An annoying co-worker can ruin a business trip. There’s nothing more annoying than traveling with someone you don’t like. Sometimes, you have to put up with it.

Don’t let a troublesome colleague ruin your business trip. Try to make the best of things. The easiest way to do that is to learn how to deal with it.

These tips will help you prepare your next business trip. If you follow them, you should be able to stay more focused on work. And you’ll hopefully enjoy your trip!

  1. Prepare Beforehand

Preparation is key to any trip.

That is especially true when traveling for business.

If you have an annoying colleague, it’s even more important to plan ahead.

Co-workers can be troublesome for different reasons. Some don’t pick up the slack. Others are always late.

Think about why your coworker is annoying. How can you prevent problems from happening? You might need to do a bit of extra work.

It’ll be annoying to be organizing things for other people. But it’s better than dealing with a headache or fixing someone else’s mistakes.

For a colleague who’s perpetually late, tell them the meeting is ten minutes earlier than it is. For someone who’s disorganized, offer to pack things for them.

Think about everything that could possibly go wrong.

Then come up with a solution before you leave.

  1. Book Separate Rooms

You need your space.

You shouldn’t have to share a room with someone you don’t like.

If you travel regularly for work, you should use a booking service. Booking companies like Hotel Engine will take care of all the arrangements for you.

You can personalize your trip according to your needs. Maybe you need to stay in a hotel with a fitness center and your colleague needs one with a sauna. A booking service will figure that out for you.

As long as your accommodation has something for everyone, there’s no reason why you should get in each other’s way.

If you absolutely need to, you can even request that your rooms are far apart.

Business hotels are used to putting up with colleagues that don’t get along.

Quietly communicate your needs to the staff and they will help you.

  1. Have Excuses

We all tell a little white lie to colleagues now and then.

There’s no reason to feel bad about it, especially on a business trip.

Maybe you promised your spouse you would call them every night. Or you need to check on your kids.

Having someone to call is always a good idea. You can vent to your family back home. Complaining with other co-workers is not a good idea.

If you can’t get away to call someone, say you have a headache. Or say you’re really tired and need to lie down for a bit.

When things get too overwhelming, you can honestly say you need some time to yourself.

If you don’t want to seem anti-social, say you’ll stay for just one drink. Put a time limit on your interactions so that people know you need to go.

There’s no reason to make your co-workers dislike you.

That would only make things worse.

  1. Create a Self-Care Routine

We all know what it’s like to get stressed.

Travel is extremely stressful. Throwing an annoying co-worker into the mix can have a snowball effect.

Don’t let things escalate out of control. As soon as you notice you’re stressed, take time to deal with it.

A self-care routine is a good place to start.

Here’s some tips from Every Day Health on how to set one up.

Start taking care of yourself before you head out on your trip.

That way you’ll be ready when the time comes.

  1. Look Ahead

Business trips don’t last forever.

In the moment, it might seem hard to think about anything but your annoying colleague. But you’ll make it back home eventually.

If traveling with your co-worker really is unbearable, bring the issue up with your boss.

See if you can come up with a solution together.

Maybe your boss can send someone else next time.

Conclusion

Sometimes, sticking it out is all you can do. These tips should help you remain relaxed and focused on work.