Seven ways to take a real holiday from the office

As we approach the end of July it seems that the whole of Europe is about to shut up shop for the summer holiday. Are you one of those people about to take your annual holiday? If so, good for you. According to a recent Expedia survey in the USA, most of us will fail to use two precious days this year. Overall, that adds up to 226 million lost days, or $34.3 billion, left on the table by the U.S. workforce.

Now it strikes me that you've almost certainly earned those days to recharge your batteries and to spend time with your family before facing up to the second half of the year. But to avoid getting constant emails, phone calls or even the dreaded call to come in, you'll want to prepare your office properly. Because holiday time should be spent on a beach with a margarita or sheltering under canvas as the heavens open. One place you should definitely not be? Sitting in your office.

Follow these tips, and you'll be dreaming of sand, sea and a suntan -- not work -- by the end of the month:

Think before you send. The day before you leave your office, be stingy with emails. Electronic messages are like boomerangs -- they come right back at you. "Typically for every email you send, you can expect double the responses in return (thank you, FW, RE, CC and BCC)," says Yahoo! Web Life Editor Heather Cabot.

Organise your office. Spend a day tidying your desk so that your colleagues who are left behind can easily find important files or data. You should also make any active files accessible on your computer desktop, if there is a chance you'll want to ask someone else to retrieve them.

Take a tip from McDonald's. One of the reasons McDonald's is so successful is because they have systems in place so that anyone can step in and it will continue to run smoothly. Clearly outline the way to do things to simplify anything from invoicing to interviewing potential employees while you're away (and while there are more temps than usual filling in).

Leave an automatic to-do list. You'll probably already be leaving a "to-do" list for any of a team that you might manage whilst you're away. But make sure it gets done without you checking in with an automatic follow-up email to employees, through Outlook or another comparable program. That way you don't walk into a post-holiday mess upon your return.

Give everyone advance notice. Your colleagues and boss should know you're leaving, but give clients a heads up, too. Change the answering machine, voicemail, hold music, and/or email line to say/read when you will be away on holiday. This will give anyone working with you a few weeks’ notice on your absence so they can get anything they need you for done beforehand.

Try a dry run. If you have real concerns then ask your team to operate as if you are on holiday for a couple of days. Then, hold an informal meeting after the dry run to see how it went. Discuss the obstacles and install procedures to address them. Dry runs let you show your team (not just tell them) how to operate without you, and it gives them the confidence to follow through on the plans in place.

Don't check in. If you don't call or email to see if there is anything you need to know about, you won't get roped into something that can probably wait. If you've set up the proper systems, you shouldn't have to worry about missing something important. If there is an emergency, you'll get a call. Your team will follow suit: If you lead by example you will soon create a culture where everyone takes a real holiday, comes back rested and is ultimately more productive.

As ever we’re keen to hear from you, you can let us know your thoughts either before or after your holiday at blog@chestertongray.com or tweet us at @chestertongray

Why your emails are too long -- and how to improve them

Every day my colleagues and I receive hundreds of emails; as I’m sure that you do. Some are vital, others less so and many are simply irritating. Frustratingly they come in all shapes and sizes, there is no one size fits all template. Rumour has it that email is the source of, and solution to, all of life's problems.




Certainly, the modern business world could not exist without the ability to exchange messages instantly, but email also causes all sorts of communication problems. For starters, there's way too much of it. Second, much of the email we get is too long. Long email creates bottlenecks in our in-boxes and more often than not goes unread because it seems too complex.



As with all things, ask a hundred people a question and you will get a hundred answers, however, here are some of the top reasons why your mail is too long, and what you should do to change it:



You don't know exactly what you're trying to say. It’s a truism that writing more isn't going to cover up the fact that you are lacking knowledge. We also find that candidates write too much at the start of an email because they don't know how to phrase what's on their mind. I suppose that it's a form of clearing one's throat. The solution? Re-read you’re your opening paragraph and if it doesn't get to the point right away, delete it.



You're sending spam. Who's on your "To" and CC lines? Do all those people need to be there? If not, prune the list. Resist the temptation to send email for its own sake, especially in a corporate environment.



You're forwarding the whole thread. Scan the forwarded bit below your new message. Do you need to include the entire thread, dating all the way back to the invention of computers? Some context might be essential, but cut as much as possible. Otherwise, it'll feel like the recipient needs to read a novel to understand the issue.



It should be more than one email. If your email is really long, take a look and see if there are multiple action items, projects or requests included within. If so, you'll probably get a better response by sending several shorter, to the point emails.



You're not self-editing. Don't just write and click "send." Yes, you're busy, and yes, you need to send a lot of mail. But reading, thinking about and editing your email before you send it can help you trim down your messages and make them more understandable. It might also mean that those you receive back take the same attitude and make your life easier!



As ever your thoughts on what makes a bad/good email are more than welcome.



If you would like to talk with a consultant then please go to www.chestertongray.com