How to Prepare Your Project Before You Take Leave

Vacation, sabbatical, business trip, holiday, parental leave… There are many reasons why you may need to step away from your project. But how can you prepare so that you can do so and feel confident?

Project Managers tend to want to feel in control. But you can’t be when you aren’t there. So, the next best thing is to take control of preparation and set it up to run the way you want.

Summer holidays are approaching, meaning vacations for some. And some commentators are anticipating a burst of new babies next winter, meaning more maternity and paternity leave. Indeed, sadly, there will always be times when you need to take take time for compassionate leave. So, a good Project Manager will have a clear idea of how to prepare for their absence.

What we Will Cover

In this guide to how to prepare your project before you go away and leave it, you’ll learn:

• How to leave your project in safe hands
• Who to inform, before you go
• How to leave your project in a tidy state
• What to do to allow yourself to focus on what you want and need to do, rather than worrying about your project
• And how to set yourself up for an easy return to work

Delegating Leadership: Leave Your Project in Safe Hands

As with any delegation, you first step is to identify your proxy. You may already have a deputy or an obvious next-most-senior colleague. In which case, it’s easy.

However, if you don’t, you may feel it’s not necessary. And often, it won’t be. But, if your sponsor or client needs to speak with someone, who should they go to. If two of your work stream leaders disagree, and need a decision, who will resolve the conflict and decide for them?

Who to Choose…

There are two primary reasons to select someone for this role. And they won’t always suggest the same person. So, whichever person you choose, do let them know your reasoning. Whether you share this with the rest of your team is up to you.

Reason 1

Choose the person who is best-able to carry out the rle by virtue of experience, expertise, or seniority.

Reason 2

Choose the person who can best benefit from the role as a part of their career development.

Schedule Time with Your Proxy

Handing over is an important formality. The amount of time you need for briefing them will depend on how closely they understand the whole beadth pf your project. But the important things to relay are:

• your confidence in them
• how you want them to handle the role.

It will often be helpful to both of you, if you can create a document with key information and instructions.

Work Package Ownership

Beyond your proxy, you may want to confirm the responsibilities and delegated authority of your work stream leaders and work package owners.

These are the people to whom you can also distribute elements of your day-to-day workload. This way, stuff will get done while you are away.

Who to Notify Before You Leave

Start notifying essential people at least a couple of weeks before your scheduled leave. It may be longer still if you have a longer meeting cycle. If you can, let them know at the meeting before the one you will miss, so they have plenty of warning that your proxy will represent you.

Other people will need a small amount of advanced warning, so aim to let them know of your leave dates, and who your proxy will be, at least a week in advance.

How to Inform Them

I recommend you make yourself a list of people to inform, prioritize that list, and work through it. For each eperson, think about:

• when to inform them
• how to inform them:
  • in person
  • by phone
  • by email or instant message
  • in a round-robin message

If key people do not know the person you have identified as your proxy, you’ll also need to make some time to make an introduction.

Tidy-up Loose Ends and Leave Your Project in a Tidy State

Don’t leave your house in a mess before you go on holiday. Likewise, tidy up your project before going on leave. not only does this leave your proxy with a neater transition and fewer trivia to deal with; it also makes for a clearner break for you.

Ensure Project Documentation is Up-to-Date

In your final week, go through all project documentation and ensure it is up-to-date and approvals are in place. Pay special attention to anything that your team will need while you are away. This will always include your risk register.

If your project uses a Project management tool or shared calendar, be sure to update all your actions and statuses on this. And, while you are at it, check permissions, so your proxy can access the documents and sections that they will need, to fulfil the roles you’ve set them.

Reporting

Reporting is a central part of your role, so I would always recommend that any outstanding reports are up-to-date before you go on leave. Where one is coming up, you may like to let your proxy know of any comments or priorities you would like them to reflect in it.

It’s also helpful to speak with members of your Governance tiers, you sponsor etc, before you go. This will help you assess any concerns that your proxy needs to be aware of. Equally, you can use it as an opportunity to pre-empt any problems.

Likewise, I also recommend you speak with your key stakeholder to re-assure them about continuity in your absence. Introduce them to your proxy and pass on contact details.

Admin

Don’t forget to tie up loose ends with your personal admin. I would recommend you clear your inbox. Anything that is not urgent enough deal with before you go on leave, is likely to be unimportant when you return. Seriously consider deleting it!

Set Yourself up to Put it Down Completely

If you are to have a relaxing holiday, a fulfilling maternity or paternity leave, a focused business trip, or compassionate leave without added stress, your first priority is to set the rules around contact with work.

The Rules of Engagement

You have three broad options for rules of engagement for contact from your project team.

Option 1: No Contact

This will clearly be the best for you and your family. If you possibly can, this is the option to go for.

Option 2: Limited Contact

This will take the form of some combination of:

• scheduled check-ins
• allowed contact in the case of specific scenarios
• emergency contact

It’s also likely you would be checking emails or other comms channels on an infrequent basis.

Option 3: Free Contact

This would allow either your proxy – or possibly a wider group – to contact you when they choose. You may also be monitoring emails, slack, or other project messaging. Indeed, some Project Managers may choose to join in on some meetings by phone or video conferencing. Not much of an absence really!

Set Your Out-of-Office Notifications Accordingly

Set up notifications on all of your communications channels:

• Email
• Voice Mail
• Slack or other messaging apps (Set up a custom status and manage notifications – here’s how, on Slack)
• PM tools

Set Yourself up for an Easy Return from Leave

While things are fresh in your mind, as you wrap up to go on leave, set up a to do list of reminders for what you want to be sure to do on your return. On that list, include:

• Turn off out-of-office message
• Re-enable notifications from your PM system
• Meet with your proxy
• Check-in with key people:
  • Sponsor
  • Workstream leads
  • Primary contractors, suppliers, project partners
  • Key stakeholders
• Review project reports that came out while you were away

Keep Your First Day Clear

Avoid having too much scheduled for your first day back. I would suggest you allow only essential meetings in Week 1 – and none on Day 1.

What are Your Thoughts about How to Prepare Your Project before You Take Leave?

Please comment below with your thoughts and questions. As always, I’ll respond to everyone.