vacation dos and don’ts

Summer, for all practical purposes, is here, and that means it’s time to share my annual “vacation do’s and don’ts.”                                                                              

Over the years, this content about how to spend (and not spend) your vacation has been one of my most popular—and most controversial—conversations. Some of my clients have told me I’m wrong; others have thanked me for the insights.

So here we go again …

I’ve noticed that many executives, professionals and salespeople don’t really ever go on vacation. Instead, they just relocate their offices to their vacation destinations—it’s easy to do with laptops, smart phones, email and the Internet. But this office-away-from-the-office takes precious time away from their families; each time they “check in with their work” they check out of their vacation.

I strongly encourage you not to do this.

Time off from work, and time spent enjoying yourself and your loved ones, isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity if you want true balance in life. Remember my 7 F’s!

To help you get the most out of your next vacation, I offer these cautionary Don’ts followed by some worthwhile Dos.

Seven Vacation Don’ts

1. Don’t check voice mail or email while you’re away. Let people know you will be gone and therefore unavailable.
2. Don’t “check in” with the office to see how things are going. I guarantee you’ll be pulled into something. If they need you badly enough—they will find you.
3. Don’t take work-related files with you on vacation. (Not paper nor electronic.)
4. Don’t take your work iPad or laptop with client or employee information on it. (I take my iPad, but I only use it for the Internet and personal emails. I have two email accounts—one professional and one personal—to keep work separate from the rest of my life.)
5. Don’t encourage clients / employees to call you if they have a problem while you’re on vacation. This is a good opportunity to let them know that the organization is bigger than just you and that you do have value-add other than yourself.
6. 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 as a message—voice or text or email. 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.

Seven Vacation Dos

1. Do contact your “core” clients, work associates 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.
2. Do activate your “Out of the Office” email message. Offer alternative contacts, if appropriate, and include the dates you will be out of the office and when you will be returning to work.
3. Do update your voice mail message, and include the same information that you gave on your “Out of the Office” email message.
4. 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.)
5. Do take a notepad or journal with you on vacation. Write down the ideas, dreams and solutions that will allow you to reach your goals—long-term and short-term. Be creative. For many, this is the one time of the year when your head is clear of the minutiae of work. 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.)
6. 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).
7. 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 in life, it calls for laying a foundation for success. As you prepare for your summer time off, 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. Go have fun!