Preparing for Your Absence from the Office

Managers and business leaders, before dreaming of a nap in the shade of olive trees, remember to take care of some important details before your vacation and determine the success of it. Because vacation mainly means absence for the business. Absence of follow-up in files and with clients, absence of decision-maker, absence with the teams to avoid tensions. To make sure that this interlude goes as well as possible, some rules must be respected before leaving on vacation.

1-Choose a quiet period
If possible, it is preferable that you choose to leave during a quiet period and outside the period of publication of financial results if possible. August is generally recommended because in most sectors, it is a calm month where activity tends to decrease.

2-Set up an interim
Designate a person to act as interim and make decisions in your place. The best thing is to be replaced by an assistant or an N-1 with whom you share information and who is sufficiently aware of the ongoing files to be able to quickly take over, whether it is summer or during shorter leaves.

3-Inform of your absence
Notify your main contacts of your absence and set up an automatic reply on your email address and your telephone answering machines (landline and mobile) indicating your leave period (departure and return dates included) and a contact person. The best thing is to refer people to the person who is acting as interim.

4- Close ongoing files
As far as possible, try to conclude ongoing files in order to leave on leave with a clear mind. Otherwise, inform your colleagues about these files so that they can monitor them during your absence. A tip: in the month preceding your summer holidays, list the ongoing files in a table indicating the subject and the next steps, and possibly attach an email or letter related to the subject.

5- Clear the decks
The day before your holidays and the day of your return, refrain from making appointments to allow yourself time to prepare the last points before leaving and, on your return, to deal with mail and urgent matters. Also avoid, as far as possible, scheduling important appointments two days before and after your holidays.

6-Use technology
A mobile phone provides peace of mind: it allows your replacement or your close colleagues to contact you at any time in case of emergency. For you too, it is a link with your company, a tool that can reassure you if you are worried about the progress of certain files. You can combine this with other terminals such as a BlackBerry PDA, Smartphone, etc.

7-Tidy your desk
Take the opportunity to tidy up, sort out anything that is lying around and answer overdue mail. This advice is also valid for your mailbox. Leaving on holiday can be an opportunity to clean up your emails, delete those that are no longer relevant and file those that need to be kept. And, if necessary, think about your green plant too. It also needs to be entrusted to a "substitute" who will take care of it during your absence.


Philippe Montant General Manager ExeKutive.biz