Out Of The Office (are you really)?

This past week, my family took a trip for my son’s baseball team.  It was a lot of fun, the boys played well, and our family enjoyed many “non-baseball” activities while we were away.

However, even though I was out of the office, knowing I would still have access to my email and voicemail, I didn’t delegate any of my responsibilities while I was away.  This meant that each day when I woke up, I would work for 30-60 minutes and after we would get back to the hotel and the kids were in bed, I worked for an hour or two, responding to emails, customer inquiries, and other support issues.  Although this wasn’t a big deal, it meant I wasn’t really “Out of the Office”.

If I had thought things through better, I would have delegated my responsibilities, informed my regular contacts, and put “projects” on hold until I returned from the office.

This is true for anyone being away from work but can be specifically applied to those who manage their organization’s website.  It takes time and planning to arrange for you to be disconnected but listed below are the steps to take to ensure you can truly be away from work when you are out of the office:

1. Two weeks before leaving, track all your regular (daily/weekly) tasks and determine which tasks can be skipped while you are out of the office.
2. For the tasks that cannot be skipped, determine who else at your organization (or a volunteer) could perform these tasks while you are out.
3. Write up step-by-step instructions on how to perform the tasks and save them so you can use them next time you are out of the office.
4. A week before leaving, ask those who will be performing these tasks to perform them while you are in the office.  This is done so you can help them with any problems they encounter, so they don’t encounter problems while you are out of the office.
5. For any ongoing projects, put them on hold and inform all those involved on those projects that the project will be on hold until you return.
6. Email any people (co-workers, clients, vendors, etc) that you communicate regularly that you will be out of the office.  Ask them to email you 2-3 days prior to you leaving with any things they need addressed prior to your leaving and inform them that anything received the day before you leave until when you return, will be addressed after you return.
7. Enable your email and voicemail “Out of Office” notice and give an alternate email address or phone number for people to contact if there is an emergency.
8. Tell fellow staff to only text you if they have an emergency while you are out.  Text is the best way to communicate because eliminates you having to check email or voicemail.
9. Don’t check email or voicemail while you are out – completely disconnect and enjoy your time with friends and family.

What do you do to eliminate work while you are out of the office?  Please post your suggestions and comments below.

Mark Steinbrueck

President at OurChurch.Com

Mark has served as the President of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, leading the Custom Website and Sales departments with dedication and expertise.

Over the years, he has managed hundreds of custom website, graphic design, and marketing projects for churches, non-profits, businesses, and schools.

Beyond his professional work, Mark is deeply committed to serving his community. He coordinates and packs over 700 meals each week for children through One Community Now’s Pack A Sack for Kids program, volunteers in the Children’s Ministry at Generations Christian Church, and participates in a weekly Bible study.