Last Updated on March 3, 2024 by Asfa Rasheed
It’s important for every business owner to spend time away from the office and mentally disconnect from work. For a boss, it’s easier said than done. When I started my restaurant business, I barely had time to watch my Spectrum TV service let alone taking a vacation!
Eventually, I realized I need a vacation to unwind and focus on my mental health a bit. It was a tough decision but I made it with the help of careful planning. This break made me learn so many lessons. If you are worried about how to keep your business up and running and have a great time at the beach or in the mountains, check out these tried and tested tips:
Table of Contents
1: Work In Advance
Honestly, it’s impossible to enjoy your trip and reduce stress if you are spending your time worrying about what’s going on in the office.
A nice way to unwind and relax is by getting as much work done in advance as possible. Kill all the important tasks and let your subordinates handle the light work.
2: Communicate Your Expectations
No boss wants their team to be fooling around while they are on vacation. Unfortunately, a lot can happen while you’re away. Before you leave, communicate your expectations. For instance, will your stand-in have absolute decision-making authority? Would you be checking in regularly? And so on.
Clarify everything in advance so that your team knows what’s expected of them and when to reach out to you if need be.
3: Build a Reliable Team
This goes without saying, if you have a committed, trustworthy, and reliable team, you would be at peace wherever you are vacationing.
That’s why it’s always suggested to search for the right people at the time of forming a team. After hiring, if you realize some employees are not the right fit for the role or they are not performing as expected, get rid of them.
4: Contact Your Clients
It always makes sense to give your clients a head up that you will be out of the office. This way, you won’t have a long list of messages waiting when you return to work. Plus, they won’t be caught off guard upon receiving an out-of-office auto email.
Let them know when you will be returning to have a business chat. They won’t reach out to you while you are unwinding.
5: Leave the Seniors in Charge
Vacations are an excellent opportunity to give your senior members a chance to take more responsibility and prove themselves. Ideally, put the most trusted staff members responsible for overseeing business operations. This will give you confidence that your business is in safe hands. At the same time, the member in charge will be gaining valuable experience.
6: Always Have an Emergency Only Contact Number
I know the meaning of vacation is to unplug from work but what if there is an emergency crisis? You must make yourself available for such events. If your team is reliable, chances are they will handle the situation on their own. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, right? Have an emergency-only number to communicate with your team.
You can also use an email address but if you’re vacationing in an area where internet services may not be available, then your best bet is having an emergency contact number.
7: Create a Shared Calendar
Some bosses like to stay in the loop. There is no harm in that! In fact, spot-checking must be done to be sure everyone’s on the right track.
Use your shared digital calendar across the entire team to keep track of all projects in progress. However, as long as your team is aware of the deadlines and expectations, you shouldn’t have to micromanage them.
Read more: Always Have an Emergency Only Contact Number
8: Set Boundaries
Detaching yourself from work completely is not possible sometimes. If you must work while you are on vacation, it’s important to set boundaries. Choose a time of the day when you would be checking emails, taking calls, and doing any other work required. Keep the rest of the hours for the vacation. Don’t forget to stay away from social media.
Taking time away from work is scary but it’s important for your mental and physical well-being. With careful planning and proper communication, you can have a great time and forget about work for a while!
Apart from that, if you are interested to know about The ins and outs of running a small trucking business then visit our Business category.
