Constant connectivity not necessarily a good thing

The communication age has certainly made it easier to stay connected with customers, associates at work, friends, family and the media. Smartphones, laptops, desk tops, automobile blue tooth technology and 55-inch big-screen televisions now allow us to remain constantly connected to everyone and everything. This can be unhealthy for workaholics and salespeople whose income is based solely on sales results. Fear of loss is a more powerful emotion than the excitement created by opportunity of gain. The fear comes from the possibility that business could be missed or lost by not monitoring your numerous communication devices. This paranoia feels real because customers, friends and family have grown accustomed to being able to reach their intended target instantly through texts, email, phones and social media. Zillow, Realtor.com, Boomtown and all the online advertisers are telling us that time is money. Real estate agents and loan officers are being trained to react instantly when they get an online lead. The need for speed today is incredibly more critical than any time in history. Consumers and people in general today expect instant gratification and results and many want this gratification with the least amount of effort and time possible. If you miss the phone call or text, the customer may call someone else. I have many very successful friends that take several vacations per year every year and turn off and tune out three to even six weeks per year. These getaways, for them, are about family, mental health and business rejuvenation. They seem to be willing to risk a little loss during their time away by understanding the need for rest and relaxation to give a 100 percent effort the remainder of the year. They mitigate the amount of the loss by delegating to their employees and colleagues to cover for them while on these extended vacations but more importantly, understand that these vacations are part of the business plan. Happiness and health are critical to success in the business world today and many of us need to realize that exhaustion, fear of loss and desperation is not healthy in the long run.