EXPANDING HORIZONS A business trip is likely to be more sat- isfying and fruitful if it is, well, less of a business trip – less one-dimensional. If it is one that broadens peoples’ horizons, offers a chance for employees to learn something new, experience a new culture and develop their intelligence, then it can be especially satisfying. For many philosophers, travel is per-
ceived as an extension of the journey of life. As George Santayana once penned: “What is life but a form of motion and a journey through a foreign world?” De Botton had this to say: “The outer journey should assist us with the inner one.”
SEARCHING FOR THE SWEET SPOT “Many contemporary businesses now acknowledge that business travel enables growth,” explains Jason Geall, general manager for American Express Global Business Travel. “There’s times when the human element is key and must play its part. The main philosophical issue is decid- ing how to balance cost control and savings versus the traveller experience. There is a sweet spot, though it is different for every company.”
Travel philosopher Hadjicostis believes companies need to do more when it comes to the human element, and that businesses need to adopt a corporate travel philoso- phy that nurtures more cross-cultural understanding and awareness. “Although most business travel entails short-term visits, business is still an exchange with people, often from another country,” he states. “To successfully sell your goods or set up
a factory overseas, it is important to under- stand the local mentality and to connect on a deeper level. Creating a corporate travel philosophy that encourages employees to explore the culture by visiting local families, eating local food or attending local events, can only help in creating successful business practices.” He even goes further and suggests that
each company ought to grant a few extra days to the business traveller to immerse themselves more in a healthy way in the culture they are visiting. “This will have positive effects in the long run on both the business person, as well as the business itself,” he explains. Certainly, in a post-Brexit era when we need to understand cultures and
“What is life but a form of motion and a journey through a foreign world”
Which philosophical level are you working at?
ONE-DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL (POINT OR LINE TRAVEL)
This is the most common and involves a point- to-point visit with no substantive contact with culture or locals. It is like travelling in a bubble. Most short-haul business trips are in this category. You return home the same person you left.
TWO-DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL
(SURFACE TRAVEL) This is where you touch the surface of a place and its people, involving a light
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
acquaintance with the culture. A conference with a large local element could be in this category with locally-themed dinners with colleagues from the region.
THREE-DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL (SOLID TRAVEL) This level aims at truly exploring the many dimensions of a place, its people and getting a sense of a destination. A stint overseas, such as three weeks or so in a local or client office would count. It involves interacting with locals at a much deeper level.
FOUR-DIMENSIONAL TRAVEL
(TOTAL TRAVEL) This is travel par excellence – say, a secondment for six months or so overseas. It can be uncompromising in its demands and involves as many hardships as good times. Above all, it involves struggling with the culture in order to better understand it.
Inspired by Destination Earth – A New Philosophy of Travel
Learning from the
philosophers
• For many philosophers, travel is viewed as an extension of the journey of life.
• Policy should be aware that travel is more than merely getting from A to B.
• Business travel should provide a means of self-exploration, and a source of memories and experience.
• Philosophers in the Age of Enlightenment thought that travel strengthened society through commerce and interaction. This is still true today.
• The journey, and more importantly the goal, can be more important than the destination for business travel.
businesses way beyond Europe, this might not be a bad idea.
THAT INDEFINABLE EXTRA The one thing that has been left out of this debate is what a business trip actu- ally brings to those who are being visited. This isn’t quantified or accounted for in the travel budget or expense sheet – yet it can be worth its weight in gold. “The regional staff of the Ministry of
Justice certainly welcome face-to face visits conducted by someone from head office – it makes them feel appreciated,” says my anonymous source. “It is hard to quantify that when it comes to travel spend.” One thing for certain is that we ignore
the philosophy of business travel at our peril. In the future, we would ideally be more conscious buyers and travellers – aware that travel has a psychological element. And we should be potentially purchasing trips that offer this. “Travel, at heart, is just a quick way to keeping our minds mobile and awake,” wrote Pico Iyer, another writer known, like De Botton, for his philosophical take on travel. “The virtue of finding a gilded pa- vilion in Kyoto is that it allows you to take back a more lasting, private Golden Temple to your office in Rockefeller Centre.”
BBT November/December 2016 81
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98