It’s that time again – are you actually going to take a vacation this summer or will you just be working away from the office?  I haven’t asked this question of my readers since 2016 so I figured it was time to check in.

There was a time when people actually “turned things off” and recharged, will you?  Better question, will I? What generation of top performers does it best? I say Gen Y (1986 to 1997) and Gen Z (post 1997).

I’m reminding myself (and maybe you) of certain benefits of truly “unplugging”:

• Let your personal energy level recharge and reset. When my Blackberry (anyone still remember those) “acted up” I remember the very helpful young man at  Cincinnati Bell (nka Altafiber) who reminded me that proper operation of this complex device requires taking the battery out periodically so the system can reset!  I’m convinced it is the same for people – without a periodic reset we arbitrarily turn off – to new people, new ideas, new business opportunities.

• Show others you trust them. Whether these people are your business partners or your peers or direct report employees, checking in every day says “I trust you, kind of.”  Let them have your contact information and trust they will reach out if they need you.

I’ll be taking my vacation this summer in the form of visits to grandchildren.  I’m committing to my family that I’ll do my best to control the annoying “I’m listening – just checking e-mail too” habit.  I’ll check my voicemail, text messages and email each afternoon at nap time. If there is an actual urgent matter, I will do my best to address it before the afternoon nap is over. Everything else can wait.

I’ll let you know how it goes in my next post. I’m interested in hearing your “vacation” stories – good or bad!