I love adding a few vacation days to a holiday weekend.  So after being in holiday mode for a week, there are times when getting back into work mode can be somewhat challenging.  Here are some tips for making the transition easier.

1. Set up my “out of office” message – This alerts co-workers and clients that I will be out of the office and if there is an urgent need to either leave a voicemail, especially if I will not be able to check email, or an email that I can check once I return to the office.  Which leads to my second point.
2. Have a backup person – Putting someone in charge while I am out of the office is not only helpful to my clients, but it also relieves me of some of the duties that I would have had to cover had I not been on vacation. It is always a great idea for me to meet with that person prior to leaving to discuss any unfinished business and to meet upon my return for any urgent action items that may need to be resolved as soon as possible.
3. Sneak a peek once in awhile – If I am accessible during my holiday away from work, I don’t mind checking email or voicemail on a 24 hour basis just to make sure that something has not slipped through the cracks or that there is a situation that requires immediate attention. I don’t want to spend all day working on my vacay, but checking every now and then doesn’t hurt.
4. Put up a sign “In Teleconference” – After being away for a week, I may need to take some uninterrupted time to go through email and voicemail and snail mail to catch up on some loose ends. I can either provide a time when I will be available or just leave the sign up on the closed door until I feel I can take on any additional work/questions from colleagues.  Of course, I can also add “Interrupt in an absolute emergency”, so my co-workers are not too frightened to disturb me in the event that they need to do so.
5. Prioritize and tackle – So while I am hibernating away to follow up and address any concerns, issues or questions, I want to see if there are any urgent notices (emails or voicemails) that require attention right away. I will many times answer the not so urgent messages stating that I have (or have not) had a chance to review their message, but will do so as soon as possible or even give them a time limit.

Vacations are a much needed priority to feel recharged and renewed.  I certainly don’t want to feel overwhelmed after my holiday, so I try to think about ways to proactively set myself up for an easy transition back into work.  It certainly can make a difference.

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