I have the pleasure of starting this article from somewhere in the Caribbean toward the end of my 7-night cruise. This is the first real vacation I’ve taken in, well, more than 5 years. After a stroll on deck this evening I became inspired to write this post.
One thing that has been dramatically different about this trip is my total isolation from the outside world. By choice, I have no Internet access and my cell phone has been disabled. I have no contact with my employer, or my friends and family for that matter. And that is a good thing.
My inspiration came from thinking about the one activity that I did for hours on this trip; while laying in the sun I watched the clouds fly overhead. I would expect most of us as children did this, and then at some point we become too busy to do it (or its not “cool”). But that’s the point of a vacation; to do something different from your daily life, not do the same thing in a different location. That’s called telecommuting (while on vacation). Our world has become extremely connected, which is a very good thing. And because of this connectivity we can do more work from home or on the road than in the office (that whole “productivity” thing).
By now you know where I’m going with this post; we are working more and playing less, and just plain burning out. Yes, our Business 2.0 highly competitive world demands fast response times and certain skill sets are often held by single individuals in an organization. Blah, blah, blah. We are working more and more just to keep our jobs.
The bottom line is that my vacation was relaxing and recharging because of the things I did do, as well as the things I didn’t do. I’m ready to come home and feel a new sense of energy and perspective. I will be a better employee.
And as a manager, I need to ensure my folks actually take a vacation… and when they are away, give them the peace of mind that I will not be calling for some silly little question.