Holidays are for recharging and reenergising! It is also a time to disconnect from work. However, many directors are not in a position to totally disconnect from their business for a few weeks. So how can you achieve that balance and minimise disruptions. Here some ideas to help you before you depart:
1. Plan before you go.
Whether you’re planning to disconnect from work completely or simply to keep your work time minimised, you need a clear plan for how you’re going to use your technology devices while on holiday. Ask yourself these questions:
What’s the least amount of work connectivity I can get away with? What is the minimum connectivity that will be accepted at your job?
What do I still want to use technology for while I’m away? Make a list of the specific ways you want to use your phone, tablet or computer while you’re on holiday and limit your tech use to what’s on that list.
Which accounts will I disconnect from? It’s easier to disconnect from entire accounts than to ignore work-related correspondence once it hits your radar. So once you know what you want to keep doing—and how much you can stop doing—identify which accounts you’ll stay away from and plan accordingly, setting up holiday messages or alerts as necessary.
What do I and my fellow travelers expect from one another? Your work colleagues aren’t the only ones you need to consider. If you’re traveling with friends or family, get clear up front about your technology plan. Agree on when it is and isn’t ok to use your devices – for example, you may agree that it’s fine to read the morning news on your tablet over breakfast, but not ok to check sports scores over dinner.
2. Prepare to leave.
The work of disconnecting begins well before your holiday. Here are some areas to consider:
Plan some out-of-mobile-range travel. It’s great to be truly incommunicado for at least some portion of your holiday. This allows you to set the expectation that you will not be reliably reachable, making it easier to assert control over how often you’ll check in.
Set up a holiday email address. It’s hard to avoid your work email while you’re on holiday if opening your inbox is the only way you can access certain information or check if there’s a crisis with a key client. You may find it easier to avoid peeking if you set up a separate account to use during holidays. Share the address only with the people you really want to stay in touch with while you’re away..
Set up an out-of-office reply. When you set up the holiday auto-responder message on your work account, write a message that helps you avoid the dreaded backlog that typically awaits your return: let your correspondents know that you may not review all the messages you receive in your absence, and that they should email you again after X date if they need a reply. As a courtesy, provide an alternate way of addressing their issue more quickly, such as contacting your assistant or colleague.
Set up a check-in schedule. If you are planning to check your business email or voicemail during you holiday, set up a schedule in advance. Maybe you’re going to look at your email for 15 minutes every morning, or twice a week after the kids have gone to bed.
Pack only personal devices. The easiest way to separate work from play is to leave your work phone and work computer at the office. This doesn’t mean having to go out and buy new hardware; for your phone, for example, you can buy a pay-as-you-go SIM card, so that you can use the device without using your work number.
