Redefining Time Off: A Guide for Leaders

As I write this, it’s summer in France, and the high temperatures make it tough to think, let alone work. So, let's talk about vacation—not the details of where you might go, but how you think about taking time off.

A few questions come to mind:

• If you haven't planned time off for yourself, what's holding you back?
• What stories do you tell yourself and your team about taking time off? 
• How can you re-define your thinking of time off?

These questions have been central to many coaching conversations recently, prompting thoughtful reflections from clients on the importance of not just taking time off, but also interrogating how we view it.

Leadership and Time Off

If you're in a position of leadership, your actions and behaviours about your own vacation set a tone for your team and wider organisation about what is “acceptable” and what’s not. When considering taking time off over the next few months, reflect on these questions. Then ask yourself: Do I need to redefine how I think about vacation time?

If you haven't planned time off for yourself, what's holding you back?

Taking a break from our every day routine and stresses of work has countless benefits, many of which are backed by absolute reams of data. Research shows that taking a vacation can lower our stress levels, increase wellness and even make us more productive, creative and motivated when we return to work. In some cases, it can even lead to an increase in income!

Here are a few interesting nuggets to consider when you’re thinking about vacation: 

• How we spend our time makes a difference: A study in Science Daily shows that disconnecting from electronic devices and hiking in nature for four days leads to a 50% increase in creativity.
• What we do while we’re away makes a difference: Brain imaging studies show that doing nothing, being idle, daydreaming, and relaxing creates alpha waves in the brain that are key to creative insights and innovative breakthroughs.

• The amount of time we take off makes a difference: According to a Harvard Business Review article, there’s a correlation between taking more time off and the increased likelihood of getting a raise. “People who took fewer than 10 of their vacation days per year had a 34.6% likelihood of receiving a raise or bonus in a three-year period of time. While people who took more than 10 of their vacation days had a 65.4% chance of receiving a raise or bonus. If you take 11 or more of your vacation days, you are more than 30% more likely to receive a raise.”

What stories do you tell yourself and your team about taking time off?

Despite the benefits, many people don’t take vacations. Common reasons include being too busy, feeling indispensable, and fear of being seen as a “slacker.” This fear-driven self-narratives can lead to overwork and stress, which can negatively impact health and productivity.

And when you display this type of fear-driven work style as a leader, your team picks up on it and mimics it.

It’s up to you to know when to say when and break the cycle. You have the agency and power to choose to set an example for your team to put themselves and their wellbeing first, replacing whatever latest and greatest deadline which might be looming.

Even if you're not in a leadership role, you can still set an example for the team and those around you, and manage-up by putting your own health first.  No matter your role, you can be a role model. 

Once you acknowledge it’s time to take a break - be it a few days, weeks or months - the next question to consider is how you communicate your time off to your team and those around you.

How can you re-define your thinking of time off?

Storytelling is a big part of what leaders do, including the story you tell yourself and others about taking time off.

When considering a vacation, the story often justifies why you deserve and need time off. Common themes from coaching conversations include:

• Overwork: Working non-stop for months and nearing burnout.
• Major life shift: Moving to a new place or job, dealing with the exhaustion of change outside work.
• Health issues: Needing to address health concerns before they worsen.

These reasons are beyond legitimate, but framing vacation as something only deserved after excessive work or trauma places it on a pedestal. This taps into the Victim role of the Karpman Drama Triangle that I've written about before, showing up when you feel persecuted by circumstances and need to justify your break.

And again, as leaders, your actions and behaviours bring the story to life and have a massive impact on how your team thinks of their own time off.

Your Challenge

If you've made it to the end of this article, and aren't yet out sunning yourself on the beach or hiking through the woods, I'd like to give you a challenge to work on:

Make this the year you transform how you think and talk about taking time off.

To start with consider these questions: Are you telling a story of justification? Where do your storylines come from? What could the story be if there was no demand for justification? Check yourself when you slip into limiting beliefs. Write them down, discuss them, and challenge them.

By redefining your narrative around time off, you can create a healthier work environment for yourself and your team. Embrace vacation as a time for enjoyment and celebration and encourage those around you to do the same thing.

And as always, I’d love to help. Find out more about my Executive Coaching offerings for technology leaders here.