Contributed by Richard Earls, publisher, Travel Research Online (TRO) and member of The Travel Institute’s Professional Educators Program. Travel planning tends to be a very independent enterprise. You work one-on-one with your clients, often in complete isolation from co-workers. Independence is a great thing but carries risks. Too often, we lack a sounding board to bounce ideas off and to confirm our instincts.
So, let’s explore a series of statements you should frequently hear yourself say to ensure you are receiving the appropriate input from your business associates, your clients, and your family. Each of these groups is a stakeholder in the success of your travel practice. Giving them a voice can be a great gift to both them and to yourself.
1. “What do you think?”
Here’s a phrase you should use often around the workplace – especially if you are “the boss.” Seeking the input of others maintains perspective and allows your decisions to be shaped by a variety of resources. Creativity springs not from a single source but from a transformative alchemy mixing dissent, collaborations, and flexibility. Don’t be afraid to seek out people you know will challenge you. You won’t like or agree with everything you hear. However, your success as a businessperson depends on your ability to fairly assimilate the criticisms and challenges of others.
2. “Show me.”
When we ask for the opinion of others, we often hear ideas from outside our own expertise. If we allow others to demonstrate their ideas and range, two amazing things happen. First, we provide an opportunity for the other to shine, to contribute in a meaningful way. Secondly, we learn best as adults when we actually see a demonstration rather than merely hearing an explanation. Our relationships demand constant feeding.
3. “What if?”
Want to enhance your creativity? Say “What if…?” more often and encourage those around you to do the same. When you encourage your work associates to explore possibilities, you introduce new opportunities and ways of thinking into your environment. If creative and spontaneous thought is an essential ingredient in your travel practice, you are more likely to WOW your clients with the type of thinking so rare it has little competition. Regular brainstorming sessions allow people to fully express themselves by bringing new perspectives to problem solving and innovation. Our established ways of thinking certainly put us where we are, but chances are you began your travel career with a creative vision outside of your normal thought processes. The netherworld of creative thought and possibility should be visited often.
To the extent your work associates participate in decision-making, the easier the entire process of buy-in and adoption becomes. By the way, the same principles work at home as well!
4. “Let me help!”
We can’t get by without a little help from a lot of people. We all inherently understand our interdependence and need for assistance from others. Whether in the context of your work environment, your business networking, your volunteer efforts or even with strangers, your offer of assistance is an immediate signal you understand the role of consideration and collaboration in relationships. To volunteer without being called upon demonstrates your willingness to assist in the greater good. Offer your assistance in a straightforward manner with no strings attached. Then follow up with action!
5. “Can you help me?”
Have a problem with a supplier? You can certainly launch right into a complaint or the circumstances surrounding the situation before you. But consider setting the tone with four simple words: “Can you help me?” Most humans are naturally empathetic. We know what it is to need help, and we are typically willing to reach out to assist others. When you preface your remarks with a request for assistance, you generate the appropriate emotional resonance in your correspondent to provide an easier road to a desirable end.
