Working on New Summer Detox Be Back June 21st
Vacation is Here! | Jpg to send at work.
Presentation Week | 30 Day Vacation Prep
Preparing for your Presentation
- Remind the Audience: Send out a reminder email to your list of attendees.
- The Hook: How are you going to open your presentation? With an impressive achievement the group can share? A joke? Is the main meeting presentation supporting your presentation topic?
- The Payload: Did you practice summarizing the presentation and giving the attendees a clear call to action while you are on vacation?
- Check Your Slides : Use the slides as a loose guide with one idea per slide represented by an icon, photograph or word. Check that each slide is needed for the presentation and that your presentation ends in the appropriate amount of time.
Rehearsal Techniques
Your brain processes “thinking the words” and “speaking the words” differently.
- The “Out Loud” Test: Do you like how the words sound when you say them out loud. If they don’t sound right, make sure your words are words you are comfortable saying in a presentation. Pick an alternate word if the word is not in your everyday conversation at work.
- Time Yourself: When presenting, persons tend to speed up their speech. Take a moment between slides. This may be used for questions or to look at the slide or your notes. Leave room for questions and be prepared with copies of the presentation in case their is a technical hiccup.
- End with a slide containing details important to the group while you are away. Emergency contact details.
Technical Tips for Presentation Slides
| Category | Action Item |
| Hardware | Ensure you have the right adapters and a remote clicker. |
| Software | Download an offline version of your slides in case the Wi-Fi fails. |
| Visuals | Check that your font sizes are legible from the back of a room (usually 24pt+). |
| Backup | Keep a PDF version of the deck on a thumb drive. |
This Week, Complete this Slide Deck | 30 Day Vacation Prep
For the Presentation Week before leaving for vacation, you might be giving five presentations. Here is another template to use for your presentation to clients before leaving. Let them know you are taking your yearly vacation but that everything will be monitored while you are away from your desk.
Suggested Presentation Template
Presentation Overview: 30-Minute Allocation
- Context & Review: 5 Minutes
- Key Achievements & Data: 10 Minutes
- Challenges & Learnings: 5 Minutes
- Future Roadmap: 5 Minutes
- Q&A / Discussion: 5 Minutes
Slide Deck Template
Slide 1: Title Slide
- Content: Project/Account Name: Six-Month Progress Review.
- Sub-text: Reporting Period: [Month, Year] – [Month, Year].
- Details: Client Name, Your Agency/Company Name, and Date.
Slide 2: Executive Summary
- Heading: Initial Project Summary and Current Project Summary – at a Glance.
- Content: 3–4 bullet points highlighting the most significant achievements or pivots of the last six months and the primary focus for the next six months.
- Purpose: To give stakeholders the bottom line immediately.
Slide 3: Goals & Objectives Recap
- Heading: What We Set Out to Achieve with this project & While I’m Away Goals.
- Content: A table comparing six months ago against current status.
- Visual: Status icons appropriate for Industry
Slide 4: Key Achievements
- Heading: Major Milestones Reached up to Date
- Content: Focus on 3 major accomplishments. Use specific data from files.
- Visual: Use high-impact photos of the completed work, team working, work environment industry environment.
Slide 5: Quantitative Results
- Heading: Performance Metrics.
- Content: Charts or graphs showing trends over the last six months. Annotate the graphs to explain spikes or dips in work progress – Campaign Launch or Seasonal Shift.
Slide 6: Challenges & Pivot Points
- Heading: Navigating Obstacles.
- Content: Be transparent about what didn’t go according to plan in the initial timeline.
- Structure: Challenge → Action Taken → Result/Current Status.
- Purpose: Builds trust and shows proactive problem-solving.
Slide 7: Strategic Learnings
- Heading: Strategic Learning from Project
- Content: Qualitative insights. What have we learned about the client’s audience, the market, or the product over the last half-year?
- Purpose: Proves you are thinking critically about their business, not just executing tasks.
Slide 8: The Next 6 Months: Vision & Goals
- Heading: Strategic Focus for the next six months.
- Content: Outline 3–5 high-level objectives.
- Visual: A timeline or chevron-style graphic showing the evolution of the project.
Slide 9: Roadmap & Immediate Next Steps
- Heading: Q3 & Q4 Action Plan.
- Content: A more granular look at the next 30, 60, and 90 days.
- Call to Action: Mention any approvals or resources needed from the client.
Slide 10: Conclusion & Discussion
- Heading: Q&A.
- Content: Leave this slide up during the discussion.
- Details: Contact information and a “Thank You” note to the team / clients / Boss
I’ve added to rice this week Crispy Balsamic Beets. If you are Preparing for a swimsuit vacation, it takes four days to get rid of rice from your system. Focus on salads four days before leaving.
Meeting Notice JPG | Update Meeting – Introduce the Away from Desk Binder |
Review of Progress: Recurring Tasks, Deadlines, Projects,
Meeting Itinerary: The Handover Alignment For Planned Absence Vacation
Duration: 45–60 Minutes Meeting Length
Goal: Clarify ownership, finalize deadlines, and pause / Notify Delay of Implementation of New Projects
| Time | Segment | Purpose |
| 00-05 min | Countdown | State departure/return dates and “hard stop” time to meeting attendees. |
| 05-20 min | Status | High-level overview of what will be finished vs. what is paused or delayed during absence. |
| 20-40 min | Delegation During Absence | Assigning contact person for specific tasks or workflow while absent |
| 40-50 min | Emergency Protocol | Defining what constitutes an actual emergency while the Desk is on Vacation |
| 50-60 min | Q&A / Feedback | Clear up any ambiguity with the team and take notes to add to Vacation Binder |
Layout of the Presentation Slides
Slide 1: Out of Office Logistics
- Dates: [Start Date] to [Return Date].
- Last Available Hour: [e.g., Friday at 3:00 PM].
- Communication Status: “Fully Offline” (highly recommended) or “Emergency Only.”
Slide 2: Before Vacation Completion Goals
- List 3–5 high-priority items to be completed before leaving.
- Q & A on Tasks to be completed, delegation if necessary to team members to ensure completion.
Slide 3: Work on Hold
- List projects that are paused while on vacation.
- Provide a restart date for project items and update clients with update right before absence.
Slide 4: Delegation & Ownership
- Task A: [Point Person Name] – responsible for [specific output].
- Task B: [Point Person Name] – responsible for [specific output].
- Internal Approvals: Pre-approval for Point Person A and Point Person B for certain tasks.
Slide 5: Triage & Escalation
- Step 1: Discuss the Vacation Binder and how to find information on your projects.
- Step 2: Contact and operational questions in your Binder
- Step 3: Contact and upper level management that might need to be contacted.
- Emergency Contact: Only to be used if Contact Persons are unable to respond.
- Update your Email Signature: Mention your upcoming absence and What the focus of your work is for your clients.
- Record Loom Videos: For complex tasks you are delegating ensure your department as an alternative person with similar skill levels to complete the tasks.
Vacation Binder | Checklist for Departure
Part 1: Your Personal “Desk Exit” Checklist
Go through this checklist:
Out of Office Checklist Section of your Binder – THE DEPARTURE CHECKLIST
Dates Away: [Start Date] to [Return Date]
Priority Tasks in Progress to be Monitored
- Task: [e.g., The Monthly Report]
- Status: [e.g., 80% done; just needs Friday’s data.]
- Action Needed: [e.g., Please hit ‘Send’ on Monday morning.]
Key Contacts & Stakeholders for Each project – Notification that desk is on Vacation –
- If [Client/Boss Name] calls, tell them: [Instructions].
- For urgent issues regarding [Project X], contact: [Name of backup person].
Where to Find Things. Verify Locations and Update Records
- Physical Files: Located in [Drawer/Folder Name].
- Digital Files: Saved on the shared drive at: [Pathway/Link].
- Passwords/Keys: [Mention if they are with the Manager or in the secure lockbox].
Emergency Contacts at WORK for your Desk
- Please only contact me for: [e.g., True emergencies / Don’t contact me at all!]
- Best way to reach me: [Phone number/Email].
Create Notes for my Return Section with a Tab. Make sure your Colleagues know they may add notes to your Binder.
Notes for My Return: Please jot down anything major that happened here so I can catch up quickly and anything you may need accomplished which is not urgent but has a deadline.
Emergency Contact Sheet | 30 Day Vacation Prep
Emergency Contact Directory
Local Emergency Services
- Emergency Dispatch (Police/Fire/Ambulance): 911 (or local equivalent)
- Local Police Department (Non-Emergency): ________________________
- Local Fire Department (Non-Emergency): ________________________
- Nearest Hospital/Emergency Room: ________________________________
- Address: ____________________________________________________
- Poison Control: ________________________________________________
Emergency Mobile Phone
- Location of Phone or tablet in desk Drawer: _____________________________________________
- Phone Passcode: [ ____ ____ ____ ____ ]
- What is on this phone: This device contains group data for projects, emergency contact numbers for projects, the presentation decks, JPGS to be used with colleagues, graphs, timelines, work focus, other data that might be useful are found on screen folders created for easy management of data.
Personal Emergency Contacts
Primary Contact: ________________________ Phone: ____________________
Secondary Contact: ______________________ Phone: ____________________
Out-of-Area Contact – me on vacation: ____________________ Phone: ________________
Outline for the Project Presentation | 30 Day Vacation Prep
Use this to build your 30-minute project update. Reserve the conference room for one hour. Aim for 10–12 slides to allow at least 10 minutes for Q&A. Here is a structured template you can use to organize your presentation:
TEMPLATE for PRESENTATION TO COLLEAGUES
1. Title & High-Level Status (1 Slide)
- Project Name: [Insert Name]
- Presenter: [Your Name]
- Overall Health of the Project: Use a “Stoplight” indicator (Green/Yellow/Red).
- TL;DR: One sentence on where the project stands today.
2. Objectives & Scope Reminder (1 Slide)
- The “Why”: A brief reminder of the problem this project solves.
- Key Goals: 2–3 bullet points on the primary outcomes you are driving toward.
- Note: Keep this brief—most colleagues will already have the context.
3. Recent Wins & Milestones (2 Slides)
- What’s been delivered: List 3–5 key accomplishments since the last update.
- Impact: Briefly mention how these wins move the needle (e.g., “Feature X is now live, reducing latency by 15%”).
- Visuals: If possible, include a screenshot, a brief demo clip, or a chart showing progress.
4. Current Workstream & Timeline (2 Slides)
- The Roadmap: A simple Gantt chart or chevron diagram showing where you are in the timeline.
- In-Progress: What the team is actively “heads-down” on this week.
- Upcoming Milestones: What is due in the next 30 days.
5. Metrics & Performance (1–2 Slides)
- The Data: Show progress against your KPIs. Use simple, clean charts.
- Trends: Are numbers moving in the right direction? Explain any significant spikes or dips.
6. Challenges, Risks & Blockers (2 Slides)
- Current Blockers: Issues currently stopping progress that need immediate attention.
- Anticipated Risks: Potential hurdles on the horizon (e.g., “Resource shortage in Q3”).
- Mitigation Plan: What you are doing to address these risks.
7. Key Asks & Next Steps (1 Slide)
- The “Ask”: I’m going on Vacation. What do you need before I leave. Be specific. Do you need a budget approval, a technical review, or a decision on a specific feature?
- Action Items: Who is doing what next while I’m away.
8. Q&A and Discussion (1 Slide)
- Leave this slide up during the discussion.
- Prompting Questions: If the room is quiet, have 1–2 questions ready to spark conversation
Catch-Up Week Before and After Vacation | 30 Day Vacation Prep |
Schedule a Week before Vacation to Catch up and a Week After Vacation for Catch Up on Projects and Schedules
The Golden Rules of Catch-Up Week
- Declare a “Meeting Holiday”: Block your entire calendar. If possible, set an auto-reply stating you are Preparing for a Presentation.
- Schedule a Presentation for your Colleagues – Schedule the presentation for the day before you leave- highlighting your projects.
- No New Projects: The goal is to clearly summarize what you are working on and what you are responsible for in the department / business.
Schedule for Catch Up and Present Week
| Day | Focus | Primary Objective |
| Monday | Sort Your Work into Piles for Slide Decks | Put a Notice of Vacation on your email. Delegate email to colleagues starting two weeks before vacation. |
| Tuesday | Tackle the first slide deck | Tackle the single largest Project Milestones and put into a presentation. |
| Wednesday | Slide Deck of Wins from Your Desk | Clear out small tasks (under 15 mins) in batches while Creating a Win Slide Deck |
| Thursday | Create a Slide Deck of Project Goals and what needs to be done | Invite members of your teams to this slide deck presentation. |
| Friday | Countdown Starts – | Send out emails and invitations to Presentations and Print Slide Decks to hand out to collegeus. |