Everyone needs a break, a sun filled holiday with nothing but sun, sea, and some R&R. This includes management. Every now and then, you will find yourself in a situation when the decision maker is away from the job.
You will feel their absence in some ways, you more than likely have more to do, but you should see this as an opportunity. Not only to better yourself, but to give yourself the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped hold the ship together whilst they have been away.
Here’s why your manager, sunning themselves on the beach is a golden opportunity for you:
You get to connect, catch up and strategize for future success while you have a little more flexibility
During your brief respite, here are some things you can do, both within your current job and for your future, to make key progress while the they’re out:
Handle things (and make sure they know).
No one likes to get back from vacation with 10 annoying problems to solve, right? Handle things like you know they would and make sure you somehow let them see when they get back that it’s all sorted. Make sure you hone in on their main priority and make sure that pet project, in particular, doesn’t go sideways during vacation.
Get face time with your boss's boss
You enjoy what you do, how its done, and the company you work for? How do people get a role? A higher ranking pulls them along into a new organization, years later. Now’s a great time to make sure that a future career-changer for you sees you do what you do best. Instead of staying in your office, make sure your boss’s boss understands that you’re a problem solver and an employee that they want to keep hold of.
Have a housekeeping morning where you get organized
In your day-to-day rush, are there things that need to get organized, filed, categorized, cleaned or updated? Take some time to spring clean and get yourself organized. Sort out your inbox, update reports, and see how good it feels to have a clean desk. Youll need it when you boss returns, a whole more heap of work is coming your way!
Make a change for the better
You may find yourself with a little more time to spare, so don’t waste it. If you see something that your company does/doesn’t do, find a way to make it happen. Whether that is a form that could be included, a process that you think you can improve, or a program that could do with a little tweaking. Keep the original, and when your manager does get back, let them know you have been using your time productively, and show them your suggestion. This way, even if they do say no, you haven’t wasted your time, and it will show initiative.
And there you have it: Your game plan for your mini-break from your boss.
Of course, these activities should not add stress, since the whole point is that you get to take a little bit of a breather. I do think that you’ll feel a lot better if you try these things.
Your to do list might get a little longer, but it will be worth it in the long run!
So, I’ll add one more: plan your own vacation, if you haven’t had one recently.
