Seven Vacation Don’ts

Don’t check voice mail or email while you’re away. Let people know you will be gone and therefore unavailable.

Don’t “check in” with the office to see how things are going. I guarantee you’ll be pulled into something.

Don’t take client or prospect files with you on vacation. Leave it all behind.

Don’t take your work laptop with client or employee information on it. (I take an old laptop that only has Word for my journaling and games for our children.)

Don’t encourage clients to call you if they have a problem while you’re on vacation. This is a good opportunity to let the client know that the organization is bigger than just you and that you do have value-add other than yourself.

Don’t become the project manager, if there is a problem that requires your input. Understand the problem, give instructions and ask for a status report to be left on your cell phone voice mail later. If a problem was big enough to bubble up to you, unfortunately, you probably will need to stay on it. But you don’t necessarily have to do the work.

Don’t mentally move the office to your vacation destination. Doing so will cause internal anxiety for you and external stresses amongst those on vacation with you.

Seven Vacation Do’s

Do contact your “core” clients and valued relationships the week before leaving for vacation to let them know you will be out of the office. Make sure they have an alternate contact if they need help, and see if there is anything you can do for them before you go out of town.

Do turn on your “Out of the Office” email message. Offer alternative contacts, if appropriate, and include the dates you will be out of the office.

Do update your voice mail message, and include the same information that you gave on your “Out of the Office” email message.

Do give instructions to your backup, administrative person or “temp” on how to handle your calls. Show them any and all electronic and printed files they might need. Make sure they know to call you only on critical issues and opportunities. (This should be a very short list.)

Do take a notepad or journal with you on vacation. Write down your ideas, dreams and solutions to help you do what you do better. Be creative. For many people this is the one time of the year when their head is clear of the “work swarm.” If you don’t write down good ideas when they occur to you, you just might lose them. (I like to keep a journal while on vacation. This way I can really consider and appreciate the time I’m spending with my family.)

Do reflect on where you stand with Family and the other 7 F’s of True Success: Fundamentals (of work), Finances, Faith, Fitness, Fun and Fusion (the balance of all this).

And finally, do relax and have fun with family and friends. This is your downtime; you’ve earned it. Making the most of it is an important way to be authentic (and kind) to yourself.

A joyful, peaceful, fun and memorable vacation requires a plan. Like anything worthwhile, it involves laying a foundation for success. As you plan and prepare for your trip, be sure to create boundaries back at the office so you can have a relaxed time away. Don’t do a lot of the things you have trained yourself to do during the other 50 weeks of the year. Distance yourself from work before you even leave town. I know you can do it because you want to do what you do better. Besides, your family is counting on you.