When Kathleen Westcoat, CEO of Healthcare Access Maryland, turned 40 she made a resolution: to take an annual family vacation. “I decided, come hell or high water, we are going to do this every year,” she says. “It’s critical for busy families to spend concentrated time with one another—and to do that, you have to make it a priority.”
That sentiment was echoed by all of the CEOs we spoke to for this article, each of whom makes a concerted effort to block out time to travel as a family—and each of whom admits that arranging those escapes is no easy feat. “The whole notion of a vacation has changed,” notes Peter Orrell, CEO of Junior Sports Corporation. “With all the connectivity we have now, it’s virtually impossible to disconnect; but in my view, you can’t be optimally effective in your professional life if you aren’t optimally effective in your personal life and vice versa. So you have to balance that out.”
Ironically, the technological advances that provide 24/7 connectivity around the world both enable and hamper downtime. The trick, say vacationing CEOs, is to find ways to leverage your accessibility without letting it take over your time away. Orrell, for example, finds it impossible to go completely dark, so he sets aside a few hours to check email and handle urgent business while away and also makes sure to choose destinations offering the dedicated landlines and high-speed Internet that allow him to do that efficiently.
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1:00 - 5:00 pm
Over 70% of Executives Surveyed Agree: Many Strategic Planning Efforts Lack Systematic Approach Tips for Enhancing Your Strategic Planning Process
Executives expressed frustration with their current strategic planning process. Issues include:
Steve Rutan and Denise Harrison have put together an afternoon workshop that will provide the tools you need to address these concerns. They have worked with hundreds of executives to develop a systematic approach that will enable your team to make better decisions during strategic planning. Steve and Denise will walk you through exercises for prioritizing your lists and steps that will reset and reinvigorate your process. This will be a hands-on workshop that will enable you to think about your business as you use the tools that are being presented. If you are ready for a Strategic Planning tune-up, select this workshop in your registration form. The additional fee of $695 will be added to your total.
2:00 - 5:00 pm
Female leaders face the same issues all leaders do, but they often face additional challenges too. In this peer session, we will facilitate a discussion of best practices and how to overcome common barriers to help women leaders be more effective within and outside their organizations.
Limited space available.
10:30 - 5:00 pm
General’s Retreat at Hermitage Golf Course
Sponsored by UBS
General’s Retreat, built in 1986 with architect Gary Roger Baird, has been voted the “Best Golf Course in Nashville” and is a “must play” when visiting the Nashville, Tennessee area. With the beautiful setting along the Cumberland River, golfers of all capabilities will thoroughly enjoy the golf, scenery and hospitality.
The golf outing fee includes transportation to and from the hotel, greens/cart fees, use of practice facilities, and boxed lunch. The bus will leave the hotel at 10:30 am for a noon shotgun start and return to the hotel after the cocktail reception following the completion of the round.
