After a busy and different year to say the least, vacation is just around the corner. Everyone needs a little time off every once in a while, to reboot for the upcoming year’s tasks. We have listed a couple of things you need to think about to make sure you leave and come back from vacation all organized.
Inform your colleagues of your upcoming vacation
So, first thing’s first, it might be a good idea to make sure everyone knows you’re going away so they won’t think you’re just pulling a Houdini act. With our solution, we can luckily just see when searching for a contact that they’re on vacation, but an email to your team is still much appreciated. So, as soon as your vacation is approved, inform your teammates of the dates you’ll be away and who they can contact if they can’t reach you,
In addition, for those that don’t have contact with you on a regular basis, such as an external partner. Make sure you make an automatic email response, so they as well won’t think you’ve just left your job.
Handover
Before going on vacation, it’s also good to make sure you inform your team of your tasks that are finished, that are pushed, and that need a handover. This allows you to make sure you can sync with your colleagues in case they can help out with a task you didn’t get the time to do. Just make sure you don’t do it a day before you leave so you’re able to successfully pass over a task that includes all the information necessary for someone else to complete it. My tip is to first brief your colleague of choice with the task, send a checklist of what’s needed, and all the necessary files.
Pre and post to-do lists
Organizing your work is crucial so that you’re not missing any important deadlines. It also helps you to actually recuperate during vacation knowing you don’t have anything to stress about. Our tip here is to make a list of everything that needs to be done if you don’t already have a Trello list like me. Then make sure you get at least the top 5 items on that list done before your vacation.
As for the post list – begin with the next items that were left from the pre vacation list and then start filling it out with new tasks. Make sure that you also start your work back at the office by going through emails so that you’re not missing out on any important information.
Organize your computer and desk
Files tend to pile up during the year and it’s important to organize and de clutter every once in a while. The perfect time for this is always before a vacation to make sure you arrive back with a clean and organized slate- tabul rasa style! Also, make sure you organize your desk before you leave to set a positive environment for when you get back.