“Travel can help you become more flexible, open to new ideas, and capable of bringing innovations back home,” says Michael Schlesinger, project manager at Booking.com, the world’s largest travel e-commerce company. We asked Schlesinger to explain how his frequent travel—he visited more than 40 offices around the world in three years to establish new Booking.com teams—honed talents that can’t be refined by a career seminar.
1. You begin networking.
If there is one thing we do unintentionally while travelling, it is network. Being in a new place necessitates interaction with residents and other travellers. Even if you’re touring a rainforest, making friends with the locals or forest officials is essential. Whether it’s asking for directions or actively learning about a new culture, networking is a skill that comes naturally to travellers. Only when we focus on a networking event do we actively endeavour to perfect this talent. However, if you travel frequently, the informal setting it provides is ideal for picking up this ability without even recognising it – and because it has come so effortlessly, Networking at a business gathering will require little thought. You’ll find yourself starting conversations and being nicer. Preparing for a networking event couldn’t be simpler – or more enjoyable.
2. You’ll be able to talk your way out of sticky situations.
The subtlety required to accomplish this is overlooked beneath the broader canopy of communication abilities. Travelling, as previously stated, unwittingly improves your communication abilities, but it also teaches you how to deal with unpleasant situations on a more subtle level. Setting foot in a foreign country means becoming unfamiliar with its culture and customs. You may accidentally insult a local, trust someone you should not, or be somewhere you should not be. Being in such circumstances and figuring out how to get out of them increases your problem-solving skills, which you may use at work. There is always a difficult coworker, an unpleasant boss, or a difficult team to deal with. After surviving somewhat more dangerous scenarios while travelling,
3. You’ll be receptive to new ideas.
Travelling allows us to perceive the world in fresh ways. We meet new individuals and learn about other cultures as well as their opinions on ours. We are more willing to accept changes since we go on our own volition. This is why it is simpler to be open to diverse viewpoints while travelling than it is at work. We are more willing because the environment is less scary. The more you travel, the more this comes naturally. You’ll be a better team member if you’re open to fresh ideas. You will be able to deal with criticism more positively, which is critical for your advancement in the organisation. Looking at the big picture of your profession will get easier as you progress.
4. You’ll become an expert at planning and adjusting.
Travelling, without a doubt, necessitates constant planning, especially if it is unplanned. The most crucial lesson that travel teaches you is that plans do not always work. You learn to think on your feet, to improvise, and to adjust your ideas as needed. This ability to improvise is incredibly important in the workplace. Workloads are constantly increasing and changing. The only thing that determines whether or not you survive your profession is your ability to adapt to it. Travelling not only improves your decision-making abilities, but it also teaches you how to make them creatively.
5. You will gain humility.
Yes, this is a crucial “skill.” Whatever rung of the ladder you are on, if you are not humble, your career will eventually fall apart. When you travel, you will encounter people who know more than you and have accomplished more than you. There’s nothing more humbling than realising you’re not the best. In your profession, humility allows you to continue learning, which only benefits your career trajectory. It also improves your professional interactions with your coworkers. According to Entrepreneur, humility produces stronger leaders, and modest people tend to be great performers. If you’re a workaholic who is constantly striving to improve your job, you now have a reason to celebrate.
