The Importance of Disconnecting and Going off the Grid

George Roberts

December 30, 2009

This is the time of year that reminds me of a lesson that took me a long time to learn… about 25 years give or take a year or two.

As a former high tech software executive running expansion stage software divisions in several software companies and some start up experience thrown in to boot I always encouraged my management team to go off the grid and disconnect during their time off. I told them to do as I say not as I do since I always stayed on the grid and connected during my breaks and vacations.

All I can say is I was wrong back then and it took me a while to figure it out. It is not healthy for you, your family, your management team or your company if you don’t take the time to truly relax.

As a senior team member of an expansion stage software company that invests growth capital in software companies and management teams I encourage all the top executives of the portfolio companies to truly disconnect when they take vacations. It provides an excellent growth opportunity for your management team and will prove that the company can run without you being there 24/7.

Leave your laptop at home, turn your blackberry or iPhone email off and enjoy your vacation. Once you try it you will realize what a difference it makes. When you come back you will be relaxed, refreshed and ready to take on the world again.

All the best!

G
 

Venture Partner

<strong>George Roberts</strong> is a Venture Partner at OpenView. He enjoys partnering with companies and helping them achieve their goals through strategy, focus and operational execution. From 1990 to 2003, George spent 13 years at Oracle Corporation, most recently having served as Executive Vice President of North American Sales. While at Oracle, George was responsible for over $1 billion in revenue and more than 2,000 employees, reporting directly to the company’s CEO and Chairman, Larry Ellison.