Blog Post 31: Taking Time Off
We hear from many Type C’ers that taking vacation or sick days is hard. Companies usually have well-defined guidelines around time off, so why is it difficult to ask for it? Generally this relates to guilt. People with Type C feel like they are letting down the team, they don’t want to burden other people with extra work when they are out, and/or they should be superhuman and get it all done without rest and recovery. Leaving work during the workday can be hard as well; we've heard many stories of Type C'ers sneaking out for doctor's appointments or a child's performance at school instead of simply telling the team they are heading out.
Team dynamics can exacerbate the guilt. Over-achieving colleagues may operate with an “all work, no play” mindset, or there may be colleagues without families who have fewer commitments. One boss of mine (Anna) talked frequently and negatively about employees who took a lot of vacation, even though it was permitted (and generous) under company policy. This viewpoint made people fear taking time off and also caused them to not fully unplug while out; we continued to check emails and handle certain tasks in an effort to appease the boss.
Fortunately, some companies are waking up to the importance of having their employees get away and engage in restorative activities. Many are even offering unlimited vacation. Despite encouragement from the top, however, Type C'ers can still struggle.
What tool(s) could be useful? First, notice and sit with the guilt. Remind yourself that vacation and sick days are critical for your health, and even if your team is not supportive, your health matters. The longer-term boost to your productivity will be worth it! Second, if you have trouble with the actual ask, use a short and sweet I statement, something like “I’m feeling pretty exhausted after pushing hard these last few weeks, I’d like to schedule vacation for the week of X.” For a sick day, “I’m feeling under the weather and need to take today off; I need to fully unplug in order to lick this virus.” For a doctor's appointment, "I'm headed out for an annual physical, I'll be back in an hour or so." It can be helpful to step back and get a greater perspective. Notice the cost in past experiences when you have pushed yourself too hard and not taken the time to recoup and restore. Keep this cost in mind when trying to motivate yourself to go into these tough conversations.
As for unlimited vacation, while nice in theory, it can create other difficulties, since the parameters are now undefined, and team members may think and operate differently when it comes to time off. The benefit may be offered, but the work culture may not always encourage it. If you would like to take more vacation, go for it - but focus on performance and productivity and communicate this. Most people are so much more productive and agreeable to be around after taking a fully unplugged break of at least a week every few months! You want to communicate this in an I statement. "I realize that I am taking more vacation than some people in the office but if you look at my productivity and teamwork, I think you can see that I am super productive when I'm here and take my work very seriously. I hope you understand how much this vacation restores me and helps me continue this high performance level."
We’d love to hear your stories about taking time off. Please email us at typectoolbox@gmail.com!