That ever-elusive work-life balance concept… is it even possible in the event biz? As event profs begin planning their summer vacations and getaways, we’re examining how agency leaders manage their free time, create boundaries and keep their teams firing on all cylinders.
To find out where the community stands on the topic, we spoke with Mark Testa, ceo at Mark Stephen Experiential Agency; Justin Lefkovitch, founder and ceo at Mirrored Media; Chris Jobst, vp-business development at Switch; and Tim Owens, vp-brand experience at Motive, for their input. From avoiding OOO messages to traveling to distant lands (and time zones) that force you to stay in the moment, here are their top tips and insights.
PLANNING AHEAD
Add your vacation to the agenda.
“Scott Galloway often says that ‘Time is your most valuable asset—if you don’t protect it, someone else will fill it for you.’ I firmly believe in scheduling vacations just as you would an important meeting,” Lefkovitch says.
Prep your team—and trust them.
“Trust of your team is immensely important, and going on vacation and seeing how you react—leaving them to operate without you—can actually be eye-opening,” says Owens.
He recommends that leaders ask themselves: “Do you feel like you can trust the team to continue work without your oversight? Maybe you don’t think you are a micromanager, but once away, you realize you are. How self-sufficient are members of your team, and do they rely on you to always be there for approvals or acknowledgment? It could be an ah-ha moment where maybe you realize you do too much for them, and you need to give them less leash.”
Adds Testa: “Plan ahead and make sure your team knows you’re on vacation and give them the authority to make decisions in your absence… and try to resolve difficult conversations either prior to departure or postpone until back in office.”
Testa also suggests scheduling limited check-ins with one person from the team to avoid “random calls,” adding that “If I must be reached, all texts and communication only come from one person in the company.”
Set boundaries with clients.
“I don’t like to leave out-of-office emails. As an owner, I don’t want clients knowing I’m on vacation,” Testa says. He also recommends not giving your personal cell number to clients.
“Before leaving, I set clear boundaries and expectations and trust my team to execute on my behalf,” Lefkovitch says.
UNPLUGGING
Go somewhere inspirational.
“I also love using vacations as an opportunity to be aspirational—learning a new skill or gaining a fresh perspective that broadens my creativity,” says Lefkovitch.
For Jobst, it’s important to build downtime, and even vacation time, into off-site work events. “While I am a firm believer in dedicating 100 precent of our focus to our clients during the event, I also encourage our teams to plan time off to explore the local area after the event is successfully wrapped up,” he says. “It’s through fun excursions and exploration that our team members gain valuable insights into the cities we work in. This knowledge enables us to better recommend future solutions for events and activations, as we can draw upon our firsthand learnings to create more meaningful and engaging experiences, all while relaxing and recharging ourselves.”
Don’t work during transport to your destination.
It can be tempting to get work done on a plane or train ride to a vacation destination, but the pros say to avoid that approach. “I prefer to fly red-eyes to avoid my desire to work on a plane,” Testa says.
Be present.
“Having two young kids helps me and my wife unplug when on vacation,” Owens says. “It is a time for all of us as a family to enjoy the moment we are in, wherever that may be. They are old enough to understand that vacation should not include stepping away to take a call, or pulling out the laptop for really any reason.”
Adds Lefkovitch: “I try to take vacations that are immersive, in a different time zone, or in places that naturally force me to be present.”
TOP CHALLENGES
There’s no question that it’s challenging for event executives to completely step away from their work for a host of reasons.
The FOMO is real.
For Testa, a major challenge is the fear of missing out on new business opportunities that need immediate attention. “We don’t want to lose business because I was away,” he says.
Adds Owens: “With information at our fingertips so readily and the worry about missing something important or coming back to an out-of-control inbox, we, as a family, all take a little time, usually before dinner, maybe over a happy hour beverage, to check out and go on our devices for an hour. This is the time where the kids are allowed to go on their devices as well. It is not forced, but helps with some of the anxiety that may come with fear of missing out.”
DIGITAL DETOX
Across the board, agency executives called out the need for a digital detox while on break, whether it’s work email or a social media app.
Limit screen time.
“Truly disconnecting is the hardest part,” says Lefkovitch. “To get that mental and physical reset, you have to actually check out, meaning minimal emails, Slack and other communications.”
Owens agrees that make a concerted effort to limit screen time is critical. “For someone who definitely uses social media as a ‘quick break’ during the work day, or where I find myself on a long call and give it a quick scroll to get ‘a fix,’ I intentionally move Instagram, in particular, to another page on my phone, so I cannot find it out of habit, or too immediately; I would need to consciously scroll to find it. This helps avoid being on the beach and maybe checking a text message from a friend, but then instinctively going to the app, and getting sucked in.”
And Testa’s final thought: “Never look at emails at night!”
Image credit: Cunaplus_M.Faba
