There is no doubt about it. Everyone is in holiday mode. Clients are busy trying to wrap up their year-end and are pressing with last minute requests before budgets disappear. There are extended vacations. There are stops and starts because Christmas and the New Year fall within the week. Let’s face it… it is a wonder anything can get done. Staying productive during this or any holiday season requires a huge effort- especially for service businesses. However, that does not mean that you can’t get meaningful work done.

For me, time is a precious resource and I know I am not alone. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and not take the time to connect with suppliers and customers. This week, in the midst of a grueling work schedule, I decided to show up at a trade show in Chicago (a three-hour drive from my office) where our customers were exhibiting. Prior to this show we created a variety of videos for them to use on their booths. In addition, we were going to send crews on site to videotape future communications. It would have convenient to finish the work, send off the videos and let my employees do the rest.