Workaholics Unite!

I was in London in November, visiting with the UK team and participating in a customer activity. My wife and kids were disappointed that I didn’t take any decent photos of the major sights. I tried to explain that 1) there wasn’t much to see on the short walk between my hotel and the Microsoft office (a large wall separating me from the Palace grounds, alas), 2) my crappy cell phone camera struggles for clarity in the dusk/night, which was when – after a day of work – I was finally able to venture out to see anything.

Yes, that’s right, I WORK when I am on work trips. Shocking, I know. In fact, like many of my counterparts, I tend to work multiple time zones when I travel. And guess what? I actually like it. I get a tremendous amount of work done without the revolving door of my Redmond office and the constant meeting room shuffle.

So here I am, sitting alone in the NY office, 9:34pm EST, getting stuff done. My Redmond counterparts have likely all drifted home, and yet I push on. Oh, I am not bragging. I know I have a problem. A couple of my employees have even told me, with concerned faces, that they fear I am going to burn out. Sadly, this is how I’ve been my entire career – especially when I like what I am doing.

Diet Coke isn’t helping.