OOO Message - Ready, Set…

Wait a minute… it’s that time of year, but are you Ready for your Vay-Kay?

Sipping on a cocktail with family and friends at a fancy resort, maybe spending time off beachside, dipping your toes in the water, or just canceling all your plans to take long naps in the comfort of your own home! Vacation time is here!

MAYBE YOU’RE READING THIS, JUST DAY DREAMING?

Good news - you don’t have to. In fact, make sure you take that PTO of yours, whether it’s unlimited or it rolls over… you deserve some time off!

So keep daydreaming about your up coming vay-kay AND before you go and enjoy, make a plan on the things you need to attend to before you you turn on your OOO notification.

Here are 3 MAIN TIPS so you can avoid the ultimate vacation vibe kill (Erm, Steve, can you get me your TPS report please?!):

Game Plan 101: Make a list of all the projects you’re on right now, as well as the ongoing priorities discussed amongst your team. Make clear notes on these, such as the deadlines, statuses, who's doing what, what your role is, contact details and any significant milestones that will be important to cover while you’re out.

Find a Cover Buddy: You've got your main points about what's - what, but now you need to think about ANY possible complications or problem situations that may arise in your absence and include solutions to these and find a Cover Buddy to, well cover for you! Setting them up with all the deets gives them something to work with just in case stuff hits the fan in your absence. You’ll want to set them up with detailed examples, resources, documents and any information they may need to follow through with. Going over the routine or guidelines of what needs to be done is critical - it gives you both more confidence. (With that being said, they may feel like they are kind of doing two people's work in this time, so BY ALL MEANS do not come empty handed to this crash course. Food, it's always food. Bring some food along to tame the beast, they will most likely do this for you with a smile.)

Heads-Up: Your boss allowed for those days to be yours, but that doesn't mean that some mythical bell rang and the "schools-out forever" mentality should kick in. Be sure you have a proper check in with your boss (include an email too) and let them know who you've placed in charge of your priorities while you’re away. Include what problematic scenarios may happen and the guidance you’ve provided if they do arise.

Team work makes the dream work… more so, it makes leaving for holiday so much easier! You've planned, you’ve been proactive in your hand off, and you’ve doubled back with your boss…. now it’s time to set your email responder to OOO. Set yourself free and enjoy that vacation.

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