I’ve talked multiple times about going to Europe with my family for three weeks. Here are some photos.
I didn’t bring a laptop, and I didn’t really think about work. Partly because it’s vacation, partly because there was no time to think about work.
To get back into the swing of things, I’m going to quickly answer some questions you might have about what my team does while I’m on vacation.
Does it bother me that I have no contact with my OFS team for several weeks?
No. I know they’re working. I’ve trained them well enough to handle most emergencies. Anything that they need my input on can wait until I get home.
Am I worried that they’re not going to work while I’m away?
No. I know I have great people. They’re hardworking, loyal and motivated. Even when they know I’m on vacation (and can’t read their messages), they send me their daily reports. They know I need to get them so I can easily jump back to work when I get back. They have responsibilities.
Am I worried that they might take it easy while I’m away?
No. I know they’ll probably take it easy while I’m away.
Some of them might go on vacation at the same time as I’m out since it’s also a school break in the Philippines.
Some will have to take it easy if their work needs much of my input and feedback. But I know my OFS team also has a bunch of low-priority tasks they can work on while I’m away.
But for most, the work stays the same. My OFS team doesn’t need much prodding or micromanagement from anyone. My project manager, Joven, is there to make sure everything is on track and to solve more complicated problems. But even he doesn’t need to check in on the team to make sure they’re working. He knows they’re working regardless.
Why not check your email and do a bit of work on your phone while on vacation?
1. I don’t want to.
2. This time is for myself and my family. I don’t want anything to distract me from that.
3. We ride all day. At night, we plan the next day’s ride. There’s no time.
4. I trust my team. I trust them because I’ve gone on extended vacations like this for years. They’ve always kept working even while I’m away. I’m confident they can handle a few weeks without me.
How did you get your OFS team to that point where you can just go on vacation for weeks at a time?
1. I made sure I hired the right people. I can teach you how to do that at OneVAAway.com.
2. I train them. Regularly. Ongoing.
3. I give regular feedback. Ongoing.
4. I give them responsibility and authority.
When they do a task correctly, I don’t need to manage that task anymore. They (my OFS) put their responsibilities on our Basecamp and pretty much manage themselves.
This means I don’t need to tell them what to do every day.
That looks too easy. Does that really work?
Yeah.
It doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time. We’ve grown together.
You can do it too! You only need 5 things:
Learn to hire the right people.
Find the right people.
Train.
Feedback.
Repeat.
Find an OFS now you can start planning your extended vacation.
John