I recently returned from a glorious two-week family vacation in the mountains of Montana. It has only been in the last several years that I have allowed myself the annual luxury of a two-week vacation. The value of the second week is immeasurable. I can attest to that which psychological experts agree: Busy professionals need two consecutive weeks of vacation to eliminate the effects of stress, truly relax, and fully rejuvenate.
However, being out of the office for two weeks can itself cause serious stress and anxiety. The main questions are whether to stay connected to the office by e-mail and cell phone; and, if so, how to best do it. As I prepared to leave the office for two weeks I consulted my conscience whether to stay connected all, and if so, how to connect without intruding on this important rejuvenating time. I still had not decided what to do as I placed my Kensington Contour bag with my laptop, Blackberry, and cell phone in the overhead compartment of our airplane. Thank goodness for airline magazines.
One of the feature stories in Sky magazine detailed the author’s search for balance using his Blackberry. The story contained numerous examples of how and when various professionals used their Blackberry. I learned just how abnormal normal is today. And I realized that I don’t really have a serious Crackberry problem, but I still needed to figure out the proper balance during vacation.
As the sun rose on the third day of my vacation, I realized I finally had to make some decisions. The easiest decision was to rely on the out-of-office greeting on my phone, and not try to deal with voice mail messages in any way, shape, or form. However, I decided to keep my cell phone powered on and with me in case there was a business emergency. People who need to reach me can reach me through my office even if they don’t have my cell number. This gave me peace of mind without my having to check my phone messages daily.
This method worked for me, as I only checked my phone mail messages once–just two days before the vacation ended. I did make several calls too; more on that in a minute. I received several calls too, including one in the most remote location. We were hiking up Beehive Basin in the Gallatin National Forest–about 9,000 feet above sea level and miles from civilization–when my cell phone rings. (And why is there cell coverage way out there and not in half the places I really need it?) Frankly, I was so out of breath at the moment I almost didn’t answer. It turned out to be Deb Matthews, co-chair of the National Solo and Small Firm Conference, sponsored by the ABA GP Solo Division. She was calling to formally invite me as a speaker for this event--a call I’m glad I did not miss. We completed our call--between my huffing and puffing--in a matter of minutes, so I was back on the trail with my kids, nieces, and nephews enjoining the scenery in no time.
My decision on how to handle e-mail was just as easy, but a bit more difficult to implement. I decided I wanted to frequently check e-mail but not make it so easy that I would be checking it often. That precluded use of my Blackberry. So on the fourth day of vacation, I awakened an hour before the rest of the family to check my e-mail. When checking e-mail I decided to do three things: first, I deleted spam and any other junk messages clearly cluttering my Inbox. Second, I checked for responses to e-mails I sent prior to leaving on vacation. Reading the responses gave me peace of mind that tasks were being accomplished while I was out of the office. This actually helped me to relax, rather than to wonder what was going on in my absence. Finally, I checked for emergency incoming e-mails. Only those e-mails from certain people or on certain topics. I resisted temptation to read or respond to e-mails that could wait until my return. I responded to less then a half dozen messages per day, and closed up my laptop within the 60 minutes I had allotted myself.
This early-morning arrangement worked well most of the time, but there were days when the family arose at the same time, so I lost this hour of peace and quiet. After two consecutive days of missing this time, I succumbed to checking e-mail via my Blackberry. I knew I shouldn’t have brought it along on our day trip, but I knew there would be some downtime in which to sneak a peek. Although I broke my promise to myself not to use the Blackberry, again I found myself with peace of mind because instead of wondering what was going on back at the office I knew what was going on. I peeked a few more times over the next several days; I tried not to let my sneak peeks intrude on my vacation or family time. The Blackberry is just always on and so easy to use, it’s hard not to just steal a minute. However, all that sneaking around adds up to lost personal and family time. In the end, the best antidote to carrying my Blackberry was to check my e-mail each morning on my laptop.
So what it I learn? I learned to be better prepared for my next vacation. I will continue to bring my cell phone, Blackberry, and laptop. Each played a role in helping me to enjoy my vacation and to stay connected to the outside world to the extent I desired–which, I think, is the moral of this story: I took control of the communication, albeit tentatively at first, to make it work for me. I had the right tools to allow me flexibility to ultimately choose the right ones. I determined how people could reach me and how I would respond. I did it in a manner that balanced my professional, personal, and family needs, that helped me to enjoy our family vacation, and not worry about being gone for two weeks or having an avalanche of e-mails when I returned.
I think I’ll do it better next year or wherever our travels take us, and I encourage you to do the same. Take time to plan your communications strategy but understand it may take a few extended trips to make it truly work.
