Mala McAlpin Do you struggle to switch off while you’re away from work? Even while you’re on holidays? We understand how difficult it can be to step away – either you’re super passionate about what you do or you simply like to be in control (or perhaps a healthy mix of both!) but if you’re jetsetting around the globe and all you can think about is your business instead of taking in the sights, you may want to consider implementing some strategies to relieve yourself while you’re away. Particularly when you’re overseas and there is substantial a time difference, it’s easy to worry about emergencies occurring and your team being unable to contact you.
This is where you may find it helpful to establish some guidelines before you set off on your way. Ensure you and your team are on the same page and we can guarantee you will enjoy your travels a whole lot more!
Designate, delegate
Designate one person to act in your stead while you are unreachable. As much as you cross your fingers and toes that nothing drastic happens while you’re gone, things can go wrong, and whether it’s as small as a staff tiff or as large as an on-the-job injury, you need to know that you have a reliable right-hand to take care of the situation and make executive decisions on their own. Discuss possible scenarios with them, and ideal resolutions. Make sure that you let all staff know who their temporary manager is (they need to hear it firsthand) to avoid any hierarchical conflict or drama.
Have an in-depth staff meeting before you take off, just to make sure your team is unified, motivated, and aware of their individual responsibilities. You don’t want to be bothered on holidays by emails like ‘who is in charge of the social media account?’
Set work/life constraints
We know it would be unrealistic of us to recommend any business owner to completely switch off, so try setting some constraints while you’re off the job – either a limit on email checks throughout the day, or a switch-off time in the morning and evening.
Request timed updates
If you feel like you absolutely can’t survive without knowing what’s going on, request timed updates from your manager – ie. daily emails sent at a certain time outlining what went down each day, and specifics you might want to know like totals, bookings, etc.
It’s just three small and easy things to implement, but we guarantee it will make a big difference for everyone involved.
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