Wanted

TRAVEL THE

WORLD



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Go to Ouagadougou (the capital of a

country called ... … that was previously

called … ...). Expand your mind

Set yourself a personal goal of making at least two

overseas working trips each year. If your organisation

doesn’t cooperate then don’t limit yourself there. Find

a progressive employer who is open minded and

encourages travel in order to develop the business and

the ambitious people within it.

One of my early career ambitions was to travel the world at my

employer’s expense. I achieved this. If that is your ambition too

then this is the chapter to wave in front of your boss (assuming

he or she is not on assignment in Ouagadougou).

People who never move outside their village during their lives

develop what I call ‘village mentality’. They have limited horizons

and see things only in terms of what is

happening in their village. The same

applies to employees or managers who

spend all their career working in the

same place for the same company.

‘Village mentality’ is then named

‘institutionalisation’.

Conversely those who travel the world have the opportunity to

gain global perspectives and real understanding of different

cultures. This positions them well in their careers when it comes

to reaching out for broad-spanning jobs that embrace the

complexities demanded of a triple-seven mind. International

travel colours a person, adding a third dimension of deep and

People with ‘village

mentality’ have

limited horizons

vivid experience to a knowledge that comprises no more than an

outline sketch in the minds of those who have never travelled.

Travel also brings oodles of motivation and a kudos amongst

colleagues, friends and family. ‘I’m sorry my daughter can’t be

with us this evening, but yesterday she popped across to San

Francisco for an important business meeting. She should be

back tomorrow.’

Travelling the world brings experiences you’ve never dreamt of

and that you can put to good use in entertaining those old bores

back in the office. It is a cliché to state that we now live in a

global world. Any professional person should therefore be able

to include achievements in various parts of the globe on his or

her CV.

So if you haven’t done so already now is the time to ‘get on your

bike’ (as Baron Norman Tebbit famously once said), take a ride

to the airport and fly off to confront the biggest overseas chal-

lenge your department has. Alternatively just book yourself a

place at an important conference on the other side of the world.

Ignore those miserable sods back home who call it a ‘jolly’ or a

‘jaunt’. Even though you will definitely have fun you will still

learn an immense amount, hopefully achieve much and after a

few days return home a better person. What more could anyone

want? How could I be sitting here in the Philippines writing this

if I had not practised what I preach? I’ve just returned from pre-

senting in four different cities in China, and before that I was in

Mauritius. Next month I’ll be making one of my regular visits to

Singapore and then it’s another trip to

China. Later this year will find me in

South Africa for the ‘nth’ time. Travel

opens up vistas in the mind you could

not previously imagine. It gives you

confidence too.

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Travel The World

Travel opens up

vistas in your mind

you could not

previously imagine

PRA C T I CA L TI P S

G

Keep a travel journal.

G

Take notes.

G

Jot down key lessons and look for the best in every country

you visit – even if it is the worst in the world (and there

is one).

G

Learn to say ‘Hello, how are you?’ and ‘Thank you’ in the

language of the country you are visiting.

G

Memorise some basic facts about the country you will be

visiting (recent history, the name of the president, etc.).

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