Encouraging your team to book vacation time

What are your summer vacation plans? Not planning time off? You probably should.

Time-off benefits include better health, reduced stress, increased creativity and productivity and enhanced job satisfaction.

Yet, I still work with many leaders who are reluctant to take vacations, or when they do, they can’t stop checking their smartphones for work-related emails.

They justify it by saying, “Oh, I’ll relax more if I just check in once a day.”

Stop telling yourself that story; it’s working against you.

If you are not genuinely disconnecting from the office, you’re not getting the rest and the recovery you need. When you check your email work while away, you instantly switch from vacation mode to business mode, and you are not present with those around you. 

Why leaders don’t vacation

So often, leaders say, “I love my job so much I don’t feel like I need it.” In this case, a vacation from work is much needed. If you feel this way about your job, you likely spend extra hours at work, which can lead to stress, burnout and resentment.

Or they say, “I’m too busy -- I’ll take a vacation next quarter.” 

If you’re that busy, you need a rejuvenating break now. It’s the law of diminishing returns. You will be less productive and make more mistakes and judgment errors when you are tired and overworked. 

When leaders are reluctant to book holidays, it is usually one of two things. 

Ego: You need to feel so indispensable that your team can’t operate without you.

Or it could be because you don’t have a strong enough team that’s empowered to manage for a few weeks without you.

If it’s the former, check your ego at customs and take a trip. If the latter is the case, you need to reflect on how you’ve constructed your team and coached them to have the autonomy and confidence to make decisions on their own. 

When the boss is away, it’s an opportunity for others to step into more prominent roles. 

It forces your team to collaborate and lean on each other more because you’re not there to solve problems and make decisions. It also gives your team exposure to others in the organization. That’s good for their career and the organization. 

Many good things happen when you “take the risk” of taking a vacation.

Vacation role models and culture building

I’m listening to an audiobook about Netflix called No Rules, Rules. It explores Netflix’s progressive culture, which, interestingly, has no vacation policy. 

That means, take as much as you want, whenever you want. However, the company discovered this policy only worked if the senior leaders booked a vacation.

Leaders need to show, not tell. When you take vacations, it gives your team permission to book their holidays too.

Talk to your team about the importance of working hard and vacationing hard. Make it part of your company’s culture. 

When you return from your trip to Europe, share pictures and stories. Show genuine enthusiasm for team members who are going away. Ask questions and get others excited about travelling and holidays.

Nobody loses here. Have a great trip!