Are you feeling vacation deprived? You're not alone. According to a recent Harris Interactive ® survey, workers in the United States averaged 12 vacation days per year, Australians 17 and Canadians 19. The French take the most vacation, at 39 days per year. Other reports confirm this workaholism trend in America. Many employees aren't taking the vacation to which they are entitled. The two main reasons given: "not scheduling in advance" (11 percent); and "too busy at work" (9 percent). Because of job insecurity, workers often feel pressure to be present at the workplace. Often, the end result is that workers become so mentally fatigued that they don't recognize the need to take some time off.

Employees need to know how much the regeneration a vacation provides can do for their productivity and well-being. And employers need to encourage their staff to take a holiday. In some countries, legislation requires a guaranteed annual vacation. Take off for some time off. Take every day you are entitled; make a clean break, and never check-in with the office while on vacation. From World Bytes, have a great summer... and take off for some time off!

Other Bytes

Here are some of the things going on in and around the engineering community:

• Almost every team spends a day to a week every year away from their regular responsibilities to plan for the future. In "Off-Sites that Work" (Harvard Business Review; 84(6), pp.117-126, 2006, www.hbr.com), Bob Frisch and Logan Chandler use their two decades of experience to provide a set of best practices for organizations to make the most of off-site meetings. Most important: having a pre-planned and rigorously structured meeting that will give rise to candid discussions. As the authors conclude, a well-designed off-site meeting could be a genuine turning point for your business.

• The decision to make public apology when an organization or leader makes a mistake requires considerable thought, so that it does not lead to institutional or individual ruin. In "When Should a Leader Apologize and When Not?" (Harvard Business Review; 84(4), pp. 73-81, 2006, www.hbr.com), Barbara Kellerman discusses conditions under which a public apology should be given, and what constitutes a good apology.

• There are important differences as well as similarities in the private equity and venture capital market in China. In "The Seven Disciplines for Venturing in China," (MIT Sloan Management Review; 47(2), pp. 85-89, 2006, http://sloanreview.mit.edu/smr/), Ajit Kambil, Victor Wei-The Long, and Clarence Kwan identify keys to successful investment in China.

• With the knowledge economy, the rule of higher education is being fundamentally redefined. In "The Future for Higher Education" (Educause Review; 41(2), pp. 59-71, 2006, www.educause.edu/apps/er/index.asp), James Hilton discusses two ways to frame this future for higher education. The first, viewing it as born from the convergence of numerous disruptive forces. The second, viewing it as being rife with opportunities arising from these same disruptive forces. Hilton posits that the technology-driven disruptions of the knowledge economy offer higher education enormous opportunities for collaboration, exploration and engagement with the wider world.

• Some complain about the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, while others have turned it to their advantage. In "The Unexpected Benefits of Sarbanes-Oxley" (Harvard Business Review; 84(4), pp. 133-140, 2006, www.hbr.com), Stephen Wagner and Lee Dittmar describe how, after a challenging first year, companies' compliance has provided a source of valuable insights into improved efficiencies and cost savings.

• In "Do They Trust You?" (HR Magazine, 51(6), pp. 59-65, 2006, www.shrm.org/hrmagazine/), Eric Krell discusses the impact that employee trust in their senior executives has on a business. Various reports indicate that this trust strongly influences turnover, productivity and profitability. Kress highlights six strategies that can be used to build trust and how the HR Department can facilitate this process.

• People are an organization's most valuable asset. In "Producing Sustainable Competitive Advantage Through the Effective Management of People" (Academy of Management Executive, 19(4), pp. 95-105, 2005), Jeffrey Pfeffer envisions the workforce as a source of strategic advantage, not just as a cost to be minimized or avoided. Pfeffer concludes that organizations that respect and work with their people are often able to outmaneuver and outperform their competition.

 

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