Managing Performance
Brenda Bence, president of Brand Development Associates (BDA) International, Ltd., has been with Director for the whole of 2009, and in this issue she brings the final installment of her current series of executive coaching tips.
In this final article of the year, I want to address two issues executives often talk about. The first issue deals with planned holidays that simply turn into “working somewhere other than the office.” The second issue can greatly inhibit an executive’s ability to grow as a leader and a professional.
Challenge #11: “I get no ‘real’ holiday time because I’m always in contact with the office.”
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you?
- You choose your hotel or resort because it has a wireless connection that will allow you to check e-mails on a regular basis.
- The plane lands at your holiday destination and, immediately upon turning on your cell phone, you see 14 missed calls from various members of your team.
- You miss breakfast because you’re busy putting out fires via e-mail at the start of your day.
- Your spouse becomes upset because you’re taking calls while you’re on the beach, at dinner, at the museum – you name it.
- You have to leave your family and return to your hotel room for a Skype conference with your boss.
- You find yourself more stressed after your holiday than you were before you left because you spent your time away trying to juggle work and leisure.
These are common scenarios in these days of inexpensive and easy connections via e-mail, mobile phone, and video conferencing. But, this often means your holiday becomes more of a temporary office set up in a faraway location rather than real time off.
