North Idaho Alliance Women of Impact: Ready to go back to work?
Marilee Wallace
WOW! What an awesomely fun summer we’ve had in North Idaho! But alas, it seems every year as August closes out, the entire community collective knows it’s time to roll up their sleeves and get ready to “go back to work.” However, after the summer fun comes to an end, going full time back into work mode can be a challenge.
Business coach Robyn McLeod from Chatsworth Consulting Group says “succumbing to the pressure to speed back into work can undo any benefits you may have received from taking a break.”
She suggests following these tips:
Plan your return before you leave your desk
Making a successful transition back to work starts before you even leave the office. Schedule catch-up time in your calendar and make it sacred. “The worst thing to do coming back from vacation is walking into the office Monday morning with a slate of meetings and conference calls,” says McLeod. Blocking off time in your calendar to catch up on emails and reconnect with your job will help you find some stability and get the lay of the land before moving forward.
Have a strategy to deal with email backlog
Avoid the back-to-work email backlog by making use of email management tools. Outlook, for example, allows you to set up rules to move emails that you’re cc’d on into a separate folder than those that you’re listed as the main recipient on upon your return.
Don’t ignore your vacation
Bring some of the positive feelings you had while on vacation back to the office to keep your holiday high going. Adding a photo or small memento of your trip to your workspace can serve as a wonderful and positive reminder.
Find back-to-work excitement
“Taking a holiday is often a time when people begin to question their role, what they’re doing in their work, and if they’re really happy in the work they do,” says McLeod. Allowing some time for self-reflection before returning to the office and finding something you can get excited about in a project or client can help ensure renewed focus and energy.
Decide “important” rather than “urgent” tasks
“So much of our time spent at work is wrapped up in things that are urgent, but not important,” says McLeod. Rather than focusing on the important tasks, such as development and long-term planning, we end up spending the majority of our days responding to emails and dealing with co-workers’ crises, putting off those tasks that we’ve identified as important.
McLeod recommends taking some time before returning to the office to think about what the important tasks that you want to focus on are and try to avoid getting sucked into everyone’s “urgent” tasks that can quickly derail you from your priorities.
The Women of Impact Leadership Roundtable meets once a month for a nine-month series beginning each September through May. Our details are at www.nia-impact.com or join https://www.facebook.com/groups/972216519983800.
Next up: Perk it Up Speed networking Sept. 10 from 9-11 a.m. at the Kroc Center (open to men and women alike!)
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Marilee Wallace, IOM, president/CEO of the North Idaho Alliance Women of Impact. The Women of Impact Leadership Roundtable meets once a month for a nine-month series, and we base our monthly agenda on the word IMPACTED. She can be reached at marilee@theniallaince.com.
