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With the holiday season arriving, it's worth considering the contrarian opinion of Rene Shimada Siegel, founder and president of the High Tech Connect consultancy, who believes in working while on vacation. Here are her five reasons, detailed in Inc.com:
Handling surprises: No matter how much you try to plan in advance, surprises can arise. While Ms. Siegel was on vacation a few years ago, the deadline for bidding on a major contract was moved up unexpectedly to that week; she was able to collaborate from a resort with her team to develop a 40-page proposal.
Feeling creative: A change of scenery can fuel creativity. She finds she can make decisions faster and with greater clarity in a tropical breeze. She says her extensive, eclectic reading during the time off always leads to many ideas for her business.
Catching up on e-mail: While the kids play, she can catch up on e-mail that has been unattended, check in with clients, and contact friends or relatives she has been neglecting.
Minimizing stress: Intermittent e-mail and voice-mail check-ins during vacations minimize the stress of being disconnected and the avalanche when she returns.
Being responsive: Ms. Siegel prides herself on being responsive to clients and new prospects, and has won contracts while on vacation by keeping in touch.
She realizes it's considered heresy to work while on vacation but notes it only takes her a few minutes to check in with her team each day – and then she can truly relax.
Harvey Schachter