International Travel: Sidestep Business Blunders with These Tips
International business travel spending remains below pre-pandemic levels for U.S. workers, according to the U.S. Travel Association. However, international travel is still a common way of conducting business, despite posing unique challenges when differing cultures and norms are involved.
Being unaware of those differences could result in a misstep that costs your employer a client, throws a wrench into future business dealings, and even hampers your own career trajectory.
“Understand the nuances in ways of doing business [and] not getting upset when people don’t function the same way you do,” said travel expert Jan Louise Jones.?Jones is?senior lecturer and program coordinator for hospitality & tourism management in the Pompea College of Business at the University of New Haven, Conn.
She has spent the last 20 years conducting research, serving on international committees, and traveling to 17 countries.?She has spent the last 20 years conducting research, serving on international committees, and traveling to 17 countries. Jones shared some tips for international business trips that HR professionals can pass along to employees:
Meetings
“Observe first,” Jones advised. That includes noting how meetings are set up and conducted and identifying when it’s appropriate to speak or not to speak.
“Sometimes, it’s a very formal process—they’re going to give their speech and then open it up for questions. Sometimes, they’re waiting for you to interrupt them” with ideas. “Remember, you’re a guest in their community,” she advised.