1 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:10,600 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,040 Speaker 1: tip is that if you are planning to step away 4 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: from your job for a while, such as for a 5 00:00:21,960 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: leave or even just for a longer vacation, make a 6 00:00:25,840 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: plan for how you will re enter. This will make 7 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: life feel more calm and productive for you and for 8 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: everyone you work with. Today's tip comes from Lorena Ye. 9 00:00:40,800 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 1: Lorena is a senior partner at Mackenzie and the co 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:46,680 Speaker 1: author of the book The Broken Rung When the Career 11 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: Latter Fails for Women and how they can succeed in 12 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,879 Speaker 1: spite of it. Lorena was recently a guest on my 13 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: other podcast, Best of Both Worlds. When I interviewed her 14 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: for Best of Both Worlds, Lorena offers what I think 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: is wise advice for people preparing for a parental or 16 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: other extended leave. She advised that they pack a round 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: trip ticket. I love that metaphor. Most of the time, 18 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,759 Speaker 1: we don't buy a plane ticket to another city without 19 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,520 Speaker 1: having a plan for how we're going to get home. 20 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,680 Speaker 1: You should take the same care with planning for any 21 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:30,000 Speaker 1: leave from your job. You probably make a plan for 22 00:01:30,040 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: how you'll transition out, so make sure you also make 23 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 1: a plan for how you will transition back in. Lorena 24 00:01:37,360 --> 00:01:40,160 Speaker 1: pointed out that people, I mean, at least the sort 25 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: of folks who listen to my podcasts, are often very 26 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: responsible about preparing for leaves. They make sure all their 27 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: projects will be covered effectively in their absence, and they 28 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: tell their colleagues everything they need to know to avoid 29 00:01:56,040 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: mishaps while they are out. This is wise. You don't 30 00:02:00,520 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: want stress or drama, and you don't want your colleagues 31 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,960 Speaker 1: and clients to be in a bad place while you 32 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: are gone. But Lorena points out that people also need 33 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: to think through what their return trip will look like. 34 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: She says it's important to be intentional about your re 35 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: entry before your leave even begins. When you are preparing 36 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: to leave, you will brief key colleagues on the status 37 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,840 Speaker 1: of your projects and the people involved in them. You 38 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: may even write up notes. So on your return, how 39 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:33,240 Speaker 1: will you get up to speed on what happened in 40 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: your absence? Will anybody be writing notes for you? You 41 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: probably wrapped up major projects before you began your leave 42 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:45,920 Speaker 1: and provided instructions about your other projects and priorities. How 43 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,920 Speaker 1: will you identify the top priorities you need to focus 44 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: on as soon as you return. You communicated with your 45 00:02:53,560 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 1: colleagues and maybe clients or customers to let them know 46 00:02:56,200 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: about your leave. How will you reconnect with the people 47 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: you work with and resume your work together when you 48 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: get back. In addition to thinking through how you will 49 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: address the tasks associated with your return, also realize that 50 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,560 Speaker 1: it just takes time to pick back up after an 51 00:03:14,600 --> 00:03:19,960 Speaker 1: extended leave, so be realistic and block time those first 52 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: couple of days or even weeks for re entry activities. 53 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:28,519 Speaker 1: Planning for the return trip is essential for an extended leave, 54 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:32,000 Speaker 1: but even for shorter vacations, it pays to pack a 55 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: round trip ticket for yourself. I suggest blocking as much 56 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:40,400 Speaker 1: as possible of the first day back for meetings, except 57 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: maybe a meeting with your assistant or your boss to 58 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: understand what happened when you are gone. This will give 59 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:49,560 Speaker 1: you time to get caught up on what happened and 60 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: set priorities for the week ahead. It's helpful to pack 61 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,360 Speaker 1: a round trip ticket on the personal front too. Be 62 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: sure you have groceries and clean clothes for your first 63 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: days back. Schedule time is needed for laundry or cleaning 64 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: the house, or grocery shopping or processing mail. Even if 65 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: you don't usually use grocery delivery or a lawn service 66 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: or a cleaning service, that might be helpful right after 67 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: time away. When you prepare for your re entry professionally 68 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: and personally, whether after vacation or an extended leave, you 69 00:04:24,600 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 1: avoid the stress that can happen if you re enter 70 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 1: without much thought. You set yourself up for success, and 71 00:04:31,839 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: that is a good thing. How have you planned for 72 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:40,880 Speaker 1: successful returns after maternity leaves, sabbaticals or vacations. You can 73 00:04:40,960 --> 00:04:44,720 Speaker 1: let me know at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com 74 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,640 Speaker 1: and to listen to my interview with Lorena Ye, go 75 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: to my website Laura vandercam dot com and search on 76 00:04:51,400 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: broken rung. In the meantime, this is Laura. Thanks for 77 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: listening and here's to making the moost of our time. 78 00:05:07,680 --> 00:05:12,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've got questions, ideas, 79 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:15,640 Speaker 1: or feedback, you can reach me at Laura at Laura 80 00:05:15,760 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartMedia. 81 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:29,679 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit the iHeartRadio app, 82 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,200 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.