Any good work team depends on each other to make everything run smoothly. But every member of that team needs to step away – whether you’re taking a well-deserved vacation, attending a conference or simply stepping away from work for personal reasons.

It might be overstating it to say there’s an art to informing your colleagues, clients and stakeholders of your absence, but there are more effective processes than what I’ve often seen over the course of my career. One of technology’s most crucial uses is communication, but the more deliberately we use it, the better proof we’ll get that stepping away is not only necessary but nothing to fear.

The Ghosting Approach

Sadly, one of the most common ways to communicate absence is no communication at all. Too often I’m facing a tight deadline, and the person I need to gather critical information from is out of the office for the next week. Sometimes I find this out by looking at their calendar. The absolute worst-case scenario is when they no-show a meeting that was scheduled when they were still in the office.

Another unproductive approach is when a colleague blocks out their entire team’s calendar, assuming their teammates are unable to make progress without them or afraid they won’t be able to catch up upon returning. Progress can happen without you. In fact, it must happen.

A Proactive Process

The good news is that the technology tailored to scheduling has been around for decades. The bad news is that there has never been much of a standardized way of utilizing that technology among industries or even within individual companies.

As PPAI’s director of digital transformation, it is imperative to both the colleagues I report to and those who report to me that they are prepared for when I step away on some personal time. Below are best practices that ensure that continuity can excel without me and that I will not be interrupted during crucial time away to recharge.

  • I confirm the dates and ensure that my workload is manageable.
  • I find a delegate or delegates to carry out tasks that I might ordinarily handle.
  • I discuss the out-of-office  dates with my supervisor and submit them in our company’s PTO request, tracking and approval tool.
  • I create a document with any meetings that need to be attended or hosted with the latest statuses on open and upcoming actions. 
  • If I am going to be out for more than two days in a row, I update my email signature two weeks in advance with the dates that I will be out of the office. This gives people ample time to ask me questions before I am not available. 
  • I create a personal Outlook appointment that has the “Show As” status of Out of Office. I have the start time and end time match my normal office hours. The appointment title has my name, OOO for Out of Office, and my delegate’s name. This blocks out my time so people know that I am not available at that time and whom to contact if needed.
  • I create a group Outlook meeting that has the “Show As” status as “Free.” It is very important to not block out everyone else’s time in their calendars. I make sure the “Don’t Host Online” is checked, I add the people who may be impacted by my absence, and I make sure the “All Day” option is checked. The meeting title has my name, “OOO” and my delegate’s name. This places a small banner at the top of each person’s calendar on the days that I am out.
  • About an hour before I leave for the out of office time, I set my Out of Office Responder to state the dates that I will be out of office and who my delegate is. I do usually include my cell number for emergency only if I will remain within cell service throughout my vacation or trip.

The right steps mean you are communicating with your colleagues in a way that protects your personal time and the progress of your team’s projects. Using technology proactively before you step away will prove a lesson that everyone needs to learn at some point: The ship will continue course without any one person for a week or two. 

Karstens is the director of digital transformation at PPAI.