Vacation Tensions: Navigating Team Dynamics When Everyone's Away

Hello everyone,

I have to confess something that might sound a bit odd coming from someone living in vacation-loving Europe: I usually hate taking extended vacations. I'm more of a "schedule my life around opportunities" type of person, which sometimes means leaving interesting projects on the table just because the timing doesn't align with planned downtime.

If something doesn't feel right timing-wise, I simply don't do it. I've always struggled with truly letting go and just chilling—a day or two is about my maximum before I start getting restless. It's probably my failure rather than a feature, but that's just how I'm wired.

I absolutely don't underestimate or undervalue others' choices. If you can properly disconnect and enjoy extended vacations, that's genuinely great. I recognize this as my own limitation, and it's sometimes felt like this mindset isn't really appreciated—or even considered "legal"—here in Europe where work-life balance is sacred.

But here's where it gets tricky for smaller teams and units: everyone else does take vacations, and this creates real tension around planning and execution. When you're working with international clients who don't necessarily sync their schedules with European holiday patterns, the challenge becomes even more pronounced.

How do you maintain momentum when key team members are scattered across different vacation schedules? How do you ensure client relationships don't suffer during those crucial summer weeks when half your team is unreachable? And perhaps most importantly, how do you balance respecting people's right to disconnect while meeting business obligations?

These questions become particularly acute for smaller teams where each person often wears multiple hats. Unlike larger organizations with built-in redundancy, losing two people for a few weeks can significantly impact delivery timelines and client communication.

I'm curious about your experiences: How do you manage vacation planning in smaller teams? What strategies help maintain business continuity without burning out those who remain? And how do you handle the cultural expectations around vacation time while keeping international commitments?

Cheers,

Sam