Q. You can help me to take time off by ...
Every week, we share a new question you can add to your Manual of Me, a tool designed to help you explore and understand how you work best with others.
It’s school holidays in the UK this week, and working parents will be filling their days with activities for this children, perhaps also balancing some work at the same time, or even working all the way through.
Even if you are able to take a solid block of time off work, for whatever reason - what do you find you need to do in order to step away from work and truly switch off? What do you need to handover and prepare for your time off, what do you want others to do whilst you’re away, and how do you return to work after?
Use this week’s entry to think on how you prepare, rest and return - and how others can help you do this too.
How to find your answer:
1. Think about the last time you took time off - did you manage to wind down, or were you thinking about work? Write down any challenges you had winding down.
2. What might you do next time to prepare for time off - what tasks can you undertake in the week ahead, and what tasks can you hand over to others?
3. What causes you stress or worry during those weeks off? Thing about specific tasks or responsibilities you can ask others to take care of, or buddy up with others who can step in, in case of emergencies.
4. What are you rules for being contacted in case of absolutely emergencies? Do you want to be called, emailed, texted? Who is allowed to contact you?
5. What reassurances and commitment do you need from others during your time off, and what is your plan when you return after time off to catch-up?
Answer this question yourself, and send it to your team, so they can answer too!
Create your own Manual of Me, to store the answers to questions like this, and many many more. Join for free at my.manualof.me