Just because you own a business doesn’t mean you can never take a vacation again. In fact, when you don’t take a vacation it can lead to burn out, increased stress, or a decrease in your productivity level. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do for you and your business is to be a good role model of both working hard and playing hard–in the right times and circumstances–so your employees can follow your lead in working hard at the job and also taking time out for leisure, which is an important thing to do!

“If you don’t get a break, you’re going to burn out, and you’ll never achieve the level of success you’re aiming for,” said Debra Condren, who has a Ph.D. in psychology and is the founder of Manhattan Business Coaching.  

Summer grows closer every day: do you want to spend the summer season at your laptop or set yourself up for success with some leisure and lemonade? (Perhaps a Long Island Iced Tea or a Piña Colada without getting caught in the rain?)

To take a vacation, you need to make it a priority and start preparing your staff for your departure as soon as possible:

Letting your employees know about your vacation plans

After letting your employees know when you’re going on vacation, you’ll need to draw up a plan for delegating. Go over your expectations, back up plans, worst-case scenarios, and contingency plans. Make a list with solutions to problems and what the steps the employees need to take to handle it. Identify and groom key employees to take charge. You can start by having your employees take on more responsibility at least a month before you leave so they can get the feel of what you’ll be expecting of them.

Fabeinne Fredickson wrote an article for Forbes stating, “When your team knows exactly what to do, when to do it and precisely how you would want it to be done, your business can run like a well-oiled machine.”

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Extra points to consider

By having Coaching and Training programs already in place, you can be assured of having your employees trained to handle any emergency which may come up. It will also help keep your managers’ skills sharp, honed, and on-point. By having an Employee Handbook issued to each employee, it will cover the basics, have good solid policies and procedures in place, designate clear job descriptions, and create good customer skills.

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Informing your clients

You also will need to inform your clients that you’ll be on vacation. By letting your clients know that they will be in capable hands while you’re gone is invaluable. Also inform the clients of who will be handling their accounts and that–if an emergency arises–you can be contacted. Reassure them the same quality and level of work will be followed through in your absence.

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Letting your employees get to work

Once time for your holiday arrives, be sure to really take it! Take a real vacation: leave the work to your employees and trust it is in good hands, that your chain of command is solid because you set it in place yourself, and that you will be contacted if necessary. Disengage from work emails and other non-emergency communications; focus on yourself, your family or friends, and your experience. This vacation is for you, not for work!

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Easing back into work

Travel and re-entry into work can be stressful after a holiday. Don’t be too hard on yourself or your employees as you settle back into your managerial role. Perhaps there’s a little slack to take up or a few too many messages awaiting response: pour yourself another warm beverage, delegate what you can, keep cracking away at it, and imagine how you’ll improve things for your next holiday!

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Bonus Points to any Best Bosses out there who like to pick up a few knick-knacks to bring back for sharing with those who picked up the slack during the holiday! Candies, snacks, office mugs or decorations, tourist items, or fabrics can make great gifts and lets your employees know that you thought of them even while not thinking of work on vacation.

Contact us here at the HR Engineers for further advice on taking that vacation of your dreams this summer!