Please keep in mind that there are occasionally good reasons to stay in the office (and you'll probably feel less guilt while shopping in a foreign city if you follow some rough guidelines). Here are the rare times when a vacation may be the wrong call:
When the company is in crisis. A business leader who faces chronic, long-term troubles will eventually need time off while dealing with them, but shorter-term crises require immediate decision-making. If a company's survival is at stake, you don't want your leader taking off for a leisurely vacation. Small business owners weren't likely taking long personal trips in the immediate aftermath of tsunami.
When you haven't planned ahead. An inappropriate time for a vacation is when you haven't cleared it with your supervisor or with management well in advance so that plans can be made for your absence. It is bad form to just decide at the last minute that you will take holiday time off, when inevitably, everyone else wants that time off, too.
When you're in the middle of a project. Be careful when you're in the thick of a project, or your best client is in a difficult situation. You may have to change your vacation time. You have to be sensitive to things like that.
Employees need to predict and pay attention to important deadlines well ahead of time. Whether it's a group project coming to fruition, a major presentation, or a product debut, you definitely want to be there when it's going to be unrolled, when it's revealed, when they're going to be presenting it. You want to be visible when the important news is being broadcast.
When it's the busiest season for your company. Many businesses are cyclical--think accounting firms, landscaping contractors, wedding planners--and employees should take the seasonal fluctuations into account when planning trips. You want to be sure you're giving your group and your supervisors the impression that you're a team player--you are there and you're doing what you have to do to book revenue.
Immediately following a merger or acquisition. Visibility is critical in the period following a merger or acquisition, as your company and team are being scrutinized for things like relevance, productivity, and necessity. One of the chief concerns after a merger is redundancy, but showing up and working hard can help employees make a case for themselves.
During executive or key client visits. This is another point when visibility is critical: When a person of authority is traveling to your branch or office, you want to be there to maintain your identity as a strong player. Many of these visits are scheduled in advance, so the onus is on the employee to plan for them.
Anytime a team member or supervisor leaves. This is the ultimate opportunity for you to step up, take a leadership role, and set yourself apart. It's all about creating value in the workforce today. They have to position themselves as that star athlete, that star performer, that star player. Offering to take over some responsibilities can increase your marketability at work.
No comments:
Post a Comment