You probably have your own idea for a favorite summer vacation, everybody does. One of those paradoxes of the workplace is that when you need a vacation, you have to work twice as hard as usual to get yourself ready to go. If you didn't need one before, you need it now. Here's why:

First, there's the whole thing about looking into the future. Let's just say that I'm planning to go on vacation (yes, I am, as a matter of fact, in a couple of weeks!) I have some things that need to be ready for production the week that I'm away. So before I can leave, I'll need to have those complete. Before I can complete those things, I may need some information from other people (warning -- I probably will!), and then they'll need to have it available for me as well. Sorry.

Directly related to that, I have to reach out to every person in my work universe who could possibly be affected by my absence, and insure that they understand that I will be out for a week. I may need to get some of them to sign a sworn affidavit acknowledging that they understand. I'll send out another reminder a couple of days in advance, for any last-minute questions.

A funny sidelight -- a couple of people misread my first note yesterday, and sent me some "urgent" things that needed to be dealt with before I go, not realizing I won't be going anywhere for another week. Fell right into my trap.

Which brings us up to the very last minute. Almost every time I've ever gone on vacation, despite warnings, I've been hit with a barrage of questions, problems and projects that need to be handled before I can leave.

Up to a point, you can count on pre-vacation adrenaline to see you through, but after that point, enough is really enough. So if it's really last minute, it may not happen for a couple of weeks. Consider yourself warned. You know who you are.

photo by epSos.de