August is here, and with it comes the same question every year:
Are you really going to disconnect… or are you going to check your email “just for a minute” every morning?
No one truly rests without permission. And permission isn’t something you sign—it’s something you demonstrate.
You can approve all the vacation time in the world. But if you’re replying to emails from the beach, your team has already received the message: this isn’t a place where people truly disconnect.
Culture isn’t written in any document. It’s reflected in the example you set.
Disconnecting isn’t about putting your phone away. It’s about trust.
Trusting that your team can keep things running without you. Trusting that nothing will fall apart.
If you can’t turn off your phone, maybe the problem isn’t the phone. If you can’t leave with peace of mind, the issue isn’t that you don’t know how to disconnect—it’s that you haven’t learned to delegate. And that’s something you can work on.
Here’s an uncomfortable thought to take with you to the beach:
Vacation is the most affordable diagnostic tool your organization has. What falls apart when someone is away reveals who is really holding things together—more than any organizational chart ever could.
And what if nothing falls apart without you? Relax. It doesn’t mean you’re unnecessary. It means you’ve built something that stands on its own. That’s success, too.
This summer, we’re talking about rest.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing a series of short LinkedIn posts about rest and disconnection from a systemic perspective. Perfect for reading with one eye open from your beach chair.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/eka-rrhh
Have a wonderful summer—and enjoy a real break.
Warm regards,
The eka Team