Commentary: Does a company-paid overseas trip sound fun, until you realise you’re sharing a room with colleagues?

SINGAPORE: Many of us enjoy going on holidays, often with friends and loved ones. But what about travelling with colleagues?

A hedge fund company recently made the news for treating employees to an all-expenses-paid Tokyo Disneyland trip, drawing envious reactions from netizens. But while some would pounce on a company-sponsored trip, others might have qualms about travelling with colleagues.

Travelling can make or break relationships. When you spend that much time in close proximity with each other – or worse, if you share a room - all your good quirks and bad habits are on full display.

We all know someone who swore never to travel again with certain people for reasons ranging from poor punctuality to questionable hygiene practices. I reassessed a previous romantic relationship after a holiday when he harrumphed at the time I spent shopping while questioning my taste in clothes.

Would it not be more awkward to maintain professional relationships when your colleagues have to see you for you are, be it in your Hello Kitty pyjamas or as a wild party animal? Or if the annoyance of hearing you snore in your sleep ruins the working relationship?

FEAR OF ANNOYING HABITS RUINING RELATIONSHIPS

After working for almost two decades, I have had my fair share of work trips. Mostly, I have been lucky enough not to share a room with a colleague, so we easily maintained our professional images, simply retreating to our own rooms at the end of our day.

One company I worked made us stay in Airbnb apartments to save on costs. Though we all had our own room, it was still quite the experience living under one roof with colleagues. We had to get used to each other’s toileting and sleeping habits and schedules, and seeing each other sans make-up and in our pyjamas.

One former colleague used the only toilet in the apartment we both shared for at least half an hour in the morning, such that I had to wait or wake up earlier to work around her schedule.

I also had to share a room with that same colleague.  She was the kind who would set her alarm clock to wake up early but when it rang, she would hit the snooze button and go back to sleep – not once, more like four or five times. Being a light sleeper, that was easily an extra half hour of sleep lost.

But did the experience ruin my impression of and working relationship with that colleague? No, it didn’t. She was a hard worker who did her job well. Would I avoid travelling with her? If I could.

FRIENDSHIPS FORGED

When we sign up for a job, we don’t anticipate having to let colleagues into such a private side of our lives. But we may be pleasantly surprised when we peel back our professional personas and find we have much more in common.

My experiences turned out better than my expectations. Some of my strongest and lasting friendships are with former colleagues I have been on work trips with.

Despite the lack of privacy, my colleagues and I built a sense of camaraderie as we lived and worked closely with each other. Together we walked to conferences, made late night snacks, shared gossip and typed away at our laptops at the dining table till late.  It probably had a positive effect on our productivity as well, as we enjoyed working with each other even back in the office.

A colleague in a different company and I had travelled to a far-flung town in China to visit a factory. We ended up bunking in the same room, as she was spooked that we were the only guests in an old hotel. Thankfully, she didn’t have any weird or annoying sleeping and toilet-using quirks.

This colleague later became one of my closest friends and till this day, we still look back with fond memories of our trip, and reminisce about how we bought a huge watermelon from the town and shared it with the staff at the guest house.

Some of these former colleagues have since  travelled with me on personal trips.

The next time you have to travel and possibly share the same roof or room with a colleague, keep an open mind. Small things like deciding where to eat together or being respectful about how much space our personal effects take up in shared areas can go a long way.

Travelling with your colleagues often let you see them in a whole new light - for better or worse. Sometimes, the best friendships are forged through the joys and trials of travelling together.

Vivian Teo was formerly a financial journalist and editor. She is now a freelance writer and children’s book author. She is also a mother of two who blogs at her parenting and lifestyle website.