An itinerary is a table of contents. I’m traveling with classmates from my executive MBA program on our international trip, and a significant part of the trip is visiting local businesses. Each day, we’re presented with an itinerary of the businesses we’re going to visit.
One thing that stands out to me is how insignificant an itinerary is at communicating the full breadth of the businesses we’re visiting. I’ve often had the experience of thinking I understood the business based on a quick read, setting my expectations low, and then having my mind opened in unexpected ways as we got immersed into the business.
Like I said, an itinerary is a table of contents. It’s not the complete story.
Our world is more connected than ever, which can leave us feeling like we understand countries, their cultures, their people, and their businesses by reading information and hopping on video calls. And yes, we should do those things. But nothing replaces actually visiting a place and immersing yourself in the culture. And this goes for business as well.
As we would visit businesses and talk with them, I observed a pattern where the presentation would pause and we would have the opportunity to ask questions. Part of what’s unique about being a student is that it’s always safe to ask questions, and it’s interesting to see how that collides head on with the business world. Sure, not all questions are entirely relevant, but the forum itself provides an exciting opportunity for learning on both sides.
For example, when we visited Benfica, one of the most popular football club’s in Portugal, my initial impression was that there might not bee too much to learn from a business perspective. Not that I really thought that—if you had challenged my thinking I would have quickly pretended to know better—but that’s my initial feeling nonetheless. It’s sports. But when we visited the stadium and immersed ourselves in the world of Benfica, the strength of the business and the Benfica brand became remarkably clear.
While we as students have much to learn from the businesses we’re visiting, I imagine the businesses may be experiencing the same thing. On their itinerary is a group of students visiting from the United States. They’re the presenters. We’re the students who are their to learn. And yet, as students we come with a learning mindset. For the businesses that embrace the moment, it’s an opportunity to engage with people who are outside the business and asking questions. Like I said, not all questions are entirely relevant—that’s okay—the point is that the questioning allows for learning on both sides. And as both sides learn from each other, it becomes remarkably clear that our stories are far more engaging than we had originally thought.