Managing and Working Vacation Takes - Work!

The summer travel season is in full swing and millions of Americans will soon embark on “working vacations”.

Yes, with technology, the office is everywhere. Americans are becoming more accustomed to taking the job on the road, even if it is vacation.

The good people at Careerealism.com have come up with a list of things to do and not do when you are taking a “working vacation.”

Here is a portion of a recent article from J.T. O’Donnell, Job Search & Career Expert.

DO…Tell Co-Workers In Advance

Some people make the mistake of keeping their working vacation on the down-low. Bad idea. Hiding it from your co-workers seems deceptive. Not to mention, it leaves them no way of knowing how to cover for you in your absence. Just because you are technically going to be accessible and will be doing some work, you are still going to be out of the office and possibly not available when they really need you.

DO… Clear Meetings And Lighten Your Work Load

A classic rookie mistake is to assume while on vacation you’ll have plenty of freedom and can still attend meetings by phone or provide important work deliverables. It’s vacation! You want to be free of constraints like these. Besides, you may not be in the position to attend.

DO… Set Specific Times You’ll Call In

It’s better to set up a scheduled time and stick to it. You can even send e-mails the night before to remind them you’ll be calling.

DON’T… Cancel Or Miss Meetings You Agreed To

There’s nothing worse than promising you’ll make yourself available and then either canceling last minute or forgetting all together. And yet, this sort of thing can happen on vacation. The good times are rolling and suddenly you’re caught in a moment when you’d rather be doing anything BUT work. Skipping the call or backing out moments before is rude and will leave a sour taste in your non-vacationing co-workers mouth.

DON’T… Criticize Co-workers’ Efforts From Afar

Expressing dissatisfaction with a co-worker’s performance from vacation is like rubbing salt in a wound. It’s one thing if you are in the office and can provide valuable feedback face-to-face. But, telling a co-worker in a text message or two-sentence cryptic e-mail from vacation that you weren’t happy with their work and intend to discuss it when you return is pure evil. Wait to give the constructive criticism until you are back in the office and can A) fully explain yourself, and B) allow the person the opportunity to ask questions and get clarity as to how to make it better.