Absence makes the heart grow fonder

A prolonged period of abstinence from something you enjoy can be a good thing. Whether it’s chocolate, alcohol, or even your business, the time away enables you to break routine or stop unhelpful ways of behaving that you have been taking for granted. For managers and leaders in the business arena, another benefit of a short absence is it can provide the opportunity for your team to catch up & make adjustments without the pressure of the ‘boss’ being thereEvery spring, when I get back into the cockpit of my race car, I feel a heightened sense of anticipation about what’s ahead. Will I still be able to handle the car as well as I did last year? What will I have forgotten about?The first race reconnects me to the passion and challenge of driving on the limit of the car and my abilities, negotiating high speed corners and using all my awareness and concentration to enable the car to perform at its best.In business it can be helpful to adapt a similar approach. The time away from the operational day to day work can help you look at situations with fresh thinking when you return.  We tend to live in an ‘always on’ world these days. Even if you are on holiday it can be tempting to take a sneaky look at emails in the mistaken belief that it will save time later on. But what it does mean when you don’t get the benefit of absence.What’s even more beneficial is to enter another world completely. By that I mean if your formal day to day is focused on deadlines, try for a few days having none.  Or if juggling multiple tasks is the norm for you, try having only one goal for a day.   As you learn to accept absence from your strengths, the thrill of going back to them can bring pleasure, new insight, and a rekindling of excitement.