Feature: More Tips for Taking Time Off
In The Godfather, Part III, Al Pacino famously bemoaned that, just as he thought he'd finally left the Mafia behind, "they pull me back in." That same feeling may wash over you when you turn your RIM BlackBerry on at the beach and find an urgent e-mail from a client.
When you're on vacation, do you ever feel like Pacino? If so, read on.
A few weeks back, I offered strategies for disconnecting while you're on vacation ("How to Unplug for a Vacation" and "How to Disconnect for Vacation, Part 2"). Apparently the topic touched a nerve with many readers. For example, Raymond Schklar of Fort Thomas, Kentucky writes: "As a solo practitioner with a home-based office, your article hit right in the gut. My wife has been working with me for months on developing a strategy for taking time off, which I don't do." The tips offered in those columns helped Raymond realize he can be self-employed and take time off, too.
So this week, I've got more tips--from readers as well as from yours truly--on how to take time off. ("Have we really come to this?" you ask. "Articles on how to not be productive?" Unfortunately, the answer is "yes.")
Automated E-Mail Reply: Not Such a Good Idea?
Previously, I suggested setting up an out-of-office e-mail reply to incoming messages while you're away. The automated reply informs others you're away from the office without access to e-mail. Also, the reply should provide the date you'll be returning messages and a contact name for business emergencies.
Automated e-mail replies make sense especially for small-business owners, as an e-mail from a potential client that goes unacknowledged could turn away new work. But there are downsides to this strategy, too, which several readers pointed out.
An automated reply is triggered by every e-mail you receive--including spam. When you respond to unsolicited e-mail, you're in effect validating your address to the spammer. "That further accelerates the amount of spam you receive," writes Neil Astrike of Tampa, Florida. Strong antispam tools can help reduce the impact, of course. Otherwise, you could see a spike in junk e-mail as a result of an automated e-mail reply. To find the best spam blocking software, see "Spam-Proof Your In-Box."
Another concern is that if you have a home-based business, an "away-from-the-office" reply could be an invitation to thieves, writes Jeff Partridge of New Philadelphia, Ohio. If that's a concern, leave out the "away-from-the-office" bit and simply state you don't have access to e-mail right now but will respond as soon as you're able. The ambiguity should give thieves pause, and yet you're still getting the message to clients.
If you're not comfortable with that idea, you have at least two other options:
- Don't create an automated response, but check messages every other day or so to make sure you're not missing anything important. The downside: You're eating into your vacation.
- Don't set up an automated response, and don't check your e-mail while away, either. The downside: You could anger clients, partners, or others.
Here's another problem with vacation replies: If you participate in an e-mail distribution or discussion list, an automated out-of-office reply could "really annoy the other list members," says Bruce, who declined to give me his last name or city.
"I participate in some aviation-related lists that have many hundreds of participants, and we have this problem frequently," Bruce explains. Each automated vacation reply is sent to "every one of the hundreds of list subscribers." The normal daily traffic of 25 to 50 messages could effectively double because one member's vacation auto reply message is ricocheting around the list.
Solution: Unsubscribe from any e-mail discussion groups before activating an automated vacation message.
Categorize Your Messages
Are you planning to completely ignore my advice and take your notebook on vacation to check e-mail? For naughty readers like you, Lew Phillips of Green Lane, Pennsylvania has some advice. In your e-mail program, set up three priority folders: Urgent, Normal, and Low. When you download messages, drag each e-mail into the appropriate folder. That way, you'll know which messages to reply to first when back at work, Lew says.
I think Lew's idea is good for those whose business (or nature) demands they stay on top of e-mail while vacationing. The problem, though, is that you have to read and make a decision on each e-mail, which takes time away from your vacation. Here's a compromise: Quickly scan the sender names and subject topics of each message; open only those that could be of real urgency or importance; then open the others when you return to work.
Answer Indirectly
Here's another tip from Lew: If a client, partner, or other correspondent sends you an urgent business e-mail or voice mail while you're on vacation, don't respond directly. Instead, contact the person you've designated as your emergency contact--a business partner, coworker, boss, whomever. Ask them to call the person who sent the urgent message "just to check in," Lew advises. The emergency is handled; the client is satisfied; and you've had only minimal disruption to your vacation.
You'll find more tips in the "Notebooks & Accessories" section on the next page. And if you have additional tips on how to disconnect on vacation, please send them to me.
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