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Passion is that special something that puts a light in your eye and a smile on your face. You know it’s a passion because you want to share it with others and find out as much as you can about it.

By its very nature, passion takes valuable energy – and when we spend our precious stores of that, it’s worth knowing where it’s going. Over the years I’ve found that my passions take one of three forms:

1. Theoretical
   In my early working life, it was easy to get caught up in the ‘passion of the day’ – if leaders I admired were reading a particular business author and claiming to find their books brilliant, I would unquestioningly find them compelling too – usually because I didn’t have another opinion or sufficient life experience to make a personal judgment call.
   
   Within months, that was forgotten and replaced with the next popular idea. A clear indicator of a theoretical passion.
   
   
2. Transient
   Some passions have the hallmarks of sincerity. Something grabs your attention and of your own volition, you are interested enough to research it to quite a level of detail because it makes sense or seems right and good for you at that time in your life.
   
   Most of us reach a point in our lives where we feel we could be healthier, need to lose weight, or reduce our stress levels. Depending on who we know or what media we listen to, we might discover that meditation and plant-based eating are good for reducing stress and losing weight. We might go and do some very in-depth research and get cracking on a healthy diet and practice meditation. Indeed, we might even keep these up for some weeks or months.
   
   For many people, these passions are transient – they are too difficult to sustain, or once they appear to have fulfilled their purpose we revert to our old habits.
   
   
3. Soul
   The passion that takes hold for life and which, no matter what happens, endures a mainstay and permanent interest, is what I call a soul passion. For many people, their children are that passion. Some lucky people find a vocation in life – a job which they would do for little or no financial reward because it’s their true passion. They just can’t help doing what they set out to do.
   

So when I have an ‘attack of the passions’, I now examine it closely.

Often, it’s a theoretical passion fuelled by friends, the media, or a short-term need. But whatever form it takes, I have learned to use the energy wisely and direct it into something long-term and worthwhile.

Image credits: Adobe Stock

In the wise words of Albert Einstein, “whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted in important affairs.” Being truthful is a cornerstone to integrity, but the trait is more than this – it’s doing the right thing consistently, dealing fairly and ethically across the board, taking responsibility, and being accountable for how we act and what we say.

We aren’t born with innate integrity, it’s a behavioral muscle we can develop and strengthen. Making the right decision and doing the right thing won’t always mean taking the simplest route, it won’t always be easy and can have consequences. We all have flaws and it can be easy to rationalize bad behavior or the odd mistruth. Doing what is right in all circumstances takes courage and it’s continuous work, but it’s worth it. In business, integrity can solidify relationships with colleagues, clients, and suppliers. They can rely on you to keep your promise and stand up when things go wrong. They can trust you.

Here’s my take on living our day-to-day lives with integrity: Be consistent in your decision-making and treat everyone the same, whatever the circumstances. Give credit to those who deserve it, don’t take it yourself when it should go to someone else. Don’t take advantage of others. Listen and take advice from other people. Own your actions and accept when you’re wrong. Try to see the good in people. Keep your word and deliver what you’ve promised. Be open and transparent and, of course, tell the truth.

And to Einstein’s point, if we can’t show integrity in the small things in life, what does that mean for the larger issues we deal with, when the stakes are higher? Bending the rules once may bring us a benefit in the short run, but will your colleagues or friends trust you the next time around? It can take years to build up a reputation for integrity but can be very quickly lost. We can’t pick and choose when we show integrity – we have it or we don’t.

Image credits: Adobe Stock

CARING: 关心 guānxīn / 关爱 guānài

A word with a kaleidoscope of meaning to different individuals, in different situations.

We have so many words that encapsulate the essence of caring including empathy, active listening, and being present. 

In my world, I return to the genesis of this word in Chinese, it means – “concerning the heart”, and “concerning love”.

Reflecting on how this translates in my everyday life (both at home and at work), even in the darkest, most disappointing, and most challenging of days, it means:

DOING, with your heart,

GIVING, with your heart,

And most importantly,

LISTENING, with your heart.

As we wade through the waves of prolonged isolation from loved ones, from the office, from the human connection that we as social creatures crave and live for in a community, listening, has never been more important.

In a virtual world, this concept is my bridge across the abyss of physical social interaction to help, to support, and to try and help find fulfillment in everyday life; with the colleague living in a tiny studio who has not seen another human for months during the full lockdown; the friend who has been trapped in his work home for the last year, unable to see his now 1-year-old child due to border closures, and every other person who continues to struggle and find meaning with each sunrise.

Caring, starts with listening. Listen, with your heart, as a human, to another human.

Image credits: Adobe Stock

Back in 2020, we ran a study exploring global business travelers’ habits and preferences. 21% of global travelers ranked ‘having the bed to myself’ and 23% ranked ‘not having to cook my own meals’ the aspects of business travel that they loved the most. Fast-forward a year and our recent survey polling 186,000 of CWT’s LinkedIn community found a whopping 58% have their passport at the ready and are eager to travel.

Is it any surprise that after a year of extraordinary circumstances, the idea of a hotel bed in an interesting foreign locale and a lovely restaurant meal sounds like a vision of utopia?

Meanwhile, some staff of companies in countries including the US, UK, and Canada are logging on an average of two hours longer. There’s a little while to go before life feels more balanced for millions around the world. In the meantime, take a look at these three hacks to make working from home easier.

1. Try the Pomodoro technique Not a tomato-based sauce, just a great productivity trick developed in the 80’s and tried and tested by many, this method is based on splitting your tasks up and assigning each of them a 25-minute time slot. Set yourself a timer and concentrate solely on one task. After 25 minutes is done, have a short break. This is a great way to split your tasks down into manageable chunks and eliminate distractions.

2. Manage your inbox Inbox zero may be too lofty an ambition in these strange times but it’s true that if you don’t control your inbox, it will control you. Prioritizing and flagging emails that require action, setting aside time blocks throughout the day for checking email, and creating templates for your go-to responses are a few ways to feel less overwhelmed. 

Certain responses can save time such as “it would be easier to discuss this in person,” or “when can I expect an update please?” in place of “just checking in.”

3. Use the right tools So much time can be wasted typing up meeting minutes, capturing to-dos or researching for that first business trip after lockdown (shout-out to the ‘passport at the ready’ posse). 

Instead of writing notes yourself, record them and use a transcription service. There are also great task capture tools such as bullet journaling, WebEx teams, Basecamp, and Evernote. 

And if you’re planning your next business trip, check for up-to-date restrictions and requirements in one place using CWT Travel Essentials.

Image credits: Adobe Stock