A vacation should be a relaxing time away from your chaotic office life. However, there is more to going for a vacation than packing your bags and updating your passport.
So, before you slip away on your holiday, you have to take the necessary steps to ensure that you will not get overwhelmed the moment you return.
With the right planning and organization, you can have a worry-free vacation. That said, here are the six essential things that you need to do before you leave:
1. Make a list
Ideally, this list should be made up of everything you want to be briefed about or want to catch up on. Similarly, this may include vital projects currently in progress and decisions that needed to be made.
Having a ready to-do list once you return will help you prioritize the things that need to be done so that it’s easier for you to get back on track.
2. Clean your workspace
In the same way, you should also clean up your workspace before leaving for your holiday.
We know how an office becomes your second home. That’s why at Maid Sailors Office Cleaning Service NYC, we always tell our clients that they should treat their workspace like their living room.
It should be clutter-free, so you will not feel demotivated to get back to work once you return. After all, it is not welcoming to see a messy work desk.
So, ensure that you tidy up before leaving. Clear up all the items that you won’t be needing as soon as you get back from work.
3. Set an out-of-office email
The last thing you want to happen is coming back to a flood of angry emails and voicemails. Hence, it is imperative to set out your out-of-office email before going on a vacation.
You don’t want them tracking you down to the beach or your hotel either, sending in requests, or asking questions.
To avoid this from happening, check your email settings to schedule an out-of-office email (Gmail has this kind of feature). Inform your recipients you are on vacation and when you return will be.
And in case they need something urgent, leave your colleague’s contact details. Your colleague should be informed that you will make him or her your point of contact while you are away. This means that he or she should also know what to do.
PRO TIP: Set your out-of-office emails a day before and after your applied vacation leave. So, if you will be out from the 21st to 27th of the month, that would mean setting your out-of-office email from 20th to 28th.
4. Do any work before leaving
Is there any work that you need to do before your vacation? If that’s the case, then ideally, you should do these tasks before you leave.
If you feel that you don’t have enough time, you can always stay longer, even for just a couple of hours.
5. Communicate with your colleagues
Arrange a meeting with your colleagues and manager to discuss a couple of tasks that need to be done in your absence.
This will allow them to ask questions without always asking you repeatedly for the next couple of days that you’re away on holiday. Worse, they may contact you while you’re having a relaxing time lounging on a beach or taking a glass of wine at a beautiful vineyard.
If there’s a difficult task that needs to be done, go over the steps a couple of times.
6. Ease back into work
If you don’t want to be bombarded with emails, phone calls, or meetings as soon as you are back, then consider working from home a day before your designated return.
For instance, you filed for a seven-day vacation. The first day is meant for your departure, another three days for your vacation, and your fifth day is for your arrival. Your sixth day is for rest and the last day is for checking your work email and voicemail.
This may sound tedious, but the goal of such practice is to gear you up for the next day. This includes catching up with what you missed in the office while you were on vacation.
7. Cultivate trust
If you hold a leadership position, consider going on a vacation as a chance to learn how to delegate tasks. That’s because your absence from work could mean trusting your people to do their job while you are aware.
The more that you’re successful in doing this, the easier will your next vacation be.
Over to You
Preparing a couple of things in the office allows you to enjoy your vacation. That’s because it gives you peace of mind knowing that you can fulfill your responsibilities before taking a leave.
This does not only shows that you are organized and responsible, but it also means that you are brimming with professionalism.