Take a Hike!

Or a plane, or a boat, or an RV.... In short, take a vacation!

The human brain is not meant to be stressed all the time by the same thoughts and activities. If we want to perform well, we need to relax sometimes with other pursuits. If we manage people, our performance multiplies into their work, making our habits extra important.

Even though too many organizations set expectations that conflict with taking vacations, people who plan months in advance for an annual vacation of several weeks usuallly are granted the time. Later, rewards are gained because they think more clearly and creatively during the rest of the year. Planning includes selecting a destination that is too far away for meaningful communication, preparing a relief-person who is part of the succession plan, and handling the majority of out-standing issues before departure. Execution includes actually leaving, not checking in, and having complete faith in the relief-person. As usual, perfection is not required - at times, good enough is good enough.

Setting this model influences our staff to plan their own vacations. As managers, we need to meet the needs of both our staff and our organizations by putting together a reasonable schedule for everyone's vacations and relief assignments. When all members recognize the value of taking time for relaxation, we are closer to our goal of creating high-performance teams.