| The following letter is a composite of feedback | | | | the features that I just explained to our client are |
| from road warriors in the field to the much | | | | no longer available. The new features will cost |
| respected and appreciated office dwellers who | | | | three times as much. The meeting that you just |
| occupy the ivory towers, headquarters or maze | | | | scheduled is for me to present how we are going |
| of cubicles. The office dwellers are the curators | | | | to sell these expensive new features and to |
| of much needed scrolls, documents, data, financial | | | | provide an updated forecast on the revised |
| information and other incredibly essential data and | | | | revenue. What, it is my turn to present? You do |
| processes that enable the organization to function. | | | | realize that I am hundreds of miles away right |
| The road warrior is the tireless face and voice at | | | | now, don't you? No, I can not email my |
| the front lines of the information supply chain, | | | | presentation and review it with everyone by |
| responsible for maintaining that delicate balance | | | | phone right now. Why? I have not started the |
| between the vision of the clients and the magic | | | | presentation yet. I must have missed the |
| of what really happens behind the curtain. "Did you | | | | announcement. What's that? Oh, you were not |
| get my electronic calendar invitation for our | | | | aware of the changes either and there was mp |
| meeting in ten minutes?" No, I did not get your | | | | announcement. I understand completely, trust me, |
| electronic invitation for the meeting. I am currently | | | | I really do. So, we have a new company strategy |
| sitting in front of a very important client and | | | | and a new corporate direction. We have decided |
| giving my undivided attention. The Cell phone is | | | | to reinvent ourselves. There will be a big meeting |
| turned to Vibrate and put away to avoid | | | | to unveil our new business plan and assigned goals. |
| distraction. The laptop computer is turned off and | | | | I got it. What's that? Oh, I need to submit my |
| in it's case. I have a pad and paper in front of me | | | | presentation on how I will achieve those goals and |
| to take notes on highlights of our conversation. | | | | my plan must be sent before the close of |
| The client has my complete attention, especially | | | | business today. I'm sorry, you are breaking up. It |
| when we are face to face. The client has specific | | | | must be a bad connection because I am close to |
| needs and a vision of the future. I need to | | | | the airport now. I do not know if you can hear |
| understand that vision and effectively | | | | me, but if you can then I want to you know that |
| communicate how our features will meet the | | | | I will be boarding a plane soon and will call you |
| needs of the client. When we are together, the | | | | again later from another city to find out what you |
| client and I, we have one purpose that isolates us | | | | are trying to tell me. Better yet, send an email. "I |
| from the interruptions of the outside world. Our | | | | bet you really enjoy those frequent flyer miles." |
| purpose is to find the best solution for a mutually | | | | You really have no idea how much I look forward |
| beneficial business arrangement. When the | | | | to taking my vacation, at home. After several |
| meeting is done, I will have to use my notes to | | | | weeks on the road and a different hotel room |
| draft a comprehensive document that I will send | | | | every night, I look forward to my own bed, the |
| back to the ivory towers. This document must | | | | one that I picked out and paid for. These days |
| accurately convey the details of our conversation | | | | we need to arrive at the airport at least two |
| with the needs and vision of the client. It must | | | | hours before the scheduled flight. This is not |
| accurately assess and explain the mutually | | | | productive time. Imagine spending one quarter of |
| beneficial business arrangement and establish the | | | | your eight hour day in the office standing in line |
| covenants or commitments of our conversation. | | | | with your shoes in your hand. There is a line to |
| My notes of those critical personal moments | | | | check in, a line to go through security and a line at |
| shared with the client will become the basis for a | | | | to board the plane. When you arrive, stand in line |
| thesis that will be drafted many hours later in a | | | | to collect your luggage and another line to get |
| hotel room in another city. That electronic | | | | your rental car. Of course, you can bypass the |
| calendar invitation is buried amid two hundred and | | | | line to collect your luggage if you do not travel |
| one other emails, many of which are from other | | | | with toothpaste, shaving cream, deodorant, any |
| clients. I will ready them all when I sit at my hotel | | | | gels or liquids. You can identify those fellow |
| room desk, eat my hotel cookie and drink my | | | | passengers who have elected to expedite the |
| single serving hotel room coffee. The hotel has a | | | | cattle car processing by jettisoning their personal |
| Jacuzzi, pool and amenities that I will never see. | | | | toiletries. It would be impolite to discuss how you |
| What are the real amenities for a road warrior? | | | | can identify these passengers, just trust me on |
| High Speed internet connection, clean bed, hot | | | | this one, you can. Working on the computer on a |
| shower and a continental breakfast are what | | | | tray table is only effective if you the |
| constitute Home Sweet Home. "Did you get the | | | | proportionate arms of a Tyrannosaurus Rex and |
| email with the attached 32MB Video of the | | | | if the individual in front of you is incapable of |
| receptionist's granddaughter's birthday party, the | | | | reclining. More than likely, you will be staring at the |
| pictures from the company sponsored | | | | liver pots in the bald patch on the top of the head |
| Bar-Be-Cue, the invitation to have your car | | | | in front of you for hours. Remember to bring |
| washed in the parking lot or the plethora of other | | | | large bills in exact change to pay for your wedge |
| emails with embedded cartoons and enormous | | | | of wet cheese, two individually wrapped crackers |
| attachments?" Some places still define high speed | | | | and box of sixteen fabulous handpicked raisins. |
| internet connection as a 56k modem or a single | | | | Ask for a receipt so you can expense your |
| wireless router available from the hotel lobby. | | | | mid-air snack and then pay for the aisle or |
| Hopefully the download will be complete before I | | | | window seat next to you so you can claim it as |
| finish packing my suitcase in the morning. I can't | | | | entertainment expense if the snack is over your |
| wait to read the internal company announcement | | | | approved per diem. If you fly as often as I do |
| about the hot lunch yesterday, accompanied by | | | | then you also get the benefit of memorizing the |
| the gratuitous oversized images of greasy | | | | dialogue from abbreviated movies that you would |
| burgers, fries and pizza slices. I am tempted to | | | | not pay to see in the theatres. Of course, the |
| send an email with embedded pictures of my bran | | | | bad language, violence and parental guidance |
| muffin and banana but fear that the humor will | | | | scenes are all removed to make the movies safe |
| only create another burdensome download to my | | | | for general audiences. Needless to say, we will |
| fellow road warriors. Besides, somebody already | | | | never see Ozzy Osbourne on the eight inch |
| beat me to the punch line and responded with a | | | | monitors. Would you like to hear us recite the |
| "Reply to All" message to HR that included a social | | | | complete dialogue from "Coal Miner's Daughter" or |
| security number and complete medical history. | | | | "Vanity Fair"? "You must hate your job." On the |
| There will be at least ten to fifteen more "Reply | | | | contrary, I love it. The travel, the schedule, the |
| to All" messages that simply say "Thank You", | | | | hours and the inconveniences are sacrifices that |
| but I won't know that until I open them. I have | | | | must be made in the pursuit of a passion. Road |
| worn the letters off of my delete key. "Did you | | | | warriors do not travel for the excitement of |
| read the email that I just sent to you?" Thank | | | | hotels, or for frequent flyer miles or because we |
| you for the phone call. I am now driving in | | | | enjoy the restaurants. The travel and time are a |
| bumper to bumper traffic with one hand on my | | | | means to an end, and that end is something much |
| cell phone so I can talk to you. In my other hand | | | | more meaningful and personal. If you were to talk |
| is a pen, ready to scribble notes on the printed | | | | to us, really talk to us for a few hours, you would |
| directions that I downloaded from some mapping | | | | learn that the real passion is for family. For some |
| software three days ago. I know that this call | | | | road warriors that pursuit of accomplishment |
| must be really important if you take the time to | | | | means a better life for a spouse or children at |
| write the email and then call to make sure that I | | | | home. Every day away from home is a personal |
| see it and respond. Where am I? On the | | | | sacrifice that is an investment for the ones that |
| passenger side of the car is a slowly wilting | | | | are left behind. For other road warriors, the family |
| drive-through lunch. A cup of car temperature | | | | is defined as the coworkers in the ivory towers. |
| coffee is perched in the console beside my elbow. | | | | For these people it is the professional family and |
| I am driving with my knees and trying to avoid | | | | the success of the organization that keeps the |
| that other erratic driver who does not seem to | | | | fire burning within. For some other road warriors |
| be paying attention to the road or traffic. Was | | | | the extended family includes a special personal |
| that my exit? That's right, my cell phone does | | | | relationship with clients, and a true dedication to |
| get messages. I wonder if I can scroll through my | | | | help each customer achieve their individual |
| messages and read the pinpoint text while | | | | aspirations. For the vast majority of road warriors |
| simultaneously talking to you about the attached | | | | it is a combination of all of these things, the family |
| files. Can you hear me? I think that I found the | | | | at home, the family at work and the extended |
| email that you are talking about. Yes, this is the | | | | client family on the road. We make sacrifices, but |
| email. Was that a police officer that I just passed? | | | | we are thankful to have the chance to do it and |
| Is it legal to talk on the cell phone while driving in | | | | grateful to the people in the ivory tower. Office |
| this city? Better not take any chances, I have to | | | | dwellers are a source of constant support and |
| hang up for now and call you back. I may not be | | | | amusement, for this we salute you Sincerely, |
| able to talk on the cell phone, but I don't think | | | | Your Devoted Road Warrior in the Field |
| that there are any laws about doing email or text | | | | _____________________ Words of |
| messaging on your phone while driving, not yet | | | | Wisdom "Do Not Disturb signs should be written in |
| anyway. "I just sent you an IM, did you get it?" | | | | the language of the hotel maids." - Tim Bedore |
| Oh, you mean the Instant Message that you sent | | | | "The path to our destination is not always a |
| to ask me if I read the email that you called | | | | straight one. We go down the wrong road, we |
| about while I am trying to drive? Sorry, I missed | | | | get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn't matter |
| that one. Calculating route, when possible, please | | | | which road we embark on. Maybe what matters |
| make a legal U-Turn. Oh, it is the agenda for the | | | | is that we embark." - Barbara Hall, Northern |
| conference call that started five minutes ago. I | | | | Exposure "The road that we travel may be long |
| need to provide a report and rolling forecast | | | | and arduous, full of many challenges. Yet it is the |
| based on the staff meeting today? What | | | | same road that leads back home and that is |
| meeting? "Oh, we decided to change that feature | | | | never too far. |
| three days ago. It is not available anymore." I see, | | | | |