Balancing a vacation and a busy office



photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/igorlazunna/

For some people the thought of taking a vacation from work induces stress.  Fear of not being around to handle situations that may arise, as well as the thought of facing a barrage of messages upon return outweighs the inclination to take a break.  A reluctance to use vacation time can also be due to unstated norms at work.

Following are some things to consider if you are thinking about a vacation but undecided if it is worth it.

Everyone needs a break:  Vacations are good for everyone who works.  Day-to-day distractions and ongoing longer concerns can sap energy and creativity.  Taking a vacation is like hitting the reset button and can help diminish the stress, frustration, and weariness that are part of any job.  A vacation can therefore boost work productivity.

It is healthy to maintain a balance between work and life, and therefore work does not always take precedence.  However, there may be times during your career when it may be necessary to skip a vacation, particularly if you are working on a time sensitive project in a work environment in which you have career ambitions.

Scheduling a vacation:  If you work in a place where vacation IS NOT seniority based planning ahead is one of the best ways to ensure that you will get the time off that you want.  Usually, the further ahead you plan, the better your chances are. Overall, vacation planning is most effective when it is a team effort involving colleagues, direct reports and your immediate manager.

If you have a vacation scheduling conflict, and you must attend an important event, mapping out your responsibilities during your absence and how they will be covered may help garner support from your manager to take the time off you need.

How to enjoy your vacation:  Before you leave, develop a plan that details what you intend to finish before you go, as well as the daily tasks that will be handled each day during your absence and by whom.  This way everyone knows their responsibilities.

If your absence will involve other people outside of your organization, notify them in advance that you will be away and provide them with the name of the contact person during your absence.  A side effect of taking a vacation is that high-potential employees may benefit by your absence as it provides them with an opportunity to handle more responsibility.

If you work in a time-sensitive environment or in a place where other staff may need to contact you, make yourself available for a certain period a few times each week or a short time frame each day.

Corporate culture and unstated norms sometimes result in staff being available around the clock.  You must decide to what extent you want to adhere to this work expectation.

Transitioning back to work:   Before you leave on your vacation, schedule a transition meeting for the morning you return with those who have covered for you.  These staff members can let you know about what happened in your absence. 

If you work in a face-paced environment it may be a good idea to clear your voice and e-mail the night before you return to work. 

The Northfield Public Library has a number of resources that can help you find a life and work balance.  Below are just a few of the resources we have in the Northfield Public Library related to the topic of work-life balance.

One Year to An Organized Work Life by Regina Leeds.  Philadelphia, PA:  Da Capo Press, c2009- 650.1 LE
Sleeping With Your Smartphone:  How to Break the 24/7 Habit and Change the Way You Work by Leslie A. Perlow.  Boston, Mass.:  Harvard University Press, c2012. - on order
Work Happy:  What Great Bosses Know by Jill Giesler.  New York:  Center Street, c2012 – 658.4 GE
Work to Live: The Guide to Getting a Life by Joe Robinson.  New York: Perigee, c2003 – 650.1 RO

The Employment News Group

Hey job seekers! Do you know about The Employment News Group? This FREE biweekly newsletter is compiled and distributed electronically to the Northfield Public Library, and other organizations by Gayle Tuthill at the Minnesota Workforce Center office in Faribault. 

Gayle spends a lot of time compiling information about employment training programs, local job club meetings, job fairs, online training resources, websites, internships, job related news and job postings in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.  One of the added bonuses of this newsletter is that it includes hyperlinks that lead to websites with additional information about a particular item.

The Northfield Library produces a hardcopy of The Employment News Group for reading in the Employment and Small Business area of the library.  It is also posted on the computer in this area.  In the near future, it will also be found on the library website http://www.ci.northfield.mn.us/library/resources/jobresources

Doug Ohman to speak at the Northfield Library

Go on a vacation with photographer Doug Ohman as he explores many of Minnesota's most interesting state parks with a slide presentation featuring images from his book "Prairie Lake Forest - Minnesota's State Parks".  The program is sponsored by the Friends of the Northfield Library and begins at 7 PM on  Tuesday May 22 in the library meeting room. The program is free and open to the public. For more information or to make disability arrangements please call the library at 645-6606.

From Inspiration to Illumination: An Introduction to 'The Saint John's Bible'

Northfield, Minn.—Tim Ternes, Executive Director of The Saint John’s Bible Project at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, will present “From Inspiration to Illumination: An Introduction to The Saint John’s Bible” on Monday, May 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Carleton College Weitz Center for Creativity Cinema. This is a wonderful and rare opportunity to learn more about the conception, processes, tools, methods and materials used to make The Saint John’s Bible. Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to handle vellum and writing quills and to see full-size, beautifully-bound fine art reproductions of some of the pages of The Saint John’s Bible. This event is free and open to the public.

Called “one of the extraordinary undertakings of our time” by Smithsonian Magazine, The Saint John’s Bible is the first handwritten, illuminated Bible commissioned by a Benedictine Abbey in over 500 years. This monumental work in seven volumes was officially commissioned in 1998 and the final “Amen” of Revelations was penned in May of 2011 by calligrapher and artistic director, Donald Jackson, at his scriptorium in Wales. Replete with original art, including illuminations in gold, silver and platinum throughout, The Saint John’s Bible has been praised by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, saying “This is a work of art, a great work of art ... a work for eternity.” Ecumenical in its conception, the images draw from all major faith traditions, and include contemporary imagery, such as a view of earth from space, as well as more traditional images. For more information, visit www.saintjohnsbible.org.

This event is sponsored by the Northfield Public Library; the Friends and Foundation of the Northfield Public Library; the Carleton College Laurence McKinley Gould Library; the St. Olaf College Rolvaag Memorial Library; the Carleton College Chapel; and the Visualizing the Liberal Arts (Viz) Initiative at Carleton College, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Weitz Center for Creativity is located at 320 East Third Street in Northfield (site of the former Northfield Middle School). Parking is available on adjacent streets, except where prohibited. Direct access to the Cinema is from Union Street, across from the First United Church of Christ. For more information, including disability accommodations, contact Carol Eyler of the Gould Library at (507) 222-4268 or ceyler@carleton.edu.

Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens in your Backyard

Have you ever thought about raising chickens in your backyard? The Northfield Public Library will host Mike Donnelly, Extension Educator (Ag Production Systems)  with Rice and Steele Counties, to speak on this topic on Thursday May 10 at 7 PM.  Mr. Donnelly will cover subjects such as breeds, diet, housing, daily care, egg production and local ordinances. The program will be in the library meeting room.  For more information or to make disability arrangements please call the library at 507-645-6606.

(Here's a link to the power point presentation from that night)
http://www.extension.umn.edu/county/Rice/news/BackyardChickensFinal050912.pdf

Photo Scanning Workshop - CANCELLED- TO BE RESCHEDULED AT A LATER DATE

 

Come learn about the basic techniques of scanning photographs and then sharing them with your family and friends. The workshop is sponsored by the Northfield History Collaborative and will be held at the Northfield Public Library on Sat. April 28, 1-3 PM.   Bring your photos and we’ll scan as many as time allows.  The event is free but registration is required and wil be limited to 30 people.  Call the library reference desk at 645-1802 by Wed. April 25.

1940s Census is Here!

Did you know that the 1940s census was released today? Genealogists and family historians have long been waiting for this day as the information provided in this particular census is unlike any other. Coming after the decade of the Great Depression and before America's entrance into WWII, this census gives a wealth of information on 132 million Americans. The government was intent on documenting what people had gone through in the 1930s so asked more questions regarding people's economic situation.

The 1940s census can be found at http://1940census.archives.gov. One of the main problems with it right now is you can't search by name. This feature won't be available for months either on the government website or Ancestry.com. The only way to search is by address or ED (enumeration district) number. To figure out your ED number go to http://www.stevemorse.org/census/unified.html. (this looks like it has a lot of good general information on using the 1940 census).
If you think your ancestor might have been living at the same address in 1930 you can use Ancestry.com at the library and confirm that and then try the 1940 census with address in hand.

Remember to be patient. It looks like the goverment website is already overloaded with visitors and very slow.  And remember the library has an in-house subscription to Ancestry.com and a subscription to HeritageQuest that you can get from home. Just go to the library's website at www.northfieldmn.info and click on Electronic Resources. You will need your library card to access. HeritageQuest has most of the U.S. Census (but note that the 1930 census is only partially available.).
If you have any questions call the reference desk at the library at 645-1802.