Back To Business
Last Wednesday I embarked upon my first international business trip since getting back from NYC in January. The occasion was Geneva Watch Days a well organised, COVID-19 proof response to a year which had seen all other Swiss watch gatherings cancelled. They successfully created a low-density, multi-location format where meetings too place in large and airy rooms / terraces / balconies and where much of the spontaneous interaction took place on the sunlit streets of Geneva.
Here are my thoughts about business travel in the “Age of COVID-19”.
(1) Travel Has Never Been LESS Stressful - if you didn’t know before it’s clear now. The principal factor that makes travel stressful are your fellow travellers ! Aircraft are much fuller now but airports, transit systems, sidewalks are free from congestion. Less flights mean that invariably your aircraft pushes back early and lands long before its scheduled arrival time. Aircraft and trains have never been cleaner. Passengers are much more disciplined and organised. Everyone knows what to do and when to do it.
As recovery comes let’s hope we can avoid a return to congestion.
Your destination will also be quieter and, whilst that cannot go on for much longer for now there is an opportunity to enjoy parts of the world which are usually congested with tourists.
(2) Stop Obsessing About Masks - masks are probably here to stay. Stop obsessing about them. Instead take the time to find the mask that is most comfortable for you. Keep changing it and enjoy the freedom it is granting you. Combined with other factors we may well end up having less colds and flu this winter.
(3) Nothing Beats In-Person Interaction - on this trip I got to see one of my favourite clients who I’ve not seen since early March. It was a joy. We’ve had a relationship for 5 years and our virtual contact is strong and easy but nothing beats in-person interaction. It’s the little things and the spontaneity of conversation together with the shared experiences which trigger productive dialogue.
Without question this is one of the most detrimental aspects of COVID-19 which we need to work-around. Physical presence is important - that doesn’t mean sitting in an office 9-5 but it does mean creating safe and regular engagement opportunities.
(4) Serendipity Is Physical Not Digital
Whilst walking through Geneva on the way to lunch (another welcome upside) I heard my name being called. First name and then, because I wasn’t responding, surname. It was a former colleague who I had bizarrely last seen on the streets of Zurich. Anyway we caught up quickly and we’ve re-established proper contact.
On the flight home I bumped into another business contact I knew.
You don’t meet people by accident sitting at home.
(5) It’s A 3D World
You do need to touch (carefully), look and smell products. There is only so much you can gain from watching a video or studying a photograph no matter how well rendered. It’s one of the factors that means talk of the physical retail store dying are much exaggerated. On this occasion (high-end watches) gloves are usually worn so there was little difference just extra sanitizer before and after every meeting.
(6) Take A Moment To Enjoy The Change Of Scene
Habitual business travel often results in us seeing the airport, the hotel, the meeting venue and a restaurant or two. We miss out on some much. With no hotel room service and an end to the tempting breakfast buffet there is incentive to head out for breakfast and an opportunity to sit on the pavement, watch the world go by and observe.
In fact with one exception every meal we had during our business trip was outdoors.
(7) Hotel Environmentalism, Finally
I’ll admit I’ve never once ‘saved the environment’ by reusing my towels in a hotel. Okay maybe the hand-towel but bath-towels are meant to be single-use, right ? Well a 2 night stay with 2 bath-towels and 4 showers resulted in me carefully hanging the towel up and reusing it (like at home) and guess what - it worked. Why have I not been doing this ?
There is also something satisfying about making your own bed and leaving your room tidy before you leave for the day.
A few more stays and this could become habit forming.
(8) New Relationships Are Best Begun In Person
Points (3) and (4) figure highly here. It’s much more likely you’ll make a new relationship in person and, where the meeting is pre-arranged, unlike a virtual call, you can rely on a host of characteristics beyond what is said to build up rapport. It’s also an important reminder that the more established you are in your career and network the more you should look out for those just starting on their journey - less physical interactions mean it is much harder for them.
(9) Be Travel Aware
Having a passport brings with it some responsibilities and at the moment that means keeping a very close watch on the COVID-19 case numbers at home and your destination along with the ever-changing regulations.
On this trip I had intended to stay longer but a week out I came to the conclusion that Switzerland would be added to the UK “quarantine on arrival” list. And so it was.
Paul Charles issues a coherent and comprehensive summary every day around lunchtime. It helped me make the right decision and avoid both expensive last minute airfares or 14 days of quarantine.
(10) You Appreciate Home All The More - one of the best things about travelling is returning home. After months of being ‘confined to quarters’ you appreciate it all the more after a short absence even if you are thinking about where you can head next.
Travel restrictions notwithstanding - get out there, there is business to be made !
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Izatt is a brand consultant living in London and founder of Mission Critical, a highly focused and curated weekly briefing for time poor and information hungry decision makers and THE FIRST, a monthly briefing containing 31 inspirational insights. Mission Critical is a digital product delivered via his Estonian Consultancy business.
You can email Mark here and read about his recently published book ‘Mission Critical - 101 tips to survive and thrive at work in the office, on the move and at home’.
