Bridge the gap while travelling
It’s been almost three months, Arjun hasn’t spoken with his wife at length, hasn’t gone out for a movie or dinner together.
By Shreya Biswas, TNN |
It’s been almost three months, Arjun hasn’t spoken with his wife at length, hasn’t gone out for a movie or dinner together. Not that this newly-married executive has spotted anything out-of-the-regular in his wife, neither has she.
The problem lies elsewhere. Being in a highly travel-oriented job, his work schedule keeps him away from home for days together. On an average, he travels 5-6 days a week meeting clients across the country. Weekends (read Sundays) is the only time when he’s at home, but by then, he’s too tired to venture out with family. All that’s taking a toll on his family life. For the last few days he’s actually been contemplating a job switch.
Hectic and long travelling on work may not just result in messed up personal lives, but could also lead to the loss of talent for when the executive would look for a change. It’s essential for an organisation to give such executives support in terms of frequent leaves, medical-check ups, bringing in technology to reduce his travelling while helping with a better better time management modules to allow him the much-required personal space.
Technology Counts
Use all means of technology and structure your schedule around that. Videoconferencing, synchronised conference calls and e-mails can help you drastically cut down on travel. Companies too save cost. For instance, a synchronised training programme could allow trainers to conduct training sessions without travelling to each of the venues.
Even for hiring, telephonic interviews can help. “Technology can be useful, but you have to be careful in your judgement and not use it in situations where physical presence could be more effective,” says NIIT Technologies EVP-HR Rosita Rabindra.
Prioritise, See a broader picture
You would do well to prioritise your travel destinations and work. Plan your travel destinations depending on their proximity to each other. Work on your mindset. In most cases, it’s a temporary phase when individuals have to travel extensively.
It could be for a particular project or launch period for a product. You may get your normal life back after that. Keep yourself motivated in the interim. Concentrate on the results it may yield rather than brooding over discomfort it is causing and you will remain motivated.
Identify sincere helping hands
Spot sincere colleagues in your team and build a rapport with them. This will help manage your time well and reduce burden. “A good time and people management will help you depute people who can carry your task and take away from you the burden of frequent travel,” says FMS professor Sunita Sengupta. Don’t take your work as a burden and it won’t result in productivity and enthusiasm loss.
Support system, quality time helps
Family can help in restoring confidence, trying to understand the problems an employee goes through, some of the family members can, at times, try and be with the individual to perk him up. The company also needs to implement the policies we so often hear about.
Look for quality time with family than yearning for quantity. “It’s better for one to travel 20 days a month and spends 10 quality days with family than not travelling at all and still finding it difficult to manage enough time to just be with the family,” says NTPC executive director G K Agarwal.
The problem lies elsewhere. Being in a highly travel-oriented job, his work schedule keeps him away from home for days together. On an average, he travels 5-6 days a week meeting clients across the country. Weekends (read Sundays) is the only time when he’s at home, but by then, he’s too tired to venture out with family. All that’s taking a toll on his family life. For the last few days he’s actually been contemplating a job switch.
Hectic and long travelling on work may not just result in messed up personal lives, but could also lead to the loss of talent for when the executive would look for a change. It’s essential for an organisation to give such executives support in terms of frequent leaves, medical-check ups, bringing in technology to reduce his travelling while helping with a better better time management modules to allow him the much-required personal space.
Technology Counts
Use all means of technology and structure your schedule around that. Videoconferencing, synchronised conference calls and e-mails can help you drastically cut down on travel. Companies too save cost. For instance, a synchronised training programme could allow trainers to conduct training sessions without travelling to each of the venues.
Even for hiring, telephonic interviews can help. “Technology can be useful, but you have to be careful in your judgement and not use it in situations where physical presence could be more effective,” says NIIT Technologies EVP-HR Rosita Rabindra.
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Prioritise, See a broader picture
You would do well to prioritise your travel destinations and work. Plan your travel destinations depending on their proximity to each other. Work on your mindset. In most cases, it’s a temporary phase when individuals have to travel extensively.
It could be for a particular project or launch period for a product. You may get your normal life back after that. Keep yourself motivated in the interim. Concentrate on the results it may yield rather than brooding over discomfort it is causing and you will remain motivated.
Identify sincere helping hands
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Spot sincere colleagues in your team and build a rapport with them. This will help manage your time well and reduce burden. “A good time and people management will help you depute people who can carry your task and take away from you the burden of frequent travel,” says FMS professor Sunita Sengupta. Don’t take your work as a burden and it won’t result in productivity and enthusiasm loss.
Support system, quality time helps
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Family can help in restoring confidence, trying to understand the problems an employee goes through, some of the family members can, at times, try and be with the individual to perk him up. The company also needs to implement the policies we so often hear about.
Look for quality time with family than yearning for quantity. “It’s better for one to travel 20 days a month and spends 10 quality days with family than not travelling at all and still finding it difficult to manage enough time to just be with the family,” says NTPC executive director G K Agarwal.
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