As I prepared for my first three-week summer trip, I wrote a blog on the intrinsic value of vacations. I am happy to report – I DID IT!! I took a THREE WEEK vacation! And guess what? My office, clients and employees were still all there when I got back. There were no emergencies or fire drills while I was away. On the home front, my house was still standing, the plants and trees were still thriving, the pool was clean – but the AC went on the fritz
and needed a quick repair.
How did that happen? And more importantly, can I do it again?? Sure, I read some emails over the three weeks and deleted hundreds of junk email. The ease of my cell phone allowed me NOT to turn my computer on every day; in fact, I turned it on just three times while I was away to send a few emails. And, all in all, I took part in four short phone calls about distinct subject matters. I took my recommendation seriously, and I limited the time I used my smart devices (cell phones, laptop computer) and made clear communications of my intent to do so.
It all goes back to the preparations I made before I left town. A lot of simple things made my time away a good break from the daily grind. Here are a few tips for you to use when planning your vacation (and for me to remember for the next time!):
Use the “out of office assistant” on your email and voicemail systems. Leave clear messages about the dates you will be gone, perhaps the limitations on your availability to respond, and, most importantly, who callers should reach out to in your absence.
Communicate clearly with clients with whom you have open projects or expect that you will be needed in the short-term.
Communicate with your client service and other project teams and reach an agreement on expectations for what can and will be handled while you are away.
Discuss contingency plans with your ‘back up,’ in my case, one of my partners, who will be able to handle issues and make decisions in your absence.
Establish parameters for what is considered an emergency when/where you do want to be contacted/consulted.
And a couple of thoughts for your home-front issues –
Arrange for the stoppage or pick-up of mail, newspaper delivery and such so it is not piling up on your front steps
Use on-line banking so you can pay your bills wherever you are. It is more efficient if you have all of you vendors send you invoices electronically and/or you have payments set up for auto-pay.
Arrange from someone to water your plants and otherwise periodically check your premises, so you have peace of mind.
Finally – plan to have fun and just do it!
All of these preparations made my return from this year’s vacation very easy. I reentered the workforce feeling refreshed and wondering how three weeks away went so fast! Time to get some work done now (and start dreaming up my next adventure)…
Wayne R. Pinnell, CPA, is a founding member and serves on the advisory board for the Center for Business Growth. Wayne has over 30 years serving business owners in his public accounting career. He is managing partner of Haskell & White, LLP, one of the largest independently owned accounting, auditing and tax consulting firms in Southern California, servicing public and private middle-market companies. Wayne consults with a number of companies on their general business operations including workflow, waste reduction, strategy, and growth/profit initiatives. He can be reached at WPinnell@hwcpa.com or 949-450-6200.