (especially if you\u2019re also doing long days of meetings and group sessions). How do you pike out without looking like a jerk? Simple \u2013 just say you need to catch up on some emails. It\u2019s a vague but valid excuse that\u2019ll buy you some quality chill time \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n

8. Keep your phone charged<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Come happy hour, you\u2019ll need it for blackmail photos.<\/p>\n

OK, fine. You shouldn\u2019t blackmail your coworkers. But as basic as it sounds, making sure everyone has a charged phone with everyone else\u2019s number saved in it makes group travel A LOT<\/strong> easier. If you forget your charger, ask reception if they have a spare or check the TV in your room. Most of them have USB connections, so if you\u2019re just missing the power point attachment, you can charge your phone through the telly. Your laptop is another good back-up.<\/p>\n

9. Call home<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Since your phone is charged, you may as well, hey? It\u2019s not like you miss them or anything. As if you\u2019d want to swap knock-knock jokes with your kid (theirs are lame. Yours are great) or say \u201cI love you\u201d to your partner. You\u2019re not homesick at all\u2026<\/p>\n

Seriously, give them a call. A quick chat will reassure you that everyone\u2019s okay and take some of the stress out of your trip. Team drinks can wait.<\/p>\n

10. Remember your colleagues\u2019 kids\u2019 names (or fake it)<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Speaking of families, your teammates have them too. Shocking, I know \u2013 Chad from accounts is actually a fully fledged person, with a life outside your expense reports. But if you\u2019re as useless with names as I am, you\u2019ve got no idea what anyone\u2019s kids, partners, or pets are called, even if you\u2019ve met them dozens of times. My tip: Write the important ones (like those related to your boss or best work buddy) down and come up with a series of affectionate nicknames for the rest. \u201cHey\u2026 uh, you. How are you\u2026 mate? How\u2019s the, uh\u2026 kiddo?\u201d<\/p>\n

See? Flawless.<\/p>\n

11. Treat yo\u2019self<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Work trips are \u2013 surprise \u2013 work! And the long days that come with early flights and networking dinners can be extra exhausting. So make time for a little pampering. We go all-out with spa treatments at Peppers Beach Club<\/a> (highly recommended), but even a bubble bath and room service (with dessert, of course) can do wonders. Or hit the local shopping strip for some retail therapy. Go on \u2013 you\u2019ve earned it.<\/p>\n

Colleagues that spa together stay together.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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12. Stay an extra day<\/strong><\/h3>\n

You\u2019ve already endured the less-fun parts of travelling (the packing, the morning airport rush, the depressing mid-flight snacks). And you\u2019ve probably worked your butt off to make up for the time out of the office. So why not make the most of your trip by staying for the weekend? Move to a different (read: fancier) hotel if you think some of your teammates have the same idea. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, especially when you\u2019ve been stuck together for days.<\/p>\n

13. Have fun!<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Attention managers and team leaders\u2013read this.<\/strong> Yes, there\u2019s work to do, but some shared fun time goes a long way in recharging employee batteries and building team camaraderie, which makes for a more engaged, supportive, and hardworking team. Set aside half a day for a local activity<\/a> or a general crowd-pleaser like bowling or mini golf (or if you work at Wotif, karaoke. We\u2019re demons with mics). You know your people deserve it.<\/p>\n

Real photo of us having real fun! (and happy birthday Darren \u2013 front and centre)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/div>\n Book your next work trip <\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If Hell is other people, then travelling with colleagues can turn into one of Dante\u2019s lesser known Circles (the 10th one, with the weak wall-mounted hairdryer and disappointing minibar. It\u2019s too upsetting for most translations of Inferno). But it doesn\u2019t have to! Some of the Wotif team recently spent three days together in , and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3887,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,80],"tags":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3884"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3884"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4563,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3884\/revisions\/4563"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3887"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}