Summer Plans

Posted on the bulletin board next to my desk is a picture of me in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed. On the tray in front of me is my laptop and I am on the phone—a conference call to be exact. It was taken 8 and a half years ago, just 16 hours after my first son was born 6 weeks ahead of schedule.

My son, thankfully, was completely healthy. However, for a Type-A personality like me, who had planned how she was going to handle her maternity leave at a relatively new job, an early delivery proved the old adage—humans plan, God laughs.

Since then, I have taken vacation and enjoyed family time all with my blackberry or laptop in tow. I don’t think I have gone 24 hours without checking in with the office—weekends included. My organization has offices in Israel where the workweek is Sunday to Thursday, so early Sunday mornings will find me on email or on the phone addressing a variety of situations. Often times, these are not true emergencies and the time pressure could have been avoided.

My children, now 8.5 and 6 years old, are proud of the work I do. But still, they are very aware of the time their parents spend on blackberries, email and conference calls. As am I. My own father died at the young age of 46. He was a wonderful, attentive father. Despite working very hard, it was clear to my sister and me that his family was always his priority. “No one lies on their deathbed wishing they spent more time at the office” was a phrase he used to say—until he had the chance to prove it.

Each year, there are hundreds of articles attesting the benefits of vacation—not just on personal life but on professional life as well. I remember one from a few years ago that John Baldoni wrote for his Harvard Business Review blog that struck me as particularly well thought-out and succinct.

This year, I will heed the advice of so many experts, with a few modifications. I have made plans to be away from the office for nearly 4 weeks. While much of it is just a change of venue, some of it will be pure vacation time. I have rented a house at the beach for the month of August. I have arranged coverage for my kids to make sure I can be effective-- writing, responding to emails, reviewing budgets, making conference calls. I have a reading list of work related books that I have been meaning to tackle for years. I have set aside time to just think about work, the organization and how it can grow. I can be pro-active, not just reactive. And, I am taking the time I need to rejuvenate and reboot, as all leaders need to do.

Maybe with the recent market panic this is the wrong time to do this, or maybe this is the best time to get the perspective I need. Either way, the work is not going to stop, but the view from my window will change. I will be in touch and look forward to coming back to my real office fully rested and ready to jump right in.