I’m planning a long weekend coming up and while I love going away, I don’t love the time away from work. (Yes I just said that.) However, I find that making a list of everything I need to accomplish personally and professionally before I leave for vacation calms my mind. By doing this I know that nothing will fall between the cracks.
For example, if you need to check in with your clients before you leave, write that on the list, then divide it between the days you have remaining before you leave. If you need to put on an out of office reply, put that on your calendar so you don’t forget it. Also, its a great idea to change your outgoing voicemail message to let people know you will be out of the office. This will help avoid duplicate emails and angry clients who are waiting for a return call. This is especially important if you are travling to a location without cell phone service (like I am.)
If someone is covering your desk while you are away, its a great idea to leave them a list of important items that may need attention. If a difficult customer may call in, let the person covering your desk know. By making it as easy as possible for the person covering, you are making it easier for them to be successful, for your clients to be treated well and for you to return to a calm and well cared for desk.
