Many people took vacation time last week to celebrate our country’s Independence Day. If you were one of those people who “held down the fort” by staying in the office and working last week, perhaps you found it very refreshing to have some quite time, sans meetings to get through a bunch of work. With July being such a popular time to take vacation, maybe your turn is coming later this month. More importantly, I ask, are you taking time away from the office to do something you enjoy and recharge those batteries?
I have come across a few people in my career who seem to have an allergic reaction to the thought of leaving the routine of work for a week or even a few days. Sometimes this appears to be out of pressure to maintain things at work. However, sometimes it seems a person wears their “no-vacation this year” status as a badge of honor. As if to say, “see how committed I am to my work” or perhaps to feel particularly important. Somehow the office would surely explode if they were not present to keep it together.
If you fall into the latter “badge “ category, I realize a blog or newsletter may not be enough of a wake-up call to get you to change your ways. Sometimes learning from the mistakes of others before we have to experience misfortune for ourselves can be powerful. Take a business leader I worked with years ago. He never took a day off and seemed pleased to find opportunities to share his dedication when the topic came up. After following this pattern for years, his boss started citing performance issues due to his lack of creativity. True, time away from our normal routines can helps us gain new perspective. Would you believe research supports how taking time off can actually make you more productive?
A recent study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie A. Perlow, Ph.D. found hard-charging business consultants who take “predictable time off” from their 65-hour workweeks actually accomplish more – not less. Consultants in one group had to skip a full workday each week, totally unplugged from their technology. Of course, at first they balked, but over time, productivity went up – in part because the consultants had to collaborate better with co-workers to plan for these mini-vacations. The also reported feeling more satisfied with their jobs. The message here, take some time-off and you can reap gains in creativity, communication with your team and efficiency.
Leaders certainly send messages to their teams about a culture around time-off. If you work for someone who acts as though they simply could not allow the team to handle things while taking time off, would you feel trusted and competent? Not likely. So if you are just getting back from or planning some time off in the near future, kudos to you. If you can’t seem to tear yourself away from work for a few days, perhaps baby-steps are a good strategy for you. Take some long weekends or a night off. I am willing to bet nothing will explode while you are gone. Here is to quality time at work and outside of work – enjoy your summer!
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In this short talk, Arianna Huffington shares a small idea that can awaken much bigger ones: the power of a good night’s sleep. Instead of bragging about our sleep deficits, she urges us to shut our eyes and see the big picture: We can sleep our way to increased productivity and happiness — and smarter decision-making.