On her recent summer vacation, Rosy Lopez excused herself at a restaurant to use the restroom and went on her phone to check e-mail. She knew her husband would be angry with her for working on vacation. However, after checking e-mail and sending responses, she returned to the table feeling much more relaxed.
"I just can't say to clients, 'peace out, see you in couple of weeks,' " says Lopez, owner of Rosy Strategies, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla., digital marketing firm. "But my husband sees vacation as his time."
Today, going on vacation requires a lot of planning, negotiation and compromise. With our smartphones tempting us to "check in," jetting to an exotic location or exploring a state park is much more complicated than it was years ago when we truly took vacations without staying connected.
One of the tricky parts of vacationing today is doing so in a way that is compatible with your travel partner or your family. There is nothing more frustrating than sitting in a lounge chair trying to relax while your spouse is on the phone talking to a colleague about a work dilemma. If you're the one who wants to stay connected while traveling, it can be stressful trying to hide it from vacation partners.
A survey in June of 1,033 global executives by Korn Ferry Hay Group found 97 percent of executives connect to work while on vacation, and about a third do it several times a day.
Staying connected too much can get in the way of the purpose of a vacation: to renew relationships, relax, and return to work rejuvenated. A few strategies can prevent strife with traveling companions:
Be clear from the beginning: Terry Frank, director of marketing and strategic projects for BBX Capital in Fort Lauderdale, a holding company for businesses that include Hoffman's Chocolates, tries to be upfront about his need to stay connected with his office. He tries to check e-mail on his phone when his wife is driving or his kids are sleeping, but if he winds up checking it during a family activity, someone reminds him to pull back: "Last year, my son took my phone and hid it. That's when I know I've crossed the line."
Understand each other's responsibilities: When vacation partners have different careers and job demands, it can be more difficult to understand why someone doesn't feel comfortable with off-the-grid downtime. For example, Dana Brownlee, founder of Professionalism Matters, an Atlanta-based corporate training and management consulting company, says her husband is a doctor who doesn't need to stay connected while on vacation. As a business owner, she does. On a recent vacation to Destin, Fla., Brownlee was about to answer her phone while at the beach. Her husband encouraged her to ignore the call. Doing so wound up costing her a new client. "Sometimes, just taking a quick call can seem disrespectful, but that's why it's important to have a conversation beforehand."
Schedule vacation work hours: Fort Lauderdale family attorney Claudia Jo Willis, who vacations in Wyoming, says she sets time aside every morning to check e-mail and go over matters with her paralegal, who handles all correspondence with clients. By midmorning, she is ready to hike or ride horses and leave work behind.
Planning ahead, discussing your plan and sticking to it can make all the difference in staying attentive to work without ruining your vacation for yourself and others.
