BIZCHINA / Biz Who

High-flyers
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-10 07:32

Lucille Wu, country manager, Manpower China

Manpower, one of the world's leading human resources service providers, has offices in seven Chinese cities. Wu divides her time between the seven cities and Manpower's US headquarters. She also regularly flies to different European locations to serve clients there.

Travel tips

I prefer to wear light-coloured clothes made in cotton. Light-coloured clothes light up my appearance and give me cheerful feelings. It especially works for ladies on board. I also bring a cashmere shawl to protect my neck from the cold and dry in-flight climate.

I like a pair of loose shoes that make me feel more comfortable on a long-haul flight. If I go directly to a business meeting after the flight, I wear formal business but loose shoes.

Work essentials on board: A universal power adapter, a pocket notebook, laptop computer, a pen, business cards, and a dual-time-zone watch.

Fruits are a must. I also bring a pack of mint candy to refresh myself. A glass of wine will be perfect for me on a long-haul flight. It also works perfectly with my favourite light cheese. I avoid heavy food on board.

I always use a hand-carry bag to put my laptop and important paper documents in, which ensures that they are always within my reach. For a formal business occasion, I might bring a luggage bag containing a formal set of clothes and other grooming and toiletry things.

For short flights, I prefer to arrive before noontime, so I can go to work in the afternoon. If it is a long-haul flight, I prefer to arrive at the destination before 8 pm, which can guarantee me a fresh morning in the coming day.

Striking the right balance

Mary Kay Ash once said: "People are definitely a company's greatest asset. It doesn't make any difference whether the product is cars or cosmetics. A company is only as good as the people it keeps."

In practice, this means attracting, developing and retaining the best talent to be part of your organization's team. Travel managers play an active role in putting this concept into action by being responsible for ensuring 'road warriors,' often the most valued corporate assets, are looked after in a way that supports their ability to do their job. However, the travel manager must also ensure travellers do not take liberties and abuse their position by incurring unreasonable costs.

So how does an organization strike a balance between what is reasonable to the traveller and what is deemed fair by the organization? How does a travel manager ensure the organization is managing travel in a cost-effective, safe and efficient manner?
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