Time off is an incredibly important ingredient for both productivity and success. Both our bodies and minds need it to decompress, recharge, and reboot, enabling us to return to work refreshed. However, raising the question of taking time off can sometimes be an uncomfortable discussion.
Whether you are the leader of a small team, the founder of a startup, or at the helm of a multinational conglomerate, knowing how to encourage your team to take some time off can be another challenge you need to face.
Today, we have the benefit of tapping into some of the experience and insight brothers Alastair Sanderson and Richard Sanderson from Oxford, UK, have amassed while growing several businesses over the past 11 years. Let’s take a look at what they have to say.
A Fear of Judgment
Alastair Sanderson finds that people fear they will be judged by their peers when and if they take time off. This is especially true in high-powered settings, where employees feel they need to outperform each other in order to get noticed. In fact, Alastair Sanderson has been a victim of the same belief: “When I first started my business in Oxford, I thought that the more I worked, the more I would be rewarded. In time, I found out that actually, it just led to me burning out.”
He finds that the best solution to this issue you can implement as a team leader is communication. He advises speaking to each individual member of your team about this fear and pointing out that other people take time off too, and that they should not be judged for choosing to recharge.
His brother, Richard Sanderson, adds that having these kinds of conversations is incredibly important in order to foster a better team spirit and mutual respect and understanding, all of which are the makings of a thriving business environment.
A Fear of Missing Out
Another fear that impacts someone’s willingness to take time off is, according to Richard Sanderson, a fear of missing out. When working in a dynamic environment, people can be worried that they will miss out on important decisions or exciting developments. This can lead them to check their emails and call into the office, which is just as bad as not taking any time off in the first place.
He recommends a solution to this problem: asking your team to be respectful of each other’s time off, and not to email, call, or text anyone when they are out of the office. Any decisions and celebrations can be put on hold until everyone involved is back at the office.
A Fear of Not Being Needed
Alastair Sanderson lists another fear that can lead to someone not wanting to take time off: “Some of my team members that I have spoken to have expressed a fear that the rest of the team will ‘realize they are not needed’.”
This (very rational) fear is deeply rooted in all of us, as we worry about losing our jobs or being replaced by someone else while we’re away. However, as a business owner, Mr. Sanderson knows that replacing someone for two weeks is one thing, but being without them for longer is quite another. From his perspective, he advocates for nurturing a safe environment and a supportive company culture that will make every team member feel valued and help alleviate this fear.
A Fear of Failure
The fourth reason Alastair Sanderson lists as the culprit for people deciding against taking time off is a fear of things going wrong in their absence. This very rational worry can, in his opinion, also be remedied with some clever communication.
If you help each of your team members list all of the tasks they have to do in a day and week, and help them figure out a way to delegate and postpone all of these tasks, they will feel more at ease when leaving the office. They can also name someone they trust to make any decisions that need to be made on the spot in their absence. If all of these details are listed in an out-of-office email, the work can get done, and the employee can go on vacation without stressing about it.
To Sum It Up
Alastair Sanderson’s main piece of advice is to always lead by example. If you don’t take time off, your employees will not feel comfortable doing the same. Remind yourself you need a break every once in a while, and really take it. Show your team that they can handle things without you.
Richard Sanderson adds that time off should not be viewed as slacking off, but instead as a time to rest and recover, a time that enables you to perform at your best. Think of time off as an investment rather than as a hindrance.
Learn more about Alastair Sanderson and Richard Sanderson at https://www.sandersonholdings.com.
