‘Tis that time of year again when it seems almost everyone is making plans to leave the office for a well-deserved break.
Determined to get time off that is free of endless emails, you will need to set yourself the task of stringing together the magic words that will unchain you from your inbox: the out-of-office message.
Crafting the right OOO reply that convinces its receiver you really are taking a break has become challenging.
There are the blunt one-liners, such as “I’m off till Tuesday third”, whereas others attempt to present they’ve achieved legend standing by way of their OOO reply by leaving an inventory of six or extra colleagues who shall be protecting of their absence.
Then there are those that search to dramatise the scenario by saying one thing like “I am on my first decent break in a year because there’s no one to do my job if I take leave – which, by the way, I’m entitled to take. Email me if it’s urgent and you’ll be added to my never-ending to-do list”.
There are additionally the OOO replies of non-genuine remorse alongside the traces of “I am currently travelling to Bali for a holiday and regret that I will not be able to reply to your message until I return”.
Some present that they’re as delicate as a sledgehammer after they say one thing like: “Unless you are Chris Hemsworth, Kendall Jenner or Mark McGowan, I’ll get back to you in two weeks when I return to the office. “
There are boastful OOO replies like: “Thank you for your message, but I am holidaying on the Greek isles for the next month and will only have intermittent access to the internet.”
There are additionally these whose half-hearted makes an attempt at humour fail after they advise: “I am on annual leave and hope to win lotto and never return.”
And we are able to’t ignore these makes an attempt at darkish humour, resembling: “I am currently in hospital having my brain removed so I can take on a management role upon my return.”
Most irritating, although, is the current pattern in the direction of the non-OOO reply or the failure to arrange an automatic out-of-office message of any variety.
After all, is it not much better to get a proper and even quirky OOO reply than being left to second-guess whether or not your electronic mail has disappeared into our on-line world?
Arrogant, tongue-in-cheek or condescending OOO messages could make others really feel powerless and devalued. They can provide the impression to clients and colleagues their wants don’t rely or are unimportant.
The greatest protect to being overrun by emails this festive season is an OOO reply consisting of not more than two or three sentences with an emergency contact plus a sign of when you’ll return.
It indicators you respect others’ time and probably will end in reciprocal respect to the purpose your colleagues or clients will let you take the break you want.
For additional insights and experience on present office matters go to AIM WA’s Workplace Conversations
Professor Gary Martin is chief govt on the Australian Institute of Management WA
