Summer vacation: How-to tips for the boss who doesn’t want to take a vacation
Life today is filled with so many competing obligations. Many of us are juggling the duties of caring for kids, checking in on aging parents and looking after our own day-to-day life duties, like shopping, paying the bills and trying to stay healthy ourselves. And of course, there are those paycheques we have to keep earning.
While there are people who take pride in being super busy all the time, increasingly we’re hearing that multitasking isn’t all it was once cracked up to be, and work/life balance is a goal many HR departments are striving to achieve for their employees.
But what if you’re the boss?
Many business owners agree that work/life balance makes sense; it creates productive and happy employees, for example, but…it doesn’t apply to them. After all you’ve invested in your company, everything could turn to dust if you check out, even for an instant. Right?
If you’re an owner who thinks like this, think about this: research shows that men who don’t take vacations have a much higher chance of having a heart attack than those who do take vacations.
That’s a pretty serious reason to take a break. Here are other reasons you (the boss) need to go on vacation:
- Recharge your batteries. Just like your body recharges while you sleep, both your body and mind get a much needed reset when you give them the rest they require…and deserve. The bonus: you’ll be re-energized and ready to go when you return to work.
- Set a good example. If the boss never takes a break, he or she may send out a signal that taking time off is a sign of weakness. What will be weak is your company’s productivity if your employees burn out.
- Your staff needs you to go. Hopefully your employees aren’t literally wanting you to leave, but letting the workplace run without the boss allows some employees to step up and take on more responsibility. Your vacation time could be someone else’s opportunity for growth and professional development.
Ready for that summer vacation yet? Here’s what you can do to ensure your holiday is as relaxing and worry-free as possible:
Prepare your clients.
- Let your regular or more important clients know you’re going to be away. If you have clients who are last minute or tend to procrastinate, tell them your vacation starts on X day – 2 or 3 days before you’re really leaving. Do the same with your return date – tell them you’re back in the office a couple of days later than when you really are back.
Prepare your employees.
- Murphy’s Law says that if anything is going to go wrong, it will go wrong at the worst possible time – including, of course, when you go away on vacation. Before you go, make a list of possible scenarios – like technology going down – and provide your employees with a list of what do, including who to call for help… instead of you. (Of course, there are certain scenarios in which you would want to be notified, so give one person emergency contact info, but with strict instructions that it must be an emergency.)
And if you still can’t let go, set ground rules for yourself.
- If your vacation will be ruined by the anxiety of not knowing what’s going on, set a time of day and a time limit to check in on the business. Limit this to checking in only – try not to get wrapped up in emails or deal with any hands-on part of the business.
Now, pack your bags. And tune in soon for another blog that will list some of the top vacation spots for 2017!
businessknowhow.com/manage/vacation.htm
staples.com/content-hub/small-business-owners-guide-to-taking-a-vacation-from-work