Wyndham Wisdom

My Personal Assistant

Quick Links: Staying Organized | Managing the Workload | Simplify | Networking Tips

Staying Organized

• Be prepared before arriving by printing maps to your hotel, meetings, and places of interest. Then, put them in the order you'll need them and keep them handy for use.
• Balance a demanding travel schedule by creating a 31-day tickler file for bills, greeting cards, dry cleaning receipts and other to-do items. Cards and bills are filed one week prior to the special occasion or payment date. Before leaving town, take care of everything due before your return.
• Keep a centralized calendar in the same book with a personal organizer for business. Scheduling family or business activities is easy since all your engagements can be found in one location.
• Develop a general "to-do" list as well as a specialized list that would apply to specific trips. Then, check off each item to ensure that it is completed prior to your trip. And for those tasks that someone else will do in your absence, give the person a copy of your "to-do" list.
• Prioritize and set long-term and short-term goals each year with an organizer. It balances workplace goals, family, health, physical, mental, spiritual, social, financial and education.
• Key the toll-free phone numbers for the airlines that you use into your cell phone. If you are lost in the airport, or need quick information, you do not have to look up the numbers.
• When you get your itinerary from the airline or your travel department at work, have them e-mail it to you and edit it to include your personal information for your husband, children and anyone else who needs your information.

Managing the Workload

• Travel with a laptop computer. You can make instant travel plans by accessing airline and train schedules, as well as make plans for the weekend by accessing information on upcoming social events. Many hotels now offer high-speed Internet access, so getting work done while you're on the road is easier than ever.
• Use airline time to catch up on bill paying, correspondence and taking notes on businesses that interest you. Send instructions home for things that need to be done from the hotel fax.
• It's very important to keep in constant communication by telephone, fax and computer with the office and with home. And when things go wrong, keep your cool and try to be flexible.

Simplify

• Catch up with friends and co-workers by going out to lunch.
• Learn how to say, listen carefully. Know your priorities; when life is nearing an end, no one has ever said they should have spent more time at the office.
• Take 15 minutes each morning to plan your day's schedule - whether it's personal or business. Once you put it on your calendar, plan around it. Plan personal travel as far ahead as possible and pencil in all the "want-to-do's" months in advance.
• Take mail, bills and checkbook balancing with you during the week while you're traveling. These chores can easily be done while flying or riding on a train. Because it can be time-consuming, getting it done during the week gives you more quality weekend time.
• Each day, go through checklists and track your hours spent on a particular project. This makes it easy to plan for the future and allows time to enjoy your personal life. Try not to procrastinate on any project, so your workload won't pile up, causing unnecessary stress.
• Have your doctor write the prescription for 90 days instead of 30; you'll enjoy fewer trips to the pharmacy.
• Plan with extra time built in. If you have a convention or trip that requires you to be there Tuesday for set-up, make sure you are there on Monday to catch any situations before they become problems. Then you'll have time to relax and get comfortable with your surroundings.

Networking Tips

• Many hotels have a Women's Travel Club roster for women traveling alone. Women who place their names on the list get together for meals and/or sight-seeing while staying at that hotel. This is a great way to network with other female business travelers, expand your professional contacts and meet new friends.
• Become very familiar with the hotel personnel so that they remember you the next time you stay. Learn the names of key employees who provide the best services for each of your stays. Call them by name when you see them; inquire about how they are doing and always be appreciative.
• Choose one or two hotel chains for all of your stays. You'll enjoy great customer service because of the frequency of your stays, and you'll find additional benefits in getting to know the hotel and its staff well.