Who’s Minding the Store When You’re Minding Yourself?

By Nina Kaufman, Esq.

One of the challenges in owning a closely-held business is that it’s hard to get a day off. That’s come to mind for me as I’m en route to California for the rest of the week to attend Peak Potentials’ Train the Trainer workshop. I’ve been salivating over this program since I registered for it 5 months ago, and now the time has come! Friends of mine who have taken it call it “profound,” “mind-blowing,” and “a complete mind-shift.” They also caution me that “you’ll be going from 9am to midnight” and that “there’s little room for bathroom breaks, let alone time to check for voicemail.”

It’s that latter part that concerns me (although the prospect of long lines for the ladies’ room is not an attractive prospect, either). How can I keep my office functioning — and keep meeting my client obligations — when I’m tied up with other things? Here’s a couple of tips for making sure you stay on top of your client deadlines:

  1. Let people know in advance. Yes, you’ll work like a dog before you leave (I just had to reschedule a lunch meeting and a session with my personal trainer because what I needed to get off my plate was going to take longer than the time I had allotted) — and you’ll work like one when you come back. But the sooner people are aware that you won’t be available, you’ll find — almost miraculously! — that their schedules have changed, too. That oh-so-urgent contract that they wanted you to review while you were in the airplane is now being held up another 10 days by the other’s attorney.
  2. Cultivate CYA colleagues. Who can handle emergencies for you while you’re away? I’m fortunate to have a business partner who fills that role for me. Certain employees can take that on, if they’re properly trained. Or, if you’re solo, make it a point to develop a close relationship with a similarly-situated colleague so that you can each step in to hold down the fort for the other in the other’s absence. You know the kind: the “can I pick your brain for a minute?” kind of colleagues who will generously give you 30 minutes of their time when you would have been eternally grateful for merely 10.
  3. Get wired. If you don’t have anyone in category #2 to fill in for you, it may be a little more difficult for you to detach. Maybe you’ll need to bring the laptop to the beach; maybe you can get away with just the BlackBerry. Either way, make sure your vacation messages are set and that your voice mail gives adequate information about how to reach you — or how often you’ll be checking in.
  4. Set boundaries. Whether you’re on vacation or in a workshop (as I’ll be) or just need quiet time with an ailing parent, there’s no reason that technology needs to be intrusive. Set particular times of day that you’ll check and return messages and keep to it. That way, you won’t feel the constant pull of checking in.

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About Nina Kaufman, Esq.