I think Americans work too hard. I should qualify that by saying I think all of the Americans I know are working too hard — harder than they were ten or fifteen years ago. (I'm sure there are some people coasting out there – but they sure aren't in any of the companies we work with!)

I spend my life talking to people about their jobs — our clients and the candidates we recruit — and this sad fact is confirmed to me every day in conversations. Fifteen years ago if I left my office at 5:30 or 5:45, that was late! Now if I leave at that time, I feel like I'm "on time" or even leaving early! (And this isn't because I'm running my own business where I get to work 7/24!)

Even when we're not in the office, the cell phone and our wireless BlackBerries make it possible for us to communicate (read, "work") from anywhere at any time — on the beach, in a boat, on a trail or standing over the grill. And that's what we're all doing — and I don't think it's healthy.

Live Dangerously — Unplug!

I'm not going to bore you with a long treatise on working too hard and not taking time for the things that really matter. If you want a really short course in that, you don't have to wait until Christmas to reread Dickens's "A Christmas Carol."

So here's the thing — if you don't "unplug" for a sufficient time, in the long term you're not doing yourself any good (or your family and co-workers for that matter!) To paraphrase Stephen Covey, "you've got to take care of the golden goose." And you're the goose!

As well as the important quality of life issues, here's another reason to "unplug" — it's bad for business when you don't.

Most managers think the contrary. They think when they are constantly available, for whatever reason, that's good for their companies and good for their careers. I say, "au contraire." And here are three good reasons why:

1. BURNOUT

I get calls every day from people who are looking to make a job change because of burnout. They are working long, hard hours or traveling an inordinate amount of time. As one VP of Sales said to me not long ago, "My wife is going to divorce me if I keep this up. Help!"

Don't wait until your marriage is on the rocks or your best manager walks out the door opting for a more reasonable work week — fix the situation now! Make sure your people are current with their vacation time and encourage them to disconnect when they are on vacation. And line up the rest of the staff to make sure things are covered.

2. NO DELEGATION = NO RELAXATION

When I was a selling sales manager, the Friday before I went on vacation, I spent most of the day reviewing my accounts with the sales team and "handing off" where I was in the sales process to them. I met with my boss to review what we were working on, and he "spelled" me as a manager for the time I was gone.

What was fascinating was that when I returned two weeks later, there were no catastrophes, sales actually had been made, and the Customer Service Representatives, who reported to me as well, actually took on more responsibility for sales. And they did a beautiful job! It was fun to see how everyone handled the increased responsibility.

As my friend Marie Warner, an accomplished salesperson and sales trainer, told me, "That's how I learned what jobs I wanted to do. My boss would leave on vacation and I'd fill in." If you're a manager, look at your vacation time as an opportunity to delegate and let your team delight you!

3. NO CREATIVITY

Did you know that even Bill Gates "unplugs" for two weeks every year? Well, it's true. He's been doing it for years and he calls it his "creative time." For one week in the spring and one week in the fall, he retreats alone to a small, spartan cabin in the Northwest. He brings his reading and his laptop. Sandwiches are delivered daily and left on the porch. He relaxes, thinks, reads and dreams. No television. No radio. Every night before he goes to bed, he sends an email to his top managers. It's a "download" of the day's thoughts that will be used in future meetings to develop strategy and products. Some thoughts will be tossed out and some will be gems.

But the lesson is clear. You need time away from your job (mentally and physically) to get the creative juices going. It's great for you and your company to have this precious time — you deserve it!

This time is your "reward" for all the hours and hard work you devote to your job. But if you have a hard time visualizing yourself without your cell phone or laptop, just think back to when you were a kid during school vacation… and get that feeling of freedom again!