Thinking Globally: How Travel Inspires My Professional Development
My parents raised me to ask permission for everything. What I ate, what I wore, what I said, what I did, and who I was were all regulated. This theme of asking permission pervaded my personal and professional lives. It often led to my apprehension of taking up space or doing the things I felt compelled to do.
Though I traveled often growing up, solo traveling as an adult reprogrammed my sense of being. I developed the courage to persist in spaces I’ve been made to feel I don’t belong and the wisdom to know when to leave those spaces.
Seeing the world and learning different cultural attitudes, getting lost in unknown territories, finding my way through the grace of strangers, and learning to trust my intuition transformed how I show up in the workplace today.
Growth stems from unbridled curiosity.
I’ve always been the type of person to venture off-beaten paths to explore the overlooked or under-appreciated. My retreat to the uncharted was mainly because, as a woman of color, I never truly felt included or valued.
However, spending more time outside the confines of America showed me I deserved more. Believing in my entitlement, I started demanding more, persisting without permission. I’m unashamedly curious about what I don’t know and determined to explore how to learn it.
Observe for the sake of self-awareness.
Traveling requires observing how you interact with people in different environments and what those interactions say about you and your values.
Observation affords us the capacity to build self-awareness and the awareness of others. Whether leading or participating, I’ve expanded how frequently I think about my impact from a local (within my team) to a global (within the enterprise) outlook.
Contemplate the purpose of everything.
For some, traveling is about covering as much territory as possible. But what is the value of seeing the world if you can’t reflect on the significance of being able to do so? There’s a privilege in gaining experience but power in knowing how to apply it.
Examining which information I need now, what might be helpful later, and why I consider certain information more critical than others has helped me become more intentional about my intellectual growth.
I’ve moved away from quickly dismissing something as useless to questioning the purpose it serves; if not now, when? If not purposeful to me, then to whom and why? Thinking about what I’m learning, why, and the connections (indirect or direct) allows me to pivot from having breadth (which is attractive) to depth (which is insightful), or vice versa, to create more value for my organization.
Adapt because evolution is necessary for thriving.
I value learning even the most rudimentary customs of the countries I travel to. When a local corrects me, that gesture is a much-needed and appreciated extension of grace. It’s an opportunity to convert broad knowledge into a specialized practice.
Exploring, observing, and contemplating enables me to learn how to remain a relevant participant. And to inspire others to act—whether to innovate or to address uncomfortable situations—I must be willing to show what’s possible rather than fixate on what isn’t. Promoveo!
Does travel inspire you to see the way you work differently?
