3 communication tips for working while travelingIf you work remotely, especially if you are in a different country than the person or company paying you for your work, you’ve got to become a master of communication. Great communicators excel in business. There may be other ways to get ahead in business, but few people master this craft without first learning how to speak, write, and converse. There are many intangible elements of personality which also have importance in communication, but there are plenty of easy-to-understand tips for better communication which we’ll share with you below.

  • Be Reachable. There’s nothing more frustrating than having a remote worker who won’t respond to emails or phone calls. Don’t be that worker. If you have the privilege of traveling while you work, you’ve got to find time to communicate reliably with your employer or employers. This may require you to find multiple modes of communication. You’ll have the internet in much of the world, but if these fail you should also have the NobelApp to get you voice to voice communication from anywhere in the world. Make sure your clients understand where you are traveling and when you will be available. If you are in opposite time zones, it might not be reasonable to expect you to be awake when they are, but the clients should know when to expect your correspondence. Make sure to keep that schedule.
  • Be Direct. When working remotely, there are ample opportunities for misunderstanding. Make misunderstanding a thing of the past by communicating boldly and directly. If you don’t have what you need to do a project, ask around until it is provided. If you don’t understand how to get information related to an assignment, ask for it as soon as the need arises. Some people put themselves in bad situations because they are timid about communication, not wanting to be annoying or needy. It’s much worse to miss deadlines and not know what’s going on, so ask away when you need help and don’t be afraid to tell employers what you need.
  • Avoid Language Barrier Problems. If you are working with a client who lives in another country, you may be dealing with someone who speaks a language in which you are not fluent. Don’t let important details get lost in translation. If you can’t get a real translation, make your client understand the limitations of your foreign language skills. Ideally, you could hire someone to quickly translate your correspondence, or use increasingly accurate apps and programs to do it for free. There are enough resources available today that language barriers are not insurmountable – just make sure you avail yourself of them.

When traveling in foreign countries, there are many challenges that working people encounter. Most of these relate to communication. You have to rely on your writing and speaking skills when traveling, and you may have the additional challenge of incompatible time zones. This means that you have to make your communications very effective, because you don’t have the advantages of someone who works in the same office as his or her boss.