QUESTION | How do I make sure employees maintain a good work-life balance when their jobs involve extensive travel?
DOUG TURNER | Business coach, True Balance Coaching
A common complaint I hear from clients is that they feel like they have to be accessible by everybody, all the time. Work and home are blended such that people don’t feel like they are fully present in either place. This blending is what contributes most to the “unbalanced” feeling that is usually expressed in terms of work being too demanding. What can you do?
1. Always be clear whether you are “at work” or “not at work.” Each of these terms includes both mental state and physical location, and they are often not consistent, as we well know.
2. When not at work, make sure you are really present with your family, friends or yourself by doing special activities that you enjoy.
3. Schedule definite times when you are not available electronically (see No. 2).
4. Make appropriate and reliable arrangements for the care of your children, or other dependents, while you are at work.
5. When travelling, take advantage of 'downtime' (evenings, etc.) to refuel so when you return home to your family you can be completely present.
6. Use technology judiciously. A Skype video call can be a great treat, but don’t go overboard, such that the blending problem gets worse.
7. When possible, take your family with you on a business trip. Be brave. It may seem at first to be unworkable, but the payoff is substantial in terms of family cohesion etc.
People may think, “my boss is too demanding to allow time for any of that”. Remember your boss may be feeling many of the things you are. Have regular conversations about how things are going and the things that are important to you. Be respectful of the demands that are placed upon your supervisor, and express your view that you will be even more likely to meet the expectations placed upon you if you are given some flexibility to manage your life as a whole.
BEN WEST | Co-founder, Eventbase Technology
Nothing throws your work-life balance into disarray like frequent travel. I’m the co-founder of Eventbase, which builds apps for events around the world, so I spend a lot of time on the road. I know first-hand the challenges business travel presents, and I have a few tips.
•Prep. Use time at the airport and in-flight to catch up on work so you have downtime when you land.
•Experience. Upon arrival, do at least one touristy thing in the city you’re visiting. You’ll feel that you’ve actually been somewhere instead of only having seen the walls of your hotel and conference rooms. You’ll also look like a rock star later in the day when you can nonchalantly recommend a great place for a dinner.
•Locale. If attending a conference, stay at the conference hotel. If staying longer, consider using Airbnb to save money and get a greater connection to the city.
•Health. Take care of yourself by eating healthy food and working out. Apps like Zomato, ChefsFeed and Yelp will give you tips on the best local restaurants. Travel equals too much sitting, so hit the gym every day.
•Family. Use tech to stay connected. Kids love texting with mom and dad, and while a video chat can be a gong show with small kids, it’s a great way to put in quality face time. Take photos for the kids and share them when you get home. Avoid gifts if you are a frequent traveller – you want your kids to learn about your travels and look forward to you, not a pile of knick-knacks. Travel is hard on both you and your partner, so set a date night to reconnect with your partner when you come home.
BRENT SMITHURST | Vice-president of product management and marketing, ActiveState
With frequent business trips comes education through wider community engagement, new experiences and personal career development. Post-travel debriefs should be in place. Yet can they really gauge how employees are doing? Positive experiences can be nullified when the frequency of travel gets in the way of an employee taking on planned home projects, quality family time, or anything they’re passionate about. Each employee’s standpoint and commitments are different. That needs to be factored in.
· Supportive and connected team: Take the onus off employees to navigate the travel landscape alone. The supporting team must be ready to provide assistance in the event of travel mishaps or emergencies. They can be a resource keeping the travelling employee posted on in-office developments and can help reduce stress that frequent travellers could otherwise take home on their return.
· Clear travel policy: Make sure travel policies are well laid out and accessible from anywhere. When there is a policy area brought up for discussion, talk about it with employees. With room for discussion around policies, employees may feel more comfortable asking for things that help them meet a work-life balance. Policies need to be clear and fair, but leave room for flexibility. Transparency with some policy leeway helps establish understanding and expectations around obligations that go both ways.
· Make personal time and reinforce it: Set up special time for personal commitments and interests. This could be in the form of paid time off such as volunteer days that can be spent with family, friends or in the community to participate in or support an activity or event. Whenever possible, we also try not to have the same person travel too many times in a row. Having a strong team who can substitute in when needed helps a lot.
Next week’s question: How do I go about conserving water at my business while water restrictions are in place?
What questions would you like answered? Contact reporter Tyler Orton at [email protected] if you have a question or would like to contribute your own expertise.
