Haven’t had an uninterrupted vacation in years?
I was coaching a leader in manufacturing who at one point said to me, “I haven’t had an uninterrupted vacation in years.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I always get calls while I’m on vacation,” he said.
“Is that what you want?” I inquired.
“No, but it’s always been that way since I’ve been in leadership.”
To which I replied, “What if it didn’t have to be that way?”
“That’d be great, but I don’t think it’s possible,” he shared.
“Would you be willing to play around with some ideas and do the work necessary to see if it is possible?” I asked.
“Yes!” he agreed.
He had a vacation booked in a couple of months after we had this conversation.
So he set the goal to go on vacation without having to answer his phone.
I took him through the process of unpacking historical data.
We analyzed the patterns, issues & interruptions that had occurred in the past & identified one particular topic that, if addressed, would likely reduce the probability of him being interrupted with calls while away.
We mapped out a plan together to close the gap.
He didn’t do it alone. He called in resources, cross-trained employees & set new expectations.
He even had his team practice as if he was gone a week before he left.
The result?
For him:
-Had his first vacation without any work calls
-He had the chance to fully recharge, reset
-Came back energized & ready to tackle the next quarter
For his people:
-It inspired them that he trusted them to handle things in his absence
-They felt empowered & knowledgeable
-All his direct reports pulled together better & covered each other too
Moral of the story?
Just because something has always been one way, doesn’t mean a better solution doesn’t exist.
So how about you, when was the last time you went on an uninterrupted vacation?