Don't Burn Out!

Bix Norman

Executive Vice President,
Manufacturing and Information Technology
Herman Miller Inc.
Zeeland, Michigan

I don't worry about burnout, because I manage my schedule so that I never get drained. I make sure that I focus only on what's important. I'll pick three aspects of a particular project to give my attention to. Luckily, I've been good at identifying the few things that make a big difference.

I've become good at delegating and at filtering out excess "noise": I don't answer phone calls that have nothing to do with what I'm working on, I stopped using voice mail 6 or 7 years ago, and I don't use a cell-phone at all. You need to know yourself and how you work best. I'm most effective when I'm relaxed. So I make sure that I get enough rest. I work 9 AM to 4 PM, and I never work on weekends.

I know people for whom work is their life, their sole interest. But I think that it's very important to do things outside of work that you enjoy. I enjoy photographing landscapes and taking close-up nature shots. It refreshes me and helps me stay focused. And photography exercises a set of creative muscles in my brain that don't necessarily get worked out in business -- the ones that develop your intuitive mind, which can be critical for on-the-job decision making. So, if you need a way to recharge regularly, my advice is to find a hobby.

Bix Norman (bix_norman@hermanmiller.com) has been with Herman Miller Inc. for more than 20 years. Most recently, he has led the company's rapid adoption and development of new technology, and has taken over manufacturing responsibilities.

Karen Chakmakian

Cofounder
iPass Inc.
Mountain View, California

Sometimes you have to disconnect in a major way - from everything. In 1996, my husband and I started a company in Silicon Valley, and it consumed us for the next few years. When we'd grown to a certain point, I was ready for a long break. I wanted to travel.

My husband wasn't quite ready to do that, so I took off with a friend. We backpacked through Nepal and visited places that I'd never even heard of. I traveled for four months. But my plan is to take a whole year off. I'm in the middle of that now. I'm going to visit my family, do some snowboarding, and go to Latin America.

The pull to return to work is strong, though. My husband is now running another startup, and I sometimes feel left out. I was so passionate about the company that we started together. But there came a time when I knew that I had to stop. I was leading a really unhealthy life.

On my travels, I brought nothing remotely Silicon Valley - no computer, no cell-phone, no pager. I began to view the world and my life very differently. After seeing how simple other people's lives were, I realized that I'd lost all perspective on what the real world was like.

In the future, I want to keep some balance in my life. I don't want to forget about my non-work-related passions. In Katmandu, I learned how to play guitar, and I'm continuing to take lessons. When you're working, it's so easy to put everything on hold, month after month. But you need to make sure that what's important to you is a part of your everyday life.

Karen Chakmakian (karen@chakmakian.com) cofounded iPass Inc. with her husband, Chris Moore. The company's technology became a standard for global Internet roaming and corporate remote-access solutions. Before starting iPass, Chakmakian was a consultant to various Internet companies and worked in the semiconductor industry.