You would think that taking a vacation is a no-brainer: everyone wants to take a holiday and all you have to do is book it, right? But many lawyers, especially those in small firms, feel that they can't possibly take time off work.
These are the “Nuts” in the taking-a-vacation equation. The “Bolts” are the little nuggets of ideas on the specifics of planning and taking a good vacation. This article provides practical ideas for getting you that well-deserved vacation time.
The Excuses
We have lots of excuses for not taking a vacation. These include: there is never a good time to go away; partners don’t take holidays; associates wanting to become partners don’t take holidays; you can go on a holiday as soon as you get caught up; you will work twice as hard now so that you will have time later to take a holiday; take an extra day off after the next legal conference and call that a holiday; or the biggy, there's no time to take a holiday.
All of these are poor excuses which, when analyzed, break down quickly. Sometimes, there is never a good time to go on vacation. But look at your practice carefully and see if there is a slower period. A study of your business cycle may show that there are particular times when business tends to be slower and that would be the best time for a vacation. In general, the period around Christmas and New Years works well for most lawyers.
Partners and associates that do not take vacation will likely burn out and become less efficient in the long term. The goal of getting caught up in your work is illusory and you will probably never achieve it anyway. Let go of unrealistic expectations and admit that a holiday is needed by everyone.
Systems
One reason lawyers have fears of leaving the office is the feeling that our absence will result in disaster. This feeling can be overcome by developing and implementing appropriate systems in the office which operate with or without you present. The better the systems, the more efficient the law firm and the less dependent the practice is on the lawyer. Your vacation will simply be part of the process which allows the firm to continue despite your absence.
The Bolts
1. Plan Your Vacation
Plan your vacation at least six months ahead of time. A good time of year is in January when you are doing your goal setting. Block it off in your calendar to avoid other work conflicting with your holiday time.
2. Phantom Days
Bookend your trip with “phantom days” on either end. These are days where you are publicly indicating you are on vacation, but in fact, you are in the office using those days to get ready to leave on your trip and for a full day of re-integration upon your return. Do not let your staff override your phantom day with “just one small appointment”.
3. Cash Reserve
Create a cash reserve knowing that your cash flow will be reduced during your vacation. This helps lessen the impact to the firm of your being away. Simply plan for your vacation.
4. Back-Up Lawyer
Select a lawyer in your firm or, if in a solo practice, outside your firm, to deal with files during your time away. Make a list of anticipated problems, phone numbers and strategies. Make this relationship a symbiotic one so that when that lawyer takes a vacation, you will help them out. (Incidentally, this sort of planning is good for unplanned emergencies, say, a medical crisis, to allow you to be away from the office on short notice.)
5. Timing
(a) One month prior to the vacation:
- Meet with your office staff/team to prepare them for the upcoming vacation. Go over problem files, pre-empt predictable emergencies and anticipate opposing counsel’s requests during your time off. Prepare strategies.
- Send a letter to clients telling them you are away, but assure them that your staff will be taking very good care of them during this period.
(b) Two weeks prior to the vacation:
- Go over plans again with office staff;
- Go over any changes to the plans based on more current information;
- Designate one person in the office to contact clients by telephone before and during your vacation to see how they are doing and inform them that their file is being looked after. Clients will appreciate this sort of communication.
6. Staff Involvement
You obviously cannot meet with clients while you are away. However, properly trained staff can meet with potential clients for a pre-interview process and create value with clients immediately. Clients can be given information, provided with books and even shown around the office.
7. Permission to Staff
Give your staff permission to deal with client matters when you are gone. It is always easy for the staff to tell clients that the lawyer will be back in only two more weeks, and that the matter should be put on hold until everyone can get together. All this does is condense work into a shorter timeframe. A better strategy is to allow your trusted staff to make decisions and help the client move the matter forward without waiting for the vacationing lawyer’s decision.
8. Referral Sources
If your practice depends heavily on referrals from various sources, it would be wise to contact your referral sources prior to leaving and advise them of your vacation and that you would be happy to see any referring clients prior to departing. Also, make it clear that your office systems are set up to handle any new files during your absence.
9. Mail
Prepare a triage system for your mail. Have different coloured folders with mail which includes junk mail, low priority, medium priority, general reading material and high priority mail. Staff should open the mail, identify its importance and distribute it to the proper place.
10. E-mail
There are several options to deal with e-mail. If you have appropriate staff, you can have your e-mail reviewed and dealt with immediately. Or, the staff can categorize and sort it for your return. Alternatively, you can set up your "Out of Office" so that people sending you e-mails do not think you are receiving them and simply ignoring them. The auto-responder should explain that you are on vacation and when you expect to return.
11. Special Projects
If you feel that the staff will not be busy during your absence, compile a list of special projects that should be completed upon your return. These could include learning new software, scanning information into the system, separate long-term storage or small office fixups.
The Vacation Itself
In his book “Stress for Success”, author Jim Loehr argues that people need important recovery time after stressful periods in their lives. There are two types of recovery:
(a) Active Recovery
Energetic or action oriented recovery, which includes sports or recreational type activities. This is more physical in nature. There is no thinking about the office. Often, after active recovery, the lawyer produces breakthrough ideas.
(b) Passive Recovery
Quiet healing, doing nothing in particular. Watches are removed and spas and relaxation therapies are beneficial.
Each type of recovery is useful and important to re-energize the creative processes needed to carry on the practice of law.
Online Travel Resources
The Internet has changed the way people book vacations. It is much easier to compare prices and activities by searching online. Here are some popular travel sites:
www.expedia.ca
www.travelocity.ca
www.expeditions.com
www.travelandleisure.com
www.cruise.com
www.montereyinfo.org
www.fourseasons.com
www.TripAdvisor.com
www.IgoUgo.com
Life is too short to die with an epitaph saying that you worked hard as a lawyer and never took a vacation. The world is filled with so much opportunity and fun, all just waiting to be experienced. Book your vacation, plan around it and do it. When it comes to vacations, be a “Bolt”, not a “Nut”.
Lonny Balbi, Balbi & Company Legal Centre, 1501 MacLeod Tr. S, Calgary, AB T2G 2N6 e-mail: balbico@familylaw.com.