by Kate Denis
Companies expend untold energy building culture—defining their values, revamping their office space, organizing holiday parties and volunteer outings. And yet many managers don’t seem to realize that while company culture can be really hard to build, it’s incredibly easy to destroy. And you may unknowingly ruin it in just two steps.
Step 1: Go on vacation.
Step 2: Continue working like you never left.
It is common practice for American managers. Our latest research at Project: Time Off shows that just 14% of managers unplug when they’re on vacation. At the most senior levels of leadership, a mere 7% do. The majority check in with work at least once a day.
If you’re in this camp, there is a good chance you are thinking about maintaining your own peace of mind either while you’re away (what if something crucial happens?) or when you get back (if you truly unplugged, how would you ever catch up?). But before you hit “send,” think. All emails are not created equal, and when you’re on vacation, you’re sending more messages than can be contained in the contents of your note.