Hallo! That’s German for “Hello!”
As many of you know, I am over 4,000 miles away in Odenheim (Östringen),
Germany, which is in the state of Baden-Württemberg, just east of Bavaria. This is a small town – just like Abilene!
Abilene is home to many small businesses. A characteristic of small businesses is few
staff and employees. This adds a
personal touch to business that customers are looking for, but makes leaving
for a couple days or a couple weeks hard.
If you’ve ever been faced with this challenge, or anticipate facing it
in the future, read on for some advice on Organizing the Office Before
Vacation.
When I was researching this topic, I was led to www.workingmother.com for
these tips.
Leigh Steere, co-founder of Managing People Better, LLC, provided these tips that can make your workplace less stressful in the dates heading up to vacation.
1. Give Warning: As soon as YOU know you’ll be leaving, let your boss & coworkers know.
2. Stay Covered: Talk to your coworkers about some duties they can cover for you while you’re gone. Don’t make this list too long or detailed – they still have a job of their own.
3. Prioritize Projects: Focus on urgent deadlines before you leave. If it can wait, then let it wait.
4. Make a List: Coming back to work can be equally as stressful as preparing to leave. Create a back-to-work list for yourself.
5. Be semi-available: If YOU can’t be contacted, ask someone if they’d be willing to answer questions. In the Chamber’s case, you can contact the CVB at 785-263-2231 (or the Chamber number 785-263-1770) for Chamber questions! Thank you to Glenda and Staff for helping out!
6. Offer Tips: If someone is covering for you, offer them some helpful tips about what could make those tasks easier.
7. Do Double Duty: Put in some extra time before you leave if you’re swamped. If you have multiple projects to get done, extra hours may be needed before you leave.
8. Set an Alert: Change your voicemails and emails to reflect that you’re gone. Be sure to include dates of absence and who to contact in the meantime.
9. Clean Up: Your desk will be dirty and piled high when you get back. Make sure it is spotless before you leave so you don’t get Pre & Post Vacation Piles mixed up.
10. Plan Ahead: Schedule a catch up meeting with your cover person for your first day back to the office.
Leigh Steere, co-founder of Managing People Better, LLC, provided these tips that can make your workplace less stressful in the dates heading up to vacation.
1. Give Warning: As soon as YOU know you’ll be leaving, let your boss & coworkers know.
2. Stay Covered: Talk to your coworkers about some duties they can cover for you while you’re gone. Don’t make this list too long or detailed – they still have a job of their own.
3. Prioritize Projects: Focus on urgent deadlines before you leave. If it can wait, then let it wait.
4. Make a List: Coming back to work can be equally as stressful as preparing to leave. Create a back-to-work list for yourself.
5. Be semi-available: If YOU can’t be contacted, ask someone if they’d be willing to answer questions. In the Chamber’s case, you can contact the CVB at 785-263-2231 (or the Chamber number 785-263-1770) for Chamber questions! Thank you to Glenda and Staff for helping out!
6. Offer Tips: If someone is covering for you, offer them some helpful tips about what could make those tasks easier.
7. Do Double Duty: Put in some extra time before you leave if you’re swamped. If you have multiple projects to get done, extra hours may be needed before you leave.
8. Set an Alert: Change your voicemails and emails to reflect that you’re gone. Be sure to include dates of absence and who to contact in the meantime.
9. Clean Up: Your desk will be dirty and piled high when you get back. Make sure it is spotless before you leave so you don’t get Pre & Post Vacation Piles mixed up.
10. Plan Ahead: Schedule a catch up meeting with your cover person for your first day back to the office.
I will be out of the office from Tuesday June 10 – Friday June
20. I will return on Monday June
23. Please continue to call the Chamber
office for questions at 785-263-1770.
The Chamber newsletter, “All About Abilene,” will still be sent in my
absence, you can check out the Chamber blog at
chamberconnectionabilene.blogspot.com, and you’ll still see my column next
week!
 |
| Odenheim, Germany, my home for the next 11 days |
No comments:
Post a Comment