ExecutivePlanet: Know your business culture

by Justin Glow on

I’ve been on a Wiki kick lately. First it was the digital ode to Abbie Hoffman with Steal this Wiki, then the news about Wikitravel guides going to press. Now we’ve got Executive Planet: a Wiki aimed at traveling business people, but us common folk can get some use out of it too.

Executive Planet is dubbed the “guide to doing business worldwide,” and it offers up a host of locally-written cultural guides in nearly 50 countries. For instance,

  • In Jordan, “Quiet voices are a sign of respect and maturity.”
  • In Venezuela, “You are discouraged from eating and walking at the same time.”
  • In China, “Use your whole hand rather than your index finger to point.”
  • In India, “Standing erect with your hands on your hips is likely to be seen as an aggressive and dominating posture.”
  • In the United States, “The standard space between you and your conversation partner should be about two feet.” Got it, pal?

If you’re not traveling for business, many of the tips will be useless. (For instance, in Colombia, “For women, a suit or dress is appropriate for business, while a cocktail dress is a requirement for most social occasions.”) Even so, a quick glance over the guide before your next trip won’t hurt anything — especially if you plan on finding yourself in a more formal situation.

How to dress well on the road

by Martha Edwards on

Most of the travelling I do is for pleasure, not business, so I don’t have to worry too much about what I am wearing or what condition my clothes arrive in (jeans and hoodies don’t tend to get too wrinkly anyway.) But on the occasion that I actually have to look like I’m not some punk teenager, it’s hard to decide what to bring. Here are some tips on how to look good on the road:

  • Dress for airport security. Leave metal jewelery at home, wear slip-on shoes and don’t dress in too many layers because you might be expected to peel them off.
  • Don’t pack too many colours. When you’re dressing for business, you should look good, and looking good means wearing pieces that work together for a unified outfit. And what colours go with everything? Black and neutrals.
  • Don’t leave the accessories at home. The right accessories can make an already-worn outfit look new. Pick some multi-purpose ones that you can mix and match with every outfit in your suitcase.
  • Use the laundry service. There’s no reason why you can’t wear a blouse or pair of slacks twice if it looks good.
  • Not to be somber but … Airlines recommend you wear natural fibers, just in case, you know, you’re exposed to extreme heat or fire. Artificial fibers can melt onto and burn your skin.

My advice? Non-wrinkle fabrics are awesome for packing, and a little black dress is multi-functional, ladies.

You’d Be Well Behaved Too If You Only Got Two Weeks Vacation a Year

by Brett Atkinson on

Following up on Justin’s recent post about how well American tourists are regarded by a poll of 1500 European hotel managers, I thought I’d dive into the data about how many weeks vacation per year residents of the United States get in comparison to other countries.

In my home nation, New Zealand, the legal entitlement has traditionally been 3 weeks per year, but recent legislation has now increased the minimum period to 4 weeks. A handy ready reckoner lists that folk in India are entitled to a massive 60 days per year, and the lucky people of Finland get 35 days off every year. Just further south Danes get 6 weeks to drink beer and go Nordic skiing. At the other end of the scale, the busy people of Singapore and Hong Kong only get 7 days holidays every year.

Coming from geographically isolated New Zealand, I really take for granted the need to have time to travel and see the world.

What’s the deal like in your part of the world, and if you’re an American, what do you think about only getting 10 working days off every year?

Thanks to Vincent Ma on Flickr for the pic of his workspace.