You might have noticed that there was no column last week. I took a week off to recharge the batteries and it turned out to be just what the doctor (or to be more precise Mrs Bell) ordered.
We need to realise in business that we are only human, and
there is a limit to what our bodies can put up with in terms of the effort we put in to run and maintain an effective business.
Some people run the battery too low and can reap serious health consequences. What many say (and I have to admit that I was one of them) is ``I cannot spare the time to be away'' and this is true if you are a small business with few employees.
However, the pay-off of taking even a couple of days off can be exponential when viewed in terms of the consequences of not taking time out.
The other payoff is that with a clear and energised self you are in a better position to serve your customers and clients.
I also have some tips to help you to be effective on that first day back. The first is to construct a ``to do'' list before you go away so your first day back is planned. Secondly, get some things done before you clear your emails. I got back to more than 300, but found dealing with them a breeze because I got some work out of the way first and was ``in the zone''. Thirdly, when you start to wane in the afternoon get out and take a walk, envisioning the energy which came from your time away (I also got help from the good people at Mud Ducks cafe).
If you are a business traveller, or embarking on a holiday here are a few pointers:
Take cough lollies, or similar sweets. Not necessarily for yourself but to give to the passenger(s) next to you who cough throughout your entire flight.
Watch a movie on the plane which has plenty of action and explosions, it will complement turbulence or having your foot run over by the drinks trolley.
Don't bother with the ``Who Wants to Be a Millionaire'' game on the console, unless you are English extraction and know all the characters of Eastenders.
If you are in an aisle seat do not, lean out to look up or down the plane _ lest your head be struck by the aforementioned drinks trolley or worse still someone's posterior.
These and other tips can be more fully explained over coffee, give me a call.
It's great to be back!
Zenith Solutions is a Wanganui-based management consulting practice. It provides strategic planning and financial management services. Contact russell@manageable.co.nz or phone 021-244-2421.