Should you be available and responsive to work-related matters 24/7 just because you have the ability to be connected 24/7? This has become one of the new dilemmas in our technology-filled world.
The answer to this question is “no,” especially when you’re on vacation. There are several benefits to CEOs and their employees when CEOs go off the grid on their vacation.
What Other Execs Are Doing
Robert Half Management Resources recently found that more chief financial officers they interviewed were planning on leaving work behind completely on their summer vacations than in years past.
An independent research firm conducted the survey, developed by Robert Half, and was able to get responses from 1,400 CFOs of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.
The percentage of execs checking in several times a day and 1-2 times per day on vacation has decreased since 2005. The only percentage increase since 2010 has been in the number of CFOs that check in several times a week, which jumped from 12% in 2010 to 27% in 2012, and execs that don’t check in at all, up to 51% in 2012 from 26%.
The large jump in execs that don’t check in while on vacation could suggest that they trust their staff more than in years past. “It may indicate that executives have a stronger level of confidence in their teams and processes, and as a result, feel more comfortable skipping regular check-ins,” Paul McDonald, a senior executive director with Robert Half, said.
Benefits Of Being Completely Unplugged
Being off the grid helps you reboot. You get a much-needed break and will return to work refreshed, motivated, and reenergized. This helps you avoid becoming the scariest type of business owner, one who doesn’t take care of himself or herself. If you don’t take care of yourself, how can anyone expect you to take care of your business?
Being unplugged can benefit not only the person on vacation, but also your business. Sounds a little counterintuitive, but here’s why.
If you’ve groomed your staff to take care of your responsibilities while you’re on vacation, you’ve started succession planning without realizing it. In order to successfully sell your business, you need key players within the business beside yourself. If your company can’t function without you, few buyers will ever be interested in purchasing it, which leaves you with a nonexistent exit plan. What will you do when you want to retire?
By unplugging entirely when you’re on vacation, you’re also showing your employees that you trust them, which gives them a feeling of empowerment—an essential part of getting the most out of them. Empowerment leads to a more ethical workplace, helps create superstar employees, improves productivity, and motivates your staff.
One last thing about unplugging when you’re on vacation.
“Managers also set a positive example when they disconnect, since employees may be inclined to follow suit,” McDonald said.
If an employee sees that the boss won’t stop working on vacation, they might feel like they have to work on their off time as well. Employees that are working during their time off should be doing so because they’re excited about work, not because they feel guilty about not working.
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