For those of you who have been following this blog, our website, and our other social media channels, you know that this has been an amazing, and eventful, year for the Center. We graduated the last January cohort, launched the first September cohort, celebrated the retirement of the founding director, announced the inaugural Building a Better Boston award and Leading the Way award recipients, piloted a webinar series, and much more. All while executing flawlessly on the core business operations.
On top of that, each of the three of us had our own unique opportunities both professionally and personally. The good news is that we work incredibly well together as a team. And, as you might expect, we’re all starting to get a bit “crispy.”
Fortunately, at the beginning of the summer we all plotted out our summer plans, setting our sights on long weekends and weeks away. As each of those has approached, we’ve reminded one another that this is their time away. Time to disconnect and recharge the battery. Time to reconnect with themselves, with their family and friends, with activities they enjoy.
Unfortunately, in our overconnected world, there is an expectation that being on vacation simply means that you won’t physically be in the office. You may even be given a bit more latitude in the amount of time it takes you to respond to an email. For years, I fed into this. I would constantly check and respond to emails, answer voicemails, and even participate in the occasional conference call while on vacation.
The reality is, when an employee truly takes a vacation – even a staycation – everybody wins. The person is able to relax and enjoy their time away. And, they return with renewed energy and, sometimes, even a fresh perspective on an issue they’ve been struggling with.
As a leader, I am reminded that it is important to set the tone through both words and actions. So, as I take my turn to be away next week, I will be disconnecting. I may peruse email once or twice per day but will not respond unless it’s urgent. If something comes up that requires my immediate attention, the team knows how to reach me.
Please don’t look for a blog next Friday as there won’t be one. I’ll be off spending time with my two favorite guys!