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Take a REAL Vacation: 4 Steps to Cut the Work Connection

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As I walked around town this weekend, the emptier than usual streets reminded me that it's peak vacation season. Seated in a restaurant next to a family discussing their upcoming road trip, it was impossible to miss the attention paid to smartphones by the parents.

You have undoubtedly read more than one article about how technology has taken over our free time -- we are always connected. As a small business owner you know there's an opportunity cost to disconnecting. You don't earn vacation pay and one good connection just might pay for the vacation! And employees feel compelled to maintain the connection, afraid of missing something or offending someone.

With my own time off on the horizon I've identified helpful four steps to move away from the screen.

Step 1: Make meals a no technology zone

Whether you are traveling with friends or family, set a personal rule that technology -- smart phones, tablets, and game consoles -- do not come to the table. If you need some weaning, turn screens off when the food arrives. No surreptitious texting under the table. If your brother is late and lost, sure you can connect to guide him. Photo sharing can be saved for a nice after-dinner activity.

Step 2: Make an appointment to connect

There is one essential phone call that you could not get in before you left or a document you were unable to review at the airport. Set a date and time to connect. This should work whether you are the owner or an employee. If you're the boss, employees will appreciate a specific time frame as opposed to spending an afternoon waiting for a call.

Step 3: Take advantage of holidays

Ever notice that it's tough to get someone on Friday afternoons in the summer?  It's even harder on the day before a holiday weekend. Schedule your time off around holidays and you simply reduce the likelihood that people will even try to connect. They are heading out too, or at least firing up the grill.

Step 4: Find a place without network availability

This is the hardest step and one that will depend on your temperament, vacation preferences, and the people you travel with. I always spend some time in the mountains or on a lake in places too distant from towers to have WiFi. It does not have to be an entire week; even if it's only a few hours it will feel like living in the good old days, way back at the end of the 20th Century.

If you have already enjoyed a summer connection, I hope you did not scratch your screen with sand. Feel free to use these tips in December.

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Profile: Rebecca Mazin

Rebecca Mazin creates usable solutions for employers to meet increasingly complicated human resources challenges. Her Recruit Right consulting, training, and writing produces consistently measurable results in organizations from small startups to industry giants. Rebecca is the author of First Time Firing, The Employee Benefits Answer Book: An Indispensable Guide for Managers and Business Owners and co-authored The HR Answer Book: An Indispensable Guide for Managers and Human Resources Professionals. Follow Rebecca on Twitter @thehranswer.