The Business Traveller's Tale - Which Limbic Hot Buttons Got Pressed Today?

The recent advances in neuroscience and the insightful and informed writing of people like David Rock in "Your Brain at Work" have brought a new focus to business life. David's work includes the collating and summarising of original research into the function and implications of the limbic system. His SCARF model is a simple but profoundly important illustration of what happens when our limbic system kicks in and rationality takes a back seat.

SCARF is an acronym for five sources of potential pain or perceived gain - the limbic "hot buttons". We don't all have them in equal strength but one or more of them can be pressed by situations where things go well or our personal version of disaster looms and we "go limbic".

Status - When the airline tells you you've been upgraded it's only a better seat and more choices on the menu. But it's what that upgrade means to you that's important. Your status button just got positively pressed and you feel good. Flip the situation to where you are told you can't come in the lounge because you booked a cheap ticket and you'll definitely feel the negative side.

Business Travel - Avoiding Airline Terminals and Scheduling By Flying Your Own Private Plane

The other day, I was talking to a friend and he explained to me some of the stress and hassles of airline travel, as he'd recently gone on a number of business trips. Weather delays, maintenance repairs, and then there's the waiting in line with the TSA strip searches via electronic devices. They were tired of standing in line, waiting in terminals, and trying to get their tight itinerary back on track every time an airliner was late. Since I know little bit about aviation, they asked me if they should learn how to fly and buy their own aircraft.

You see, owning your own airplane and flying it yourself, if you have no experience, might only be good if you are going short distances, and the weather is good. A new pilot, or VFR aviator cannot fly when the weather is bad because that takes an IFR rating, the ability to fly using instruments even if you can't see outside, something which takes hundreds of hours, lots of practice, and a good chunk of change to learn how to do correctly. Also, owning in aircraft isn't cheap, and just as the airliners have occasional breakdowns, or maintenance problems causing aircraft delays, the same thing can happen to your own privately owned aircraft.

Then there is the insurance, tied-owns fees, and all the rules and regulations of the FAA. One thing that airline travelers may not realize is that most of the airline delays are actually cause due to rules and regulations and the Federal Aviation Administration, as those airlines must comply with all those rules. Those same rules are rather harsh on a private aircraft owner, although they are a different set of rules, they can surely become a hassle very quickly.

How to Make Business Travel Arrangements

It does not matter if you are a frequent business traveler or just an occasional one, but when you are going on a business travel, the best thing is to do it the right way. Most of the companies have policies in place which is to control the cost for employee trips and when you plan your business travel, the best thing to do would be to follow each and every guideline and to ensure that your travel plans are approved and reimbursed and that you do not incur any expenses for the trip.

1) Firstly, you have to perform a thorough discussion with your supervisor regarding the destination, the number of nights you are away and the method of travel which you have chosen. Also, include under this discussion personal vehicle, rental car and air travel. Make sure that you inquire about your company's travel procedures from your boss.

2) Make sure that you make prior contact with the person you are meeting on your business travel and also ask for the name of a neighboring hotel. In case you get hold of hotel maps and bookings, it will be of great help for reserving your travel plans. In case, if your company actually uses only a particular hotel chain, then you can skip this step.

The Conversation Around Healthy Business Travel Has to Change Here's Why

There is a distinction to be made between the Jet Lagged and the Jet Stressed. It is the same difference between the chronic and the acute. One is acute and the other is chronic. Jet stress is in fact chronically acute. The value of this distinction alone is what separates those who fly well and those who don't. A second valuable observation to our cause is that any time Man has conquered or thrived in an environment he has done so by taking his own environment with him. To beat jet lag in all it's forms you and I must do the same, frequent fliers more so than others. The current conversation on the subject of flying well repeat the buzz words like body clock and melatonin too often without a change in results or progress. The conversation is long in the tooth with the same tired advice - get plenty of sleep, drink plenty of water and keep your mind active. Old wives tales and a pastiche of personal remedies exist alongside rigid scientific data. The masses of frequent fliers and business travellers are confounded and struggle to make sense of disjointed and often confusing information. Productivity, personal health, relationships and global business's bottom line suffers.

The Most Intensive Frequent Fliers Hold The Key

I once read some good business advice which preached the value of catering to the extremes of a target audience. The notion was that if they were catered for all other demographics within that target market would be well taken care of. Frequent business fliers are representative of this extreme. An article in Wired magazine* charted the travel paths of business fliers over a year demonstrating the intensity of travel schedules of frequent fliers. The goals of business travellers to maximise productivity on the road, make the right impressions, close the deal and stay healthy bring home the urgency of the conversation at hand.

Business Travel Security

Ever since September 11th, the travel industry has changed around the world and whether your travel is intended for private or business purposes travel security is a major concern for everyone. The stark reality of it all is that travelers no longer have that feeling of being secure as they used to. While a big concern for travel security is the airline aspect of it, there are other issues of business travel that can affect businessmen and women.

Business travel is necessary for a variety of reasons and it is with this in mind that travel security has become such an important issue with companies that send their representatives to different parts of the world. Whether it is to get their foot into the door of a developing country or to increase business ties with established businesses that they already deal with, business travel will likely be here to stay.

Although a traveling salesman may not look like a "mark" to the average person, to the trained eye many salesmen do actually stand out. First of all they usually travel alone and without any concern for travel security, otherwise the likelihood of them dressing flashy and working in full view with their laptop for all to see would probably diminish. A more toned down approach may be a bit more advisable for these frequent fliers.