6 Business Tasks You Should Never Do in the Car

We're all into personal productivity. We're all into seizing opportunities to maximize our time. Even if only by phone, we all do business in the car.

Filling otherwise dead time with productive tasks seems smart, but sometimes the car is the worst place to do business. Here are six business-related actions you should never take in the car:

1. Talk business with a passenger. Say you meet with a new customer or potential customer in his office. You're on: You engage, make eye contact, use nonverbal communication to establish rapport... Now try doing that in a car. Eye contact is out. Focus is out. Almost everything you normally do to establish rapport is out. Is that the initial tone you want to set for a business relationship? Stick to small talk while you're in the car, then switch to "business" mode when you arrive at your destination.
2. Make big decisions. No matter how hard you try to focus on an issue or problem, you can't. I once accepted a book project on the phone in the car; turned out to be a huge mistake. I fell prey to the "oh what the heck, it will all work out" syndrome that often occurs when we're distracted or doing something else at the same time. (Plus I let the caller pressure me and I was too chicken to say, "Let me call you in 10 minutes when I get to the office.") Decision laziness happens all the time when we're driving. Think about big decisions, but never decide. Any big decision -- and, really, every decision has the potential to be a big decision -- should be made only when you can focus.
3. Handle customer problems. If they need help and the problem is simple, fine. Deal with it. But if helping the customer deal with an issue will take more than a minute or so, pull over so you can focus. (And say, "OK, John, I pulled over so I can give you my full attention. Now here's what we can do..." That way John knows you really care about his problem.) Or ask the customer to wait a few minutes until you're out of the car, and tell them exactly how long so you can manage expectations. Either way you show the customer's needs are important -- and you give the call your best.
4. If you're a guy, go shirtless. Oops. Maybe that just happens where I live. (I don't care if you're Brad Pitt, it's never a good look.)
5. Check in. Many people "check in with the office" just to see how things are going. You shouldn't have to: Let employees know what they can handle on their own, how to handle those situations, and ask them to call if something unusual occurs. Needing to check in on a regular basis is a sure sign you're trying to control too much. If you can't trust your employees, they shouldn't be your employees.
6. Listen to the radio. Hang on -- I promise this makes sense. For many people the car is the only place they are alone, making it a great place to think. Every day, pick a topic. Think about something that went well; how can you apply what worked to another area? Or think about something that didn't go well; what can you do differently next time? What new markets can you enter? Which employees deserve opportunities? What new challenges do you want to tackle? Thinking time can be your most productive time -- take advantage of it.

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