Vacation Makes Better Leaders

My mom and I went on a cruise to Alaska this summer. We saw whales and seals and glaciers. We looked across the Pacific Ocean and had deep thoughts. We ate great food, and we met interesting people.

Some of our time was action packed when we took excursions. But there was a lot of time we just sat around. With little to no WiFi access on the ship, we couldn’t create much distraction. There was nothing to do but relax. My mind had nothing to occupy it – I just sat and looked out at the scenery.
 
It’s hard to get relaxed at home. Even when I’m not working, my mind tells me I should be. It has all kinds of thoughts about what I could be getting accomplished. Sometimes that’s helpful motivation, but often it’s just an unreasonable pace to keep.
 
That’s why vacations are important. Big ones that require saving up and making plans AND small ones – little weekends away or even pleasant afternoons in a park.
 
The US is the only developed country that doesn’t require employers to provide paid vacation leave. Compare that to Brazil with a total of 30 paid work days a year or France with 36. And even those who have access to paid vacation don’t always take it. In 2015, we left a whopping 658 million vacation days unused.
 
This is especially interesting considering that vacation actually makes us more productive and more efficient.
 
Fear is a main reason employees don’t use vacation, and 80% of employees in one study said they would take vacation if they were supported by their boss. 
 
Here are some things you can do to integrate and celebrate vacation as a part of a healthy workplace.

• Expect the last day at work before vacation to be spent setting up for your time away. Clean off your desk. Leave things organized so when you walk back in the door, you can find what you need to get into the rhythm of work.
• Communicate with clients and other co-workers about current projects and how vacation will affect their timeline. Set auto replies on email and web content. Change your voicemail message. At Arrants McSwain we unapologetically state what we’re up to so others know where we are. Not only does that clearly communicate when they will hear from us, but it’s our little way of normalizing the culture of vacation. Here’s what our last message said, “Thanks for your email. We’re out of the office to travel and spend time with family over our summer break. We’ll be back bright and early Friday morning, June 30, and will get in touch with you then.”
• When you’re on vacation, whether it’s in a far off place or literally sitting around in your own backyard, don’t work. Don’t check email. Don’t check voicemail. Don’t check on projects. Don’t work.
• Spend the first day back from vacation just getting back. Reset your email's auto reply and change your voicemail message. Take time to organize your calendar and prioritize projects. Return calls and emails. Some of them you can take care of right away. Some you’ll have to explain that you’ve been out of the office on vacation and will be able to respond more fully on Tuesday or whenever else.
• Talk about your vacation. Celebrate your time away. Bring in pictures or souvenirs or something to remind you of that special time away. If you were the one in the office while someone else was on vacation, listen to them talk about it. Celebrate the experience with them. You’ll get your turn, and in the meantime, you can relish in the pleasure of working with an inspired and well rested co-worker.

 
At the end of my vacation last month, I got on a plane back to Canton, Ohio with a phone full of wild Alaskan pictures and an In Box full of email. I was thrilled about both. I hope your next vacation ends the same way.

 
Talk About It

• Describe a meaningful vacation you took, either as an adult or as a child.
• What sorts of things do you and your team and your supervisor do now to build a healthy culture of vacation? What do you wish you and your team and your supervisor would do?
• What would be your ideal next vacation? What do you need to do now to make that happen?

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