5 Helpful Lessons Learned From Team Travel Trips
We are getting to the point in the season where many teams have traveled or are about to travel for competitions. Travel trips are exciting, especially when going to new places with teammates. They are also great for team bonding. However, travel trips also equip you with skills that can be used throughout your life. Here are a few things that travel trips teach you in the long run:
Advocating For Your Needs
When on a travel trip, normally you travel as a unit. That means arriving several hours before you have to even think about warming up because teammates have earlier races. If you know you need to have lunch or have space to take a nap in that timeframe, you have to be the one to ask that of the group. Even smaller things like telling your roommates that you need to go to bed earlier or disclosing food allergies are other ways that you need to advocate. Telling your teammates what you need to be successful is important not only in work, but in personal relationships. Sometimes it can be difficult to ask for something from people we care about. Learning how to create a productive and safe space on team trips carries over into other parts of life.
Showing Up on Time
Normally on travel trips, there is a group of people who have to leave by a certain time to be able to prepare for their races. If you miss your alarm or mismanage your mornings, you may be late to meeting the others. Making everyone else on the team late can complicate their space to prepare for their races. Showing up on time is so important on these travel trips. Employers will also always want people who contribute to their teams by showing up on time. Not only does being punctual show respect to others, it respects your own ability to work for the day.
Compromising With Others
When sharing a space with other people, you always have to compromise. Think dividing bathroom space with your siblings or having to go three instead of five seconds back in a full lane. Being with four or five other teammates in a hotel room means that there isn’t a lot of space or individual flexibility. Compromising with others to make sure you both get what you need is necessary. For example, if there are not enough charging outlets in the room, maybe you charge your phone for a couple hours and then let your teammate charge for a while. Compromising happens all the time in the workplace and in personal relationships. Learning how to navigate making sure that people get their needs and you get your needs is an essential skill.
Patience
Traveling always comes with patience tests. Sometimes you have to wait a long time in the airport or for a bus to come. There can even be delays, which is pretty common when traveling now. Learning how to keep your patience is essential for keeping any travel trip light. Throughout life, there will be times when you are faced with waiting. For example, waiting for a job to open up or for a friend to reply. Learning how to practice patience in traveling can help you employ the skill later.
Being a Good Teammate
Being a good teammate is learned best when on travel trips. Since you are with each other all the time, you have to lean on each other more than ever. That means learning how to comfort each other after a disappointing race or celebrating each other’s achievements. Even team culture things like making sure every person’s race is cheered for are learned on these trips. Most work involves people working together. Learning how to create a supportive work environment starts by supporting your teammates.
Did we miss anything that you learned while on a team travel trip? Let us know in the comments!