The Management Tip of the Day

Set Boundaries Before You Go on Vacation.‌ Do you have a hard time disconnecting from work—like, completely disconnecting—while you're on vacation? Here are five things to do in advance to protect your precious time off. Provide a plan. Prepare a document outlining how your work will get done. Who is the emergency contact for each issue that could arise in your absence? Who will manage any ongoing projects? Block your calendar. This way, your manager, colleagues, and clients will remember that you're out-of-office (OOO) any time they try to send you a meeting invite. Send pre-notices for standing meetings. Don't just decline standing meetings the week of your vacation. Send emails to let the people who run those meetings know that you won't be there—and ask if there's anything they need from you before you depart. Optimize your OOO message. State that you will not be reachable until the date you return. Include an internal contact for emergencies and one who will handle other important but non-urgent inquiries. Send a final reminder. The week before your vacation, remind all your relevant collaborators when you'll be on vacation and the date you'll return. Today’s Tip  Set Boundaries Before You Go on Vacation Do you have a hard time disconnecting from work—like, completely disconnecting—while you're on vacation? Here are five things to do in advance to protect your precious time off. Provide a plan. Prepare a document outlining how your work will get done. Who is the emergency contact for each issue that could arise in your absence? Who will manage any ongoing projects? Block your calendar. This way, your manager, colleagues, and clients will remember that you're out-of-office (OOO) any time they try to send you a meeting invite. Send pre-notices for standing meetings. Don't just decline standing meetings the week of your vacation. Send emails to let the people who run those meetings know that you won't be there—and ask if there's anything they need from you before you depart. Optimize your OOO message. State that you will not be reachable until the date you return. Include an internal contact for emergencies and one who will handle other important but non-urgent inquiries. Send a final reminder. The week before your vacation, remind all your relevant collaborators when you'll be on vacation and the date you'll return. This tip is adapted from “Set These 5 Boundaries Before You Go on Vacation,” by Marlo Lyons ADVERTISEMENT Key business issues, every issue With a HBR subscription, you’ll get access to a wealth of content and resources, written by the world’s leading business minds. View our subscription options Article Build a Strong Learning Culture on Your Team by James McKenna How to help your employees better anticipate, communicate, and meet their upskilling and reskilling needs. Read more Ebook "You Can't Make a Tomelette without Breaking Some Greggs": Toxic Management Lessons from "Succession" (and What to Do Instead) by Harvard Business Review and Amy Gallo $22.00 Learn more Don’t forget you’re entitled to 20% off your first purchase* *Use promo code HBRORGREG4. View details here. View in browser Contact us Privacy policy Manage newsletter preferences Unsubscribe

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