Out of Office

Professional tips:

1. Frontload your meetings and work so that you won’t have quite as much waiting for you when you get back.

2. Establish a backup for people to reach out to in your absence. (You’d be surprised how many people don’t do this!)

3. If you’re too tempted to look at your e-mail, go on a cruise and don’t get the internet package. You’ll be forced to unplug.

4. Take just one day. There are times to go away for a week, or more, but even just one day can help you recharge.

5. Think of your vacation as great small talk before and after your trip. Everyone loves talking about vacations and it can help you build relationships.

6. Along those lines, tell your client every time you talk to them for at least a week prior that you’re going to be out so they can’t say they didn’t know. Also make sure anyone you’re working on something with is aware, not just your manager.

7. Not having the capacity to take on more work for a bit can be another benefit. Doing good work often means you get more of it so the idea of having too much work to do actually goes down.

Tips for managers:

1. Let your team know how many people can have a specific day off for days like the day after Thanksgiving. This will help to set expectations if too many people make a request.

2. Make sure your team is aware it’s okay to take time off without repercussions as long as you follow proper procedures.

3. Set the example! It’s okay for you to take time off too! As a leader, your team is watching what you do to know what’s okay or not okay.

   Note: I worked somewhere that had a company policy allowing time off at a specific time as long as the hours were being worked during the remainder of the week and my manager was against it. I even got reprimanded for taking it and vacation time. That is, until that person started taking it themselves.

4. Have templates and training available for how to tell a client you’ll be out of the office whether it’s company mandated or personal. This includes out of office messages.

5. Do NOT reach out to the person during their vacation.

   Note: I had a manager call me right before I was boarding a cruise and then told me it could wait until I got back. I spent the trip wondering what was going on. Nothing. Nothing was going on. The next trip a similar situation happened and I decided I ‘didn’t have signal.’