05.23.2025| Read Online​

Taking a Break Without Breaking Your Team

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[...no baby yet, any day now...]

Two things can be true. You can take an extended break from your business. AND You can return from that break to still functioning business.
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About 8 or so years ago, I was the MCA in Peoria, IL and that MC was #1 in the region for Closed Units. And our team was lean: OP, TL, MCA, and Front Desk were our staff. I was able to go on a full one week vacation AND lock my phone in my office and leave it behind. All but one of the 50+ closings that week got paid, escrow was handled flawlessly, and everything was perfectly in place and running as if I had never left.
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Then I did it again for two weeks. And I've done extended, completely unplugged breaks every year since.
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Here's my 5 Step model for Preparing Your Team:

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​1.) Plan your play days early.

Not every break can be pre-planned, and yet, as Gary & Jay say in The ONE Thing, p164, plan your Time Off before you plan your priorities for the year so you can be well rested and most productive when you need it. We plan our play days twice a year. In September we look ahead at the first half of next year, in March we look ahead at the second half of the year.
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​2.) The one week/one day rule.​
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For every day you're away, your team should know about it that many weeks ahead of time. Your team, your key clients, your network expects you to take time away. Just don't jump scare them with a surprise planned absence.
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​3.) Begin Training Right Away.

(Or refreshing the training) ...within a couple days of notifying your team. It's just as important to reinforce that you have a plan for how to maintain continuity while you are "out of office". This helps create an environment of trust where your team knows they can take deserved time away when they need it.
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​4.) Keep your Checklist Updated Quarterly.​
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Things can move pretty fast in this industry. How you handled something a few months ago might be completely different than you do today. Conventions and 3 day weekends are convenient excuses to review and make small adjustments over time. This also ensures your team is ready for unplanned absences when life just happens.

5.) Call in the Network Favors.

If you have experts in your network that can assist your team and answer questions while you're away, this is the time to cash in the deposits you've made and trade vacation favors with them for coverage.

Technology can be a wonderful tool in assisting with this kind of thing, from vacation responders to pre-scheduled emails (like this one!) to be able to keep your promises AND keep your sanity. So, when's your next vacation?

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P.S. I'll be sure to share some baby news when the time comes!