Why?
The first question (always – about almost anything) to ask is why do it at all? Presumably you’ll enjoy a vacation for personal reasons. Your business should be in service to your life, not the other way round. But there are business reasons to take a break. They include rejuvenating your energy, getting a new perspective, and detaching to let your non-conscious mind work on stuff.
Another business reason is that the prep you do might just change how the company works even after you return.
How?
Step 1 – Replace Yourself.
Too many entrepreneurs I know think things will go to hell if they leave. And too many are right. So the first step is to figure out what you do that can’t wait while you’re gone, and train someone else to do those tasks. I said train someone, not just dump the responsibility on them. Most of the time, you only have to do this with tasks that are non-CEO tasks: stuff you’d hire someone else to do if the company were 3 or 4 times the size it is now.
CEO Tasks can usually wait till you get back, because they tend to be non-urgent (though very important). So this becomes a good opportunity to take stock of the many hats you wear and get some people cross-trained. If they do a good enough job, you might have them continue to do it after you get back – and free yourself to do more CEO related activities. Who knows, they might even do a better job than you. And that’s a good thing.
When you get back – don’t just jump into the same old routine. Maybe someone who took over some of the outputs you were responsible for should continue doing so. This will ratchet up your company.
Step 2 – Communication While You’re Away
If you need to check in regularly (and sometimes you do) set specific times that you’ll be calling in. Tell people who you want to talk with, in which order, and what you want them to be prepared with.
Decide what can’t wait. Winston Churchill was famous for taking naps, and he told people not to interrupt him unless it was an emergency. But then he was clear to define what he considered an emergency (the building being on fire or the armed invasion of the British Isles). I suspect your definition will be different. I usually say don’t call unless there’s fire or blood. But whatever your criteria are, be sure to let people know in detail when to interrupt you and when not to. This exercise might be something you can carry on after your return.
Step 3 – What to Tell Your Family
Before you leave, tell your family (presuming you’re vacationing with them) when you’ll be checking in with work so they can plan when you won’t be available. Then STICK TO YOUR PLAN!. Don’t tell them you’ll be on a call from 10-11 and have it stretch out till 11:10 or 11:15. Better to under promise and over deliver. Also let them know ahead of time that there might be an emergency, so they don’t feel betrayed if one comes up. If it does, explain what happened and why it was so urgent. It’s been said that vacationing with young kids is a trip, not a vacation. Your Mileage May Vary.
Capture Your Ideas
With your conscious mind focused away from work, your non-conscious will likely come up all kinds of ideas about your business (and other things). Most of them won’t be great but some will. (The way to have more great ideas is to have more lousy ones – and more in general). Don’t judge them. Just figure out a way to capture them and get on with your vacation. I suggest recording them on your phone, or keeping a pencil and notepad handy at all times. Ideas strike while driving, in the shower, as you fall asleep, whenever. You want to be ready to capture them without interrupting your flow. Then schedule some time to review them afterward. This review is a great use of your CEO time.
Plan While You’re In a Good Space
I got this idea from Denisse Montenegro who took her first vacation after a couple years of a very stressful business acquisition. The idea is the vacation environment destresses you and gives you a better foundation from which to make some positive changes in your life. She decided to get back into yoga after vacation, for example. I agree that it’s better to make those changes when you’re feeling good then when you’re stressed out. Just one more benefit of getting away.
