Maintaining Productivity on the Road

Posted by: Neil Callanan

By the end of March, I'll have been on the road more than I've been at my home office. While maintaining productivity while on the road is always challenging, it is becoming easier and easier work from wherever, whenever. Every road warrior has his or her own tips, but a few specifics allow me to get as much (if not more) work done while I'm traveling.

• Maintain Your Routine - As schedules allow, I keep my travel routine as close to my normal routine as possible. For me this means keeping my sleep schedule consistent, getting the the gym daily, and keeping my diet (and alcohol intake) as close my usual as my stay allows. 
• Address Technology Barriers Proactively - A bit of homework prior to your trip can help to avoid downtime on the road. Do the airports you'll be visiting offer free WiFi? How about your hotel? By knowing the answers up front, you'll avoid spending 30 minutes looking for a free signal and can make an active choice as to whether to purchase service. What cell coverage, do you have a backup plan for making and receiving calls if you've got no coverage. 
• Manage Expectations - With both coworkers and clients, it is critical everyone is informed about any disruptions in your usual response time. However, its not always necessary to set an out-of-office or change your voicemail, and in some cases it can appear much seamless if you mention to others that it make take a bit longer to get a response in a more casual format. This can avoid making others feel hesitant about sending you emails or calling as an out-of-office reply often does.