Years ago when I first started practicing with my partner, Bill Davidson, he returned from vacation in an extremely relaxed state. He mentioned it was the first time that he had gone on vacation since he had started practicing law where he felt relaxed and that he could get away from the office without worry. Upon his return, he was surprised how well everything was working and how there were no immediate fires to put out or problems that were ongoing. This, in turn, worked out the same way for my time off because I knew both of us had each other’s back. We could run the office and make sure that everything went smoothly so there were no worries while either of us was away. We are plugged in so much these days that it is almost impossible to get away from the office. Our society has turned into 24/7 with email, instant messages, social media and cell phone coverage becoming nationwide. The only way you can relax on vacation is to put everything aside and make sure that you are surrounded by a team that has your back while you are not in the office. If you have loyal team members that are capable of keeping things running smoothly while you are away, you will find yourself more relaxed. Use your trusted confidante and trusted relationships to take care of the matters while you are doing what is most important. Enjoy your time away and let other people have your back while you are gone. If your team is trusted and loyal, you can relax. This is true regardless of how big or small your business. If you have professionals that you have surrounded yourself with that are trustworthy and look out for you while you are away, you are in the same situation as someone in charge of a large team. Surround yourself with trusted professionals and team members so you can focus on the important things. This is true while you are away and while you are in the office.
Stephen Fuller is the managing partner of Fuller Sloan LLC and has practiced in business litigation and consulting for 37 years and has over 25 years representation of the founder of one of the largest sit-down casual restaurants in America. For more information, send Mr. Fuller an email.