Logging off: The Key to a Successful Vacation
Recently, I spent some much needed time off in San Diego with my wife and several friends and their significant others. In addition to exploring the city and time in the sun, we witnessed a former teammate get married. However prior to leaving on vacation, I made a vow of my own.
I vowed to come back refreshed.
Flashback nearly two years ago… my wife and I got married. I took two and a half weeks to prepare and celebrate one of my largest life events to date. After that time, I came back with a renewed passion for my work, clients, and career.
I attribute most of this to crossing into a new phase of my life. Marrying the love of my life was transformational. However, part of this feeling I attribute to truly stepping away from work.
I turned email off, our honeymoon was in an area where our phones literally did not work, no social media, no texting. I was “off the grid”.
Flash forward…In San Diego while enjoying my most recent vacation, I got to thinking:
How do you take a successful vacation? Successful for you, your career and your company…
There are three blocks of time where you can take action to ensure a successful vacation.
Actions to take before you leave…
- Be strategic with your schedule: Don’t continue status quo until the very last minute. Give yourself time to GSD (get stuff done) and prepare for your departure.
- Prioritize: Your “to do” list is endless. Complete what you must and delegate time sensitive projects/deliverables to someone else who can drive forward in your absence. Remove yourself wherever possible as a bottleneck.
- Empower your team/department: After you have removed yourself as a bottleneck, set your team up for success. Entrust processes or deliverables to responsible/capable team members during your absence. Given them the tools and frameworks to take action in your absence.
Modified from: http://www.businessinsider.com/8-things-to-do-at-work-before-your-next-vacation-2014-4
While you are gone...
This one is easy. While you are gone, STAY GONE! It is impossible to come back refreshed, if you never left in the first place. Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author states:
"Unplugging from work, even just for a day or two, can help you maintain a better overall perspective on life...boost your happiness levels which will all support a healthier, happier person showing up at work..."
Once you get back...
By this point you have worked the plan, hopefully enjoyed the vacation, and “the wheels are still on”. Once you are back, repeat the actions you took before you left...
- Be strategic with your schedule: When you get back to the office, once again, give yourself time to GSD. Prepare for the projects/deliverables/meetings which will arise over the immediate horizon.
- Prioritize: When digging yourself out of a mound of email or meeting requests, process them for effectiveness to accomplish your top objectives. To put it another way…
“If you look at an email and can’t find a clear way to connect it to the organization’s top three to five priorities, then move on to the next email.” - Peter Bregman
- Empower your team/department: If you took this action step seriously when you left, you may be surprised at how smoothly things ran while you were gone. Take advantage of this opportunity for junior team members to take ongoing ownership of important initiatives. Don't re-insert yourself as a bottleneck, provide guidance and let people shine with their new found skills.
Lastly, if you needed a reason to take a vacation…
According to Harvard Business Review, people who take all of their vacation time have a 6.5% higher chance of getting a promotion or a raise than people who leave 11 or more days of paid time off on the table. Correlation vs. causation could be argued… but who could argue with that stat!
If done right a vacation can be beneficial for you, your career, and your company on many fronts!
Let me hear your thoughts! What else have you done to take a successful vacation?
