6 steps to take a guilt-free vacation from your email program

Finally, vacation season is here. School is out for most students, and parents want to take a break or send their kids off to camp. However you define it, June, July and August mark the start of vacation for most of the world.

If you don’t believe me, try getting hold of anyone in Europe in August. I used to work for a European-based company, and they take their vacation time seriously. It’s not unusual to find people taking a month or more off. Companies expect it and plan for it.

Not here in the U.S., where American workers are far less likely to take time than their European counterparts. Up to 30% of European workers — many in countries with mandated vacation time — take 25+ days off a year, while only 6% of U.S. workers do, a 2024 Kickresume study found. And 60% of Americans never take more than two weeks off.

Why not? People say they worry about being replaced while they’re gone or believe they’re too critical to their company’s operations to step away. How often do you end your work year with paid time off still in the bank?

Everybody needs to take a break, especially email marketers. Not to disparage other channels, but email is a complex mechanism with many dependent systems and things that can change at a moment’s notice. The pressures of managing everything that goes into a successful email marketing program are intense. That’s why you need to take a break!

Dig deeper: Email marketers — What’s on your vacation to-do list?

6 steps to a successful vacation from email

You can untangle yourself from the machinery of daily email if you plan for it now and empower your team to take over while you’re gone. These steps will help you hand over the reins and take them back after you’re refreshed and revitalized.

1. Document your processes

This can be a difficult step for people who like to protect their work. It’s their secret sauce, the thing that makes them more valuable to the team. 

Don’t be afraid to take that step or worry that someone will take your job away if they know how you do your work. If that’s how you measure your net worth to your company, and if your net worth can be exhausted in just the week you’re away from your desk, how much are you really worth?

Another benefit of documenting your process is avoiding emergency phone calls. People don’t have to ask you constantly what’s next or where to find key information. Document what you do daily, including the reports you generate or receive from others: Sketch the flow of information, who’s included in it, and deadlines.

2. Empower your team

This is an outgrowth of documenting your processes. Give your team the ability to make decisions while you’re gone. Knowing your processes and where to go for information will help them make informed decisions. 

Role-play potential scenarios to test how accurately you documented everything and how well your team understands it. If someone asks you a question before you leave, answer it by asking, “What would you do in this situation?”

The more you can prepare your team before you leave, the better they’ll be able to make those decisions that would normally involve you. It also enables your team to take care of you!

Dig deeper: Why delegating makes you a stronger email marketer

3. Talk about what worries them in your absence

Once again, having thorough documentation can help you anticipate and sidestep concerns from your team and your executives. You’ll know whether you’ve covered all your bases or left major gaps in coverage. Share your process documentation with your executive team as well. 

4. Set rules for contact while you’re away

“Call me if it’s an emergency” is too generic. Define the situations that justify a phone call. When I expect to be out of the office for two weeks or more, I leave rules for when and why people can call me. My OOO message includes people to contact (name, title, phone number, email). 

I usually make myself available daily for short windows of time so that people don’t need to wait until the building is burning down before they call. If we have an issue with a vendor or if we win business, I’ll take those calls at set hours of the day. Encourage people to text first. 

If you’re going to be off the grid — out on the water, up in the air, anywhere you can’t get a signal — or multiple time zones away, let people know that, too. Just in case the building really is burning down.

5. Discipline your vacation self

Wait. Isn’t vacation supposed to be your holiday from discipline, rules, time clocks, etc? Yes, but if you find it hard to power down, corral that urge and limit your work time.

For many of us, going cold turkey on work is not realistic. You might be out of the office, but email never sleeps, and nothing kills the vacation glow like staring down an overstuffed inbox. Here’s what I do to tame the beast.

I’m an early riser, even on vacation. I use the first hour of the morning while everyone else is still asleep to enjoy my coffee and weed through email. I’m looking only for emergencies or things I need to comment on. 

Also, one of my executives sends me an update twice a week. I don’t need details, just a general status report. That’s because we have a busy agency with many projects in various stages. I’m close to all my stakeholders, so I like to know things are going smoothly. Also, I won’t reply unless asked. 

If you lead an enterprise-level team, you might want a daily briefing. Assign someone to update you, and be clear about what you want to know. No blathering, no complaining — just enough so you can walk into the office on your first day back and know what to expect.

In my role today, I can stay in minimal contact but also enjoy my break because I’ve empowered my team to make decisions and do what they think is best. We’ve worked together for a long time, I’ve prepared them, and they know my expectations.

Dig deeper: From friction to flow — A marketer’s secret productivity engine

6. Reward your team when you get back

No matter how well you prepare, it’s always a little stressful when the boss or another key player is out. Thank your team for stepping in and allowing you to take and enjoy your vacation. Bring back souvenirs or buy them a memorable team gift. Take them out to drinks or dinner or find another meaningful way to show appreciation. 

Vacation is a two-way street — it’s their job to help you take time off, and you need them to help just as they need you to cover for them when they want to have time off. 

Wrapping up

Taking a vacation can be tough. I’ve had jobs where I felt I couldn’t risk taking the time off. That was just plain stupid. Let’s also acknowledge that many companies don’t make it easy for you to get the time off you need. And maybe this is the year you can’t take an extended trip, just a long weekend here and there.

Still, we all need that disconnect from our jobs, the mental clarity that comes when we step off the gas and relax. Burnout is a real thing. If you don’t give yourself a break, you’ll be miserable, leading you to make bad strategic and tactical decisions.

This summer, take a break, rely on your team and be sure that your team is informed and empowered to let you live your life. And me? It’s time to sip a piña colada next to the pool.