What's Your Vacation Expectation?

Vacation season is officially upon us. Whether you have already escaped during spring break or you have plans to get away this summer, many of us struggle with the idea of being away from work. Should you hand out your mobile phone number to everyone in the office or disconnect and try to avoid thinking about work entirely? Will you lose relaxation points if you remain cognizant of deliverables and deadlines? Will the Out of Office message say you are unreachable or checking email daily? Will you post vacation photos to Facebook or Instagram or both? These are questions our parents never had to answer.

I recently returned from a week off of work, and I have been reflecting on why this year's family vacation was so enjoyable. Was it the 1,600 miles we drove over the course of eight days? Was it the breathtaking beauty of Zion National Park? Was it the amazing meal (and bottle of wine) we enjoyed while watching the buffalo roam the prairie? Was is the time we spent with extended family along the way? Yes, all those elements of the trip were certainly enjoyable, but this year it seems I was able to blend work, family, and vacation with great success. And I believe the key to this was in setting the right expectations.

Before leaving town, I told my spouse I would need to spend 30–60 minutes each morning checking email and staying on top of a couple key projects. I notified internal and external team members that I would be out of town but available to help resolve any issues or provide direction. Finally, I set my own expectations and convinced myself that remaining in touch daily would provide the mental peace I needed to fully enjoy the remaining 23 hours of each vacation day. And guess what? It worked. By spending no more than three or four hours working that week, I able to be fully present with my family and enjoy the rest of the time off.

The only expectation I hadn’t considered was my re-entry to the office the following week. To my surprise, plugging back into work was a breeze, because I had not completely disengaged. The inbox on my desk had a few more papers in it than usual, but my email was current, I was up to speed on my special projects, and the office voicemail was empty. Does it get any better than that?

So before you head out of town or prepare for your next stay-cation, think about setting some realistic expectations for yourself, for your loved ones, and for your coworkers. Then go forth and enjoy some well-balanced time away from the office. And if you're tempted to be drawn into every office catastrophe while you're away, hold fast to the wisdom of H.G. Wells, who said, "The crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow."