Incentive - January/February 2010 - (Page 20)

PRIMER Up in the Air Attendee Travel Tips to Handle Tighter Security our organization’s incentive trip is approaching. That means your attendees are dreading the hassles of flying, with the heightened security following the attempted terrorist attack on Delta/Northwest Flight 253. What can you do to help attendees travel hasslefree? Here are three tips to get them through. ) How they look matters Dress professionally While it may be easier to put on comfy longhaul travel clothes, don’t. Men should wear nice slacks, business or suit jackets, and good shirts. Leave the sneakers in the suitcase. Women should wear their best travel pant suits with shoes and accessories that say, “I am a businessperson.” Carry nice gear Luggage, computer carriers, briefcases, and other items will be seen and searched. If the items are beat up, attendees should replace them. Travelers don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on top-of-the-line pieces, but they do need to enhance their personal appearance through their luggage. On a Milan flight, I was reminded of ) Points to Remember Look professional by wearing business clothes and carrying good luggage Deal with security personnel respectfully and be proactive in making their jobs easier BY SHEILA MURRAY BETHEL Y how much dress code matters. While security checked my computer bag and did the normal scans, I was not subjected to the more arduous searches that passengers who dressed casually had to endure. With passenger profiling, attendees should be seen at their very best. It will not alleviate the slow pace or the irritation of security lines, but it will make just enough difference to smooth the process to a tolerable level. ) Respect goes a long way The Transportation Security Administration and security teams in foreign countries employ people who are not always the brightest bulbs and are often arrogant. For many of them, security is the most power they have ever had, and they love wielding it. But remember that these people are doing an extremely important job. Incentive travelers should treat security personnel with respect and use a friendly, cooperative manner, which will get them through it all more comfortably. Attendees should do things willingly to make security forces’ jobs and hence their own lives easier. Take off those cool sunglasses. Put those liquids in 3-ounce con- tainers and up top in carry-on bags. If someone has metal embedded in his or her body, he or she should explain it to security agents in an easy manner. My friend has a steel plate in her leg that always sets off scanning machines. She has learned to say, very clearly, “I have a metal plate in my leg.” Explaining it early and in an easy manner has helped security people get her through screening lines more easily. ) The new normal Accept the inevitable. The new normal means strict, tight security with long lines. Even if an attendee is a high-level mileage member or is traveling business class or first class and can go through special security lines, the process will not be as easy as it was. Security will be rigid for as long as we can see into the future. Travel is now as much about attitude as the actual journey. When you send e-mails or other communications to your attendees, make it a point to encourage them to focus on how much they will enjoy the incentive trip, and how nice it will be to see old friends and colleagues and make new ones. Adding up all the benefits of the incentive will help them clinch their decision to attend in spite of the travel hassles. Let’s not let terrorists disrupt our lives and our business. That is exactly what they want to happen. Sheila Murray Bethel, Ph.D., is CEO of Bethel Leadership Institute, a global leadership and change expert, and author of the new book A New Breed of Leader: 8 Qualities That Matter Most in the Real World What Works, What Doesn’t and Why. She can be reached at www.bethelinstitute.com and at (800) 548-8001. Incentive 20 | | January/February 2010 | incentivemag.com Illustration: Katharine Sandalls http://www.bethelinstitute.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - January/February 2010

Incentive - January/February 2010
Contents
Editor’s Note: Shift Happens
Headlines
Cover Story: Incentive’s 2009 Grand Motivation Master Winner
7 Steps for Running a Non-Sales Program
Original Research: Incentive’s 2010 Reader Forecast Survey
Primer: 3 Tips for Getting Through Airport Security
Strategies: Calculations and Conversations
Travel News: Where to Go
CityCenter Opens, Aiming to Redefine Las Vegas(Again)
Bermuda Still Works
Potentials: Here and Now
Electronics: The Revolution Will Be Televised...in 3D!
Online Gift Cards Make It Easy

Incentive - January/February 2010