5 top tips for working on the go

The new workplace is wherever you plug in your laptop. It's more a state of mind than a Partex desk and four Partex walls. You hop from meeting to meeting, take business calls during lunch, pitch at Gloria Jean's without even knowing it, and set up shop anywhere that has free Wi-Fi.

Succeeding in the new frontier of business is all about being flexible in terms of time and space. Here are five tips to help you survive.

Charge thy device

Doesn't matter if you're at 80 percent, if there's a plug you can plug into, do it! You don't want your laptop dying in the middle of a Prezi or your phone running out of charge when that unplanned interview pops up. If you have a chance to charge your devices, don't think twice. Keep a power bank (or two) handy at all times.

List your hotspots

If you're running around Dhaka every day, you are all too aware of the importance of Wi-Fi and a chill place to work in-between appointments. As you learn your travel routes, make a list of your favourite coffeehouses, restaurants, and office lobbies where you can settle down and get a half-hour or an hour of work done during off-time. Having go-to hotspots means less time wasted finding a place to work and a world of anxiety over sending in that important memo on time avoided.

Fix up a work bag

Your bag should have all the features of a proper office. That means your laptop, laptop plug, phone plug, notebook, pen, pencil, as well tid-bits like light outer-wear, mints, tissues, deodorant and lip balm. You don't need to overdo it so just run a list of things you will need on the go because the day you don't pack something is going to be day you will frantically need it.

Prep an all-day outfit

For work-packed days that are going to be go-go-go from breakfast omelettes to dinner at Lakeshore, it's good to set outfits that work all day long. For men, it's fairly simple—a solid button-up shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. For women, this can be trickier, especially if you're used to running around in shirts or kurtas. One piece of advice is you can always bet on dark colours. A pretty kameez with wedges lets you look professional during the day, and paired with some sparkly earrings or a necklace, perfectly glamorous at night.

Map out your day

Will you be able to take a rickshaw from point A to B or will you need a CNG or Uber? Can you walk? The worst feeling is getting dropped off on the wrong side of Karwan Bazar, never knowing whether you'll cross the road on time.

Know exactly how you're going to criss-cross around town and schedule meetings so that you're not going back and forth between destinations. Have a solid back-up plan in case transportation doesn't work out and learn which routes take the least amount of time and involve the least amount of traffic.

So, go forth ye busybodies! This is the way work moves. Find your best way to move with it.