By: Jaclyn Acree
The traveling Olives are at it again! In April, I had the opportunity to jet set across the country to the Big Apple for Artexpo New York, the annual juried contemporary art show that was celebrating their 38th year. As part of Redwood Media Group, Artexpo New York is the world’s largest fine art trade show, showcasing more than 400 exhibitors from over 40 countries.
The last time I was in New York I was 12 on a family trip, so this time was totally different. I went a couple of days before the art show began so I had some time to prep for the show and explore. We (I brought my fiancé along) checked out Times Square, Central Park, Radio City Music Hall and went to a Yankees game.
The show and overall trip was a success (although my feet are still recovering) but as I begin to travel more for work, I am learning some valuable lessons on how to manage working remotely.
Here are some tips that have helped me stay on track and make sure all of my clients still feel the love while I am away.
- Communicate with your team. While our jobs already rely heavily on communication, it is especially essential to communicate with your team before you leave. Whoever will be covering for you, make sure they know and understand the current status of everything you are working on and what needs to be taken care of in your absence. Of course, this is a little different compared to when you leave for vacation because you will still be able to work but your hours and access to Internet may be different and/or limited. If you are organized, this should be a piece of cake. It may be beneficial to have a team meeting when discussing all of this.
- Manage expectations. I personally think that everything we do in life should be all about managing expectations but this is essentially important when you are traveling for work. Since you are still working you just have to be clear about what you think you will actually be able to get done; make sure that your other tasks are covered by the rest of your team. In PR, we work with multiple clients, so making sure they know I won’t be as accessible as I normally am will help manage their expectations of me. As long as you leave a contact person from your team in case of emergencies, all is fine!
- Have fun! Yes, you may be traveling for work but you are still traveling. Maybe it’s to a place you have already been before but maybe it’s not. Make sure to take some time for yourself and explore. Take advantage of being in a different city and have some fun.
What’s your best travel tip for working remotely?