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Six ways that adopting a ‘travel mindset’ can help in business
August 16, 2024
In our global travel PR team, we’re lucky that our natural wanderlust helps inspire creative ideas for our clients, gives us opportunities to get an international perspective, and ignites a genuine passion for what we do. But you don’t have to be in tourism PR to adopt this ‘travel mindset’ in your business practice.
Travel has been shown to improve wellbeing, beyond providing a welcome dose of sunshine and a break from our everyday responsibilities and lifestyle. Travel really can broaden our minds.
Being ready to explore the world around us isn’t a way of thinking that should be saved for our vacation. It’s possible to take this open and curious travel mindset and cultivate a wellness practice that can be brought back into the office, too.
Here are six ways that adopting a travel mindset can help in business.
1. Cultural understanding
When we’re travelling, we make an effort to get to know customs and we take the time to meet local people and understand their culture.
In business, when we carefully get to know local markets and cultural differences we can adopt a more targeted approach, one that is tailored and not ‘one-size-fits-all’.
At FINN Partners, we have offices in over 30 locations across three continents, so we can benefit from on-the-ground local knowledge and opportunities for truly global cross-collaboration.
Lesson: Get to know your local markets and tailor your approach accordingly.
2. New ideas and upskilling
Openness and curiosity are two traits of the travel mindset that can become lost when we touch down on home soil. Both lead to new ideas by encouraging thinking outside the box and being open to different viewpoints, even ones that might challenge the status quo.
Travel is a constant education and learning process, whether it’s discovering new foods and languages, learning more about the living history of a destination, or simply trying something new (bungee jump, anyone?)
In a corporate setting, this can translate into encouraging cross-team brainstorms, hiring against ‘type’, and providing plenty of training opportunities for staff. Showing an interest in what makes people tick can help foster strong media relationships, as the small details are remembered, and can be leveraged to help match media to stories.
Lesson : Stay curious, keep upskilling, and be open to alternative viewpoints.
3. Confident innovation
We all have a comfort zone and for many of us, travelling is the time when we get pushed outside of it the most, whether it’s trying certain foods for the first time, travelling in a different mode to normal, or navigating our way around an unfamiliar place. Often these experiences are what can bring a new sense of confidence to us and it’s the same for businesses who are looking to push boundaries and be brave pioneers.
This can lead to putting spokespeople forward for hot-topic panels, aiming high for award entries, or coming up with innovative ways to use AI and technology.
Lesson: Push business boundaries to innovate new ways of working.
4. New outlook and solutions
Travel not only gives you a new perspective on the world as a whole, it also blesses you with a renewed appreciation and gratitude for what you have at home.
Reassessing strengths you already have on your team, valuing employees, and championing unique personalities all help foster this feeling of a new perspective.
Lesson: Cross-team collaboration, thinking beyond your practice, and highlighting the skills of your colleagues all build towards creating a new outlook and solutions.
5. Crisis management
A missed train connection, language barriers, running out of clean socks – when we travel, we are constantly problem-solving on-the-go. Chances are, we have a solid plan B and contingency plans should something go awry.
In business, being prepared with robust crisis communications plans, strategic in knowing likely outcomes, and keeping on top of the news agenda help us become more agile and able to think in a solution-based mode on the fly.
Lesson: Always be agile enough to be solutions-based and have solid crisis plans in place.
6. Mindful and meaningful choices
When we choose to travel sustainably, support a local community, or champion the empowerment of others, we are focusing on the positive things we see and we are fostering mindfulness in how and why we travel.
During busy days, we can lose sight of the important motivation that drives us forward, but by celebrating small wins, working with like-minded clients, and being intentional in making sure actions align with ethos, it’s possible to ‘‘work hard, play nice” in business.
Lesson: Make mindful choices that make a meaningful difference to the world and be a champion of change.
Wherever you are in the world, FINN Partners is close by, offering services from advertising and content marketing topublic relations in travel, finance, tech, health and beyond. Contact us to discuss how we can help your business.
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