Out of Office! Are you?

This week in our Extraordinary Leader Program we’ve been talking about the challenges of taking off—on vacation that is. Let’s be clear: booking the trip isn’t the challenge. Actually, being on vacation once you get there—that’s the hard part, especially for club leaders.

Why do club leaders have such a difficult time being on vacation? Over the years I have noticed that hospitality managers pride themselves on being available. You wear it as a badge of honor, being in service of others. In fact, hospitality managers don’t just “do” service, they “are” service. Which is exactly why time off feels so unnatural.

Here are some common reasons we hear from managers:

• Identity: “If I’m not solving problems, who am I?”
• Control: enough said. 
• Perceived Value: Many managers equate busyness with worth and value. Ask yourself “what value do I bring to the club?”
• Pressure for Perfection and Taking Things Personally: “What if something goes wrong? What will the members think?”
• The Nonstop Pace: The club doesn’t close just because you’re at the beach.
• Habit: “The members, and my President expect to be communicated to immediately. So, I answer emails and texts 24/7, even on vacation.” (You know who you are!)

Sound familiar?

The Message You Send by Not Unplugging

Let’s start with the most important: your relationships, your health, your happiness, and your well being. In other words, your life. Everyday you are receiving a message from the industry and from the world to take care of your life. Work to live life, don’t live your life only to work. Life really is too short. When you don’t unplug you are telling yourself and the most important people around you that you are not important and neither are they, but the club is. Let that sink in.

Now let’s look at your work. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: when you can’t turn off work, you’re teaching your team that they shouldn’t either. In other words, “Listen to what I say but don’t watch me too closely.” “My team needs vacation, but I don’t.”

If you’re answering emails from the beach at 10:00 p.m., you’re quietly signaling, “I expect you to be always available, too.” Even if you’ve said otherwise, your actions set the tone. Leadership is contagious, for better or worse.

And frankly, burnout is also contagious. A team that feels they can never unplug will eventually fry. So, if you’re “just checking in” while on vacation, you may think you’re helping, but in reality, you’re undermining the healthy boundaries you want your team to embrace. Food for thought.

How to Actually Be on Vacation

1. Begin With Purpose: Think about it, why are you going on vacation? Who are you going with? What do they deserve from you? How could you make this your best vacation yet? What if nothing could get in the way of your enjoyment?
2. Communicate Before You Leave: Tell your managers, Board, and team who’s in charge and what they’re empowered to decide. Set everyone up for success.
3. Pick a Point Person: Appoint a trusted manager to run point. Empower them fully. It builds their confidence and your trust.
4. Go Dark on Notifications: Challenge yourself to turn off email and app alerts. I realize some of you need to check your email once a day to keep your sanity. Just don’t miss the point of this article.
5. Let Go of Small Mistakes: Surely, something will go wrong. That’s okay. It means your team is learning without you. Coach your team through problem solving and learnings once you return.
6. Treat Rest as Leadership: Rest isn’t indulgence—it’s responsibility. Members expect excellence, and excellence requires energy. You are a manager of energy. It starts with you.
7. Honor your Out of Office Message: If your message says you don’t have access to emails, and you email the person back immediately, what message are you sending? What message does your team receive if you are interjecting into communications?
8. Reflect Daily: Set your intention at the beginning of the day to be fully present. Check in with yourself during the day if needed. Ask yourself each evening: Was I present today? Did I enjoy it? Keep yourself accountable to your own life.

The truth is, if your club can’t survive one week without you, that’s not a vacation problem, that’s a leadership problem!

So, the next time you set that out-of-office message, mean it. Close the laptop. Put down the phone. Order the guacamole. And remember you’re not just out of the office—you’re in your life.

And reach out to your coaches for support any time. Except when we are on vacation!