How To Take A Real Vacation – Prepare Your Team So You Can Really Unplug
Written by: Marguerite Thibodeaux, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
I’ve been to every continent, traveled all over the world on extended vacations, all while leading teams. The anticipation of a trip is almost like a trip in itself. We spend days, weeks, months, and sometimes even years planning our dream getaway. But then we have to actually take the time off work!
One thing we all want to avoid: working on vacation. It's no fun sitting in front of your laptop reading emails while you're at the beach supposedly enjoying a relaxing moment. Here’s how I prepare my team, so I can take real vacations that allow us to actually explore where we are, recharge and come back ready for the next challenge at work.
Plan Ahead With Your Team
This is one of the most important steps. Let your team and collaborators know that you'll be out of the office at least three weeks in advance. Also, check with your team if there’s anyone who would be taking the same time off as you. This would help you in properly designating tasks. If there are projects that require collaboration between members of the team or different departments, three weeks gives both you and them plenty of time to set expectations, ask questions or request any additional support they'll need to succeed while you’re out.
Provide a Clear Backlog of Work
Giving your teammates a backlog, or clear instructions and their own “to-do list”, will help them know exactly what they should be working on while you’re away.
A backlog can be as simple as a document or visual board that lists all of the projects your team needs to complete while you're away, including any specific deadlines or criteria they need to meet. Then, make sure everyone has access to it so that each of your teammates knows what needs to happen.
A low tech kanban board can make expectations clear and simple. The simplest and most effective backlogs include:
Acceptance criteria, or what needs to be true for the project to be considered done
Deadlines
Owners
Approvers
Have an Accountability/Approval Process in Place
In order to make sure you have everything covered, it’s important to have an accountability/approval process in place. First, make sure you have backup approvers who know what and whom they're responsible for. Make sure your team knows who they are and that they trust your backups. Also, tell one, and only one person, how to get a hold of you if there’s an emergency. Often, this is your manager. A peer that you regularly work closely with could also serve as a good gatekeeper for emergency contact. Let your team know who this person is. If there is an issue that requires immediate attention, your team knows whom to reach and where to get help to resolve the situation quickly and efficiently. No one is perfect. Even I check my email or Slack messages a couple of times at the beginning of each vacation. Thankfully, preparing for each vacation like this means that each email or Slack message immediately gets a “We’ve got this. Go enjoy your vacation!” response from my team. After a day or two of detox, I’m able to really let go and enjoy my vacation. By the way, in all the years I’ve had one designated person with my personal phone number, I’ve never gotten a single call on any continent.
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Marguerite Thibodeaux, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Marguerite Thibodeaux, a leadership coach and talent management consultant, helps leaders and organizations bring the best out of people with courage, compassion, and clarity. After building development programs and leading a talent transformation at a Fortune 100, she became increasingly aware that not all leaders had access to a Fortune 100 Learning & Development team. To do something about that, she started Magnanimous Leadership, a leadership coaching and consulting firm that's on a mission to make resources and support available to every leader.
