Vacation is supposed to be a fun time where you can relax and unwind from the daily rat race and the mundane. But sometimes life gets in the way, and you have work responsibilities that need your time and attention. But this doesn’t mean you need to dedicate your off-time to work and ruin the vacation. Here are a few tips and tricks to balance your work while on holiday.
Always be Delegating
You know how they say if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, well you gotta put that saying on the back burner or better yet, throw it out the window because it doesn’t apply here. If you have the option to ask for help or delegate some responsibility to others, this is the time to do it.
When you’re on vacation, you’re distracted, you don’t have all the resources that are usually available to you, and sticking with your schedule is even more crucial than ever. You had been dreaming about this vacation for months and had already decided on the activities weeks in advance. It’s simply too late to cram more responsibilities into your agenda.
By delegating, you can pass some of the burdens away from you, and given your circumstances, your employees will be better prepared to take the tasks off your already full plate. The best way to go about this is to explain the task in as much detail as possible. Send the proper instructions, and always clarify how high up on the priority list the task is.
Trust your gut instinct to visualize the person most capable of handling the task and assign them as soon as possible. Because the sooner you delegate, the sooner it will get finished. If there is no one you see fit enough to complete it, break it down into smaller tasks and divide them among teams who can.
And if the task is difficult to explain over email, have a conference call. It will feel more personal and make it easier to explain the job that needs to be completed. And if there is any confusion, encourage the team to ask questions. It will avoid any misunderstanding and ensure everyone is on the same page.
And since it will be done as a favor, don’t forget to repay it or better yet, reward the person for taking the job off your hand and letting you enjoy your vacation time.
Utilize Agile Project Management
If you’re in IT or working in software development, you should already be familiar with the Agile project management technique. It’s a project management technique that breaks projects into small, easily measurable end tasks. These sprints are short tasks that usually take two to four weeks to complete.
And since agile framework is intended to quickly model solutions, you can gather feedback and tweak scope as needed throughout the project lifecycle. For enhanced project visualization and precise timeline management, consider using a Gantt chart that allows project managers to visually map out tasks and dependencies.
Leveraging both Agile methodologies and Gantt charts, project managers respond to clients demands, make adjustments if their demands change, and speed up the deliverable submission process.
The agile framework makes it an ideal tool to delegate and divide tasks while receiving frequent updates on it. Plus, the team can create mockups of the project. So both the client and the team can view how the product feels before investing more time in it.
So if you’re a person who tends to be a frequent flier, agile project framework can be your guardian angel.
Use Proper Communication Tools
If you’re going to be delegating tasks or having conference calls to oversee your company, you will need proper communication tools. As having the right tools helps you return to your vacation sooner, it’s crucial to know which ones are a must-have in this situation.
The two apps I use the most while working away from the office are Trello for task management and an employee phone monitoring app, XNSPY.
Work can be stressful at times, and the stress gets magnified when you have to meet deadlines, but you’re on vacation. As a result, you must perform admirably under duress and can’t make any mistakes because it will cause further delay. But Trello makes things easier.
If you can’t live without your to-do lists, Trello is a must-have. The Kanban-style list system got designed to help users organize everything they need, from small details to large-scale projects. After creating your board, you can start adding tickets and dividing them into as many or as few categories as you like. It allows you to distribute the tasks to the relevant teams and personnel.
The program is an excellent way for busy project managers in IT to break down enormous tasks into manageable portions. The Kanban Way is a framework for managing projects running on the Agile method of project development.
The Kanban Strategy proposes a workflow management method that focuses on continuous progress without overburdening the development team’s productivity and efficiency. Trello’s minimalist UI prevents you from becoming sidetracked by minor details and keeps you focused on the task at hand, making collaborations with your team a breeze.
While Trello makes collaborations and task breakdowns easier, the employee phone monitoring app XNSPY improves productivity, minimizes distractions, and protects data.
If you frequently ask yourself, “why everything goes wrong when I’m on vacation” and don’t know the answer, XNSPY can provide the answer you’re looking for. You can Download the xnspy app free app for free and it will help protect data because employers can monitor employees’ phones to monitor their activities.
The app monitors the Wi-Fi they’re connected to, the email they’re using, and the calls and messages sent and received are secure and protected.
Employers can also check on their workers to ensure they’re being productive and not wasting time. It minimizes the task revisions that need to be done while away from the office. This stealth employee monitoring software reduces the overhead of following up on tasks designated to each employee.
Its screen recorder function automatically updates you with the relevant information ensuring all work is being done with the proper guidelines in mind and no steps are overlooked. It makes following up on assigned tasks much quicker, and data protection much more robust while reducing any overhead on pending tasks needing the employer’s approval.
So after sunscreen, XNSPY and Trello are the must-have apps you need to bring on vacation with you to prevent any chance of miscommunication or data mishandling. And with the right tools, delegation, and project management topology, your work won’t ever disturb you while you’re having a relaxing vacation, no matter where you might be.
Also Read: Hotel Coworking – A New Paradigm for Business Travelers
