E.D. Notes for the Field: Vacation Dread or Delight?

As September passes into October is it too late to think back (or too early to think ahead) to vacation? Many EDs face vacation plans with a mixture of anticipation and dread. Time with family and friends is always prized, and time away from nonstop meetings is essential to our sanity. The dread comes in when you think about the inbox that will await your return, the challenges you will still face in a couple weeks, and the stress (yes, vacations cause stress) of letting go, even for a while.

As you reflect on your last vacation or plan your next, here are five tips I’ve picked up over the years.

1. Anticipating vacation is always harder than being on vacation. Somehow, the insurmountable problems that could not possibly wait for your time away seem less critical when you are on the trail, or the beach, or beside the pool. Remember this and go ahead, plan that vacation. The organization will survive. Even better, your team will have an opportunity to stretch its leadership muscles when you are away.
2. Busy-ness does not equal importance. For too many EDs, self-worth is validated by a full calendar. If having a day without meetings causes anxiety, a vacation can signal an identity crisis. I’ve known people to double-book meetings, leaving one early to arrive at the next late. Get a grip. This is a signal that you need to unplug, turn it off, and get away. Your worth as a human is not a direct result of your job. I get it, our work is important and integral to our identity, but it is not our identity.
3. Intruding thoughts need not intrude on vacation. Dwelling on what awaits your return can ruin a vacation – and not just for you. But I’ve often found that I do some of my best work precisely when I am not working. Walking in a forest, a new insight pops into my head. For this reason, I always carry a small notebook and pen (yes, I’m old). I jot down the idea, return the notebook to my pack, and go on with my day. Writing it down means I can let go, not worrying I’ll forget my new idea.
4. Sometimes strategic questions are clearer when you are away. I once advised a dynamic national nonprofit that was looking for the next big innovation. Interviewing board members, I heard the same refrain – our CEO will come up with something, he always does. So, when I met with the CEO, I said “You don’t need a strategic plan, you need a vacation.” He took my advice and months later was developing what became a very popular and well-funded national initiative that survives to this day.
5. There is no one answer for “the email problem.” However, if you go away for a week, 500 emails will await but if I go away for a month, it will only be 600. Longer absences cause people to adapt. When you return from vacation, scan your email in reverse order (most recent first). You are likely to see that issues laid at your feet on day one were resolved by others on day three. Personally, I find it easiest to check email on vacation, respond to those I can resolve quickly, forward some to others, and let the others wait. The OOO message is a great tool. Some EDs ignore email when they are away. Either approach can work. Do what gives you the least stressed vacation.

The bottom line: think of vacation as necessary not just for your personal life but for doing a good job and take your time off!

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