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Chris Britton used to be the kind of guy who would rarely take a long vacation. When he did, he could not completely get unplugged and resist taking calls and answering emails. Now when he books a vacation, he specifically looks for areas with horrible cell phone coverage and leaves for two weeks at a time.

Chris Britton leads the vendor management team for a top insurance carrier where he’s worked in the industry for the past 17 years. He currently lives in Austin TX.

Chris was also featured on Hello Tech Pros episode 19 where he discussed the why’s and how’s of developing relationships with vendors and business partners.

Key Takeaways

Vacations are a great way to find inspiration, but on the next Monday back reality sets in
If you don’t take time off and really get unplugged, it will create a monster inside you
The accumulation of longterm stress can lead to self-destructive behaviors, including
- Retail therapy
- Over-eating
- Defensive attitudes
- Addiction
Being on call is not being unplugged
The company will not burn to the ground in your absence
Delegate responsibilities before you leave so that you won’t be worried
Cover for your colleagues when they are out and they will come back fired up
Treat long vacations like a project
- Put it on the calendar months or years out
- Identify dependencies and potential impacts to other projects and plan accordingly
Get out of the house and get active