This giveaway is closed.
Headsets are awesome. They help you take conference calls more efficiently, talk on the phone while driving more safely, and just generally multi-task more. For business travel this becomes even more important! That being said, not all headsets are created equal. Motorola recently sent me a Whisper headset to review, and I am very impressed with their latest innovation. It includes a retractable mike, incredibly clear sound, and a 300-ft range with Bluetooth devices.
First of all, the Whisper’s sound quality is excellent, which is critical during important meetings. Background noise was completely cancelled—even when I was outside in the wind, my colleagues couldn’t tell. It was simple to set up and use, and the battery life lasts a long time. I also really like that it comes with its own little case—makes it much harder to lose in my travel purse. Finally, it folds up very compactly and when it’s on it’s so lightweight that I barely noticed it. It comes with several sizes of earpiece, which was helpful although I had to try several before I found the right size. It is priced at $149.99, and is worth every penny.
The great folks at Motorola are giving away a Whisper headset to one lucky reader. Woohoo! In order to enter, please leave a comment answering the following question: What is your best multi-tasking tip for business travel? A winner will be chosen at random from all of the entries on Tuesday, October 15. As always, only one entry per person.
Good luck!
If it’s important, I always print out a hard copy of any presentation. Just in case there are technical glitches.
Utilize airline lounges!
I never have time at work to review longer technical reports, even I when I want to. So, I’ve found that the time on the plane is a perfect opportunity to do some longer reading. I keep track of the reports by scheduling the reports as tasks in my Outlook so I don’t forget about them. Then when I have an upcoming trip, I download the doc as a PDF into my iPad and use iannotote to make comments on the document as I need.
Def has to be able to use iPad to watch Netflix (Family Guy) while churning work on laptop.!
Working on the plane – makes the flight go by quicker and you are productive while on it!
Get a lounge pass – well worth the comfort and WIFI.
Let’s face it work travel can be stressful especially if you do it all the time. On flights I try not to utilize that time for work but rather catch up personal items or just recharge. Save the multitasking for work time, work smarter not harder. Put all those handy online/electronically tools and offline (like good ol’ pen and paper) to good use everyday. Stay organized, stay focused.
The airline lounges abroad are like business centres and buffet restaurants merged into one. Pick your airline/airport wisely.
Take an external battery pack with USB ports, and a couple of cables, in your jacket onto the convention floor. At 4pm when everyone’s devices are flat, you can have a long meeting with someone while you both recharge.
I’m going to take issue with the idea of multitasking, actually. My best business travel trip is to NOT work on the plane: take some time to read, sleep, power down. Work trips are hard enough!
Lounges, wifi, refreshments and watching take-offs while waiting for flight. Inspiring!
Get Global Entry, Precheck, and lounge access. Ideally priority boarding too. Use all the time you save to do, well, anything at all other than stand somewhere waiting for something.
My best tip for multitasking would be a powerful phone (personally i like android) that can keep you up to date on work emails, serve as a wifi hotspot, help you manage multiple calendars, and give you access to your personal music/videos/documents stored in the cloud.
Can save you a lot of time an energy by not having to lug around multiple gadgets and keep you entertained when you have down time.
Use SimpleNote as Smartphone app to develop/revise a trip “to do” list offline or online. Email it the list to yourself as a reminder.
I always make sure that I never leave for a trip after having an argument or leaving something unsaid with someone I care about. I would never be able to concentrate or think clearly about work if I did. I can always recover from a career setback, but the people in my life are important to me.
Sometimes the way to be most productive is to do one thing at a time.
I always take my travel power strip with a USB outlet. When all of the outlets are taken at the airport, someone will usually let me plug in the power strip so we can share.
Sit in the back at neetings so you can surf without people looking at your screen
I utilize the airline’s in downtime to ID alternatives in the event of delays… in IRROPS, I’ve found it best to go with recommendations to either gate agents or call centera.
Breathe. Let go of work, and enjoy some “me” time.
I agree with not working on the plane. It’s rare downtime!
Bringing a bluetooth adapter and car charger for my phone.
My best multi-tasking tip is to use the airline’s phone app! A lot of people I know actually don’t use it. Its really simple to use and can be a great asset!
Get there early! It avoids so much stress!
I make sure I have all my email downloaded to my laptop before a flight so if there is no inflight wi-fi I can at least get mail read, filed, answered and ready to send upon landing. It leaves me with less cleanup and catch-up to do later.
Never use the airplane wifi – spend half of the flight using the time for uninterrupted THINKING – whether it is writing, editing, preparing for a presentation or something else to make you feel productive and virtuous. Then use the other half to relax – read something wonderful, knit, sleep, do a crossword, whatever. While you haven’t officially been multitasking, you’ve gotten a head start on your trip, and you’ll feel great. PS – don’t work on the way home – you deserve a break!
For international travel, make sure to get a converter that has a regular outlet and usb. They come in handy when charging multiple items, ie phone, laptop, nook or kindle
As a multitasker, I have to give my #1 recommendation:
Always use a hands-free option when driving and talking on your phone.
Keeping both hands on the wheel is imperative to safe driving.
Drive safely, and use your Motorola Whisper!
Having dedicated pockets or areas for license, boarding pass, cash, or credit card, etc – that way you aren’t digging into your purse or bag looking for it everytime when you need it. I have a wallet but usually that is at the bottom of my purse.
Buy an external USB battery instead of wasting your time trying to find free sockets in crowded airports.
I always travel with multiple devices (ipad, iphone, blackberry and netbook) that way when the battery on one dies, I have something else to use as backup. Luckily they are all small and lightweight and really don’t take up too much space or weigh down my carryon
I find that concentrating on one thing and finish it off before starting another is actually more productive for me.
My best tip is expect the unexpected. Have a book for travel delays. Have a power strip to share with others when the outlets are full. Remember, stressing about travel will not make it go any better. Try to stay calm, relax and remember that others who may be causing your stress are just people too.
A BlackBerry is key for multitasking for me – e-mail, calendar, and the web all in one place and not dependent on wifi.
Having a portable USB charger.
I’ve learned that listening to an audiobook and napping is the best airplane multi tasking ever!