Are you familiar with the term Boondoggling? It is defined as “to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.” A few years back when I worked as an outside sales executive I was really offended by a boss that asked me if I was “boondoggling” one Holiday Season. I think he only made that reference to me the first year I worked for him and he may have not really had an understanding of my work ethic. I was really shocked that he thought I would waste this time of year to “Boondoggle”. If I wanted to take time off then I would have taken time off.
As an outside sales person you rarely should find yourself in the office, let alone in the office to “boondoggle”. Your job is to be in front of clients and prospects. Typically during 9 to 5 you are making sales calls or attending meetings. If you have paperwork it gets put on hold for after hours so that you make yourself available as much as possible for client interactions. The end of the year is a treat for me. It’s a great time to plan and get caught up. A successful salesperson does not have time to Boondoggle anytime of the year. This does not mean that I do not enjoy taking time to break and I am not afraid to say today I am taking a break.
The two weeks at the end of December are far from Boondoggling for those of us who choose work. It’s a great time to get caught up on loose ends and create plans for the New Year. The planning that we can get done during this time helps to create a successful year ahead! So for those that choose to Boondoggle and not make the most of your days before the New Year….you probably should have just taken the time off and recharged. There is nothing wrong with shutting down….however if you are going to boondoggle you probably just wasted some valuable time.