Need a Vacation? How to Make Your Company Run Without You Entrusting employees with running your business so you can take a break this summer is important for your wellbeing. Here's how.

By Chris McIntyre

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The summer is halfway over. Have you taken a vacation?

For most entrepreneurs, the answer is usually, "No." There's too much worry that when the cat is away, the mice will play.

Most small business owners I've met firmly believe that their business would not even exist if they were away and out of contact for six months. But for many, even taking a break for a few days can seem scary.

Business owners often feel too necessary. They fail to empower or motivate their employees in order to keep the game going while they are gone.

So before you give up on seeing your favorite beach or lake cabin this summer, here are four strategies to motivate your workers and make yourself less necessary:

Focus on the next action. People all too often procrastinate because they're suffering paralysis by analysis. Instead, they should simply ask, "What's the next action?" David Allen of the book Getting Things Done (Penguine Books, 2002) popularized this idea. Instead using up time gaming out an entire assignment, an employee should learn to focus on the immediate task at hand, and then figure out the next step later.

Create a culture that embraces failure. If you generally want your people to take action, to step in there and make something happen, then you have to be okay with the fact that they will fail. If you create a culture that celebrates "smart failures," than you can eliminate the stigma of failing and thereby inspire more action. Why not create an open blunder log for your business? Each entry should list the employee's job, the intent behind the action, the mistake, the impact of the mistake and what could be done to prevent it from happening again. And you should fess up to your own mistakes, too.

Set the bar high. Business owners commit to a higher standard than most people do. What people tend to do is to be okay with being good enough. As a whole what you want is to inspire a culture that does not settle for good, but is committed to being great.

Distinguish between effort and impact. One way to coach for greatness is to distinguish between the effort someone puts in and the excellence of their work. If you forget about the effort, you fail to celebrate it. When you coach your people, distinguish between the effort you saw them give, and the impact you thought they had. Don't forget to celebrate the effort. And don't let your superstar employees get away with only 80 percent.

Use these four strategies with your employees, and you'll be able to sleep easy on the beach, knowing that the business is running without you. If your team can run on autopilot, you'll be less necessary. And you can enjoy your summer.

Chris McIntyre is the author of The Roadmap to Freedom: A Small-Business Owner's Guide to Connecting People to a Core Message (Entrepreneur Press, 2012). He is a motivational speaker, executive coach and consultant focused on peak productivity. He is based in San Diego, Calif.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

What's Open on Easter Sunday? Costco and Target Will Close, But One Major Retailer Will Be Open. Here's What To Know.

The stock market was closed for Good Friday on April 18. Here's what's closed for Easter Sunday, April 20.

Leadership

Lead From the Top: 5 Core Responsibilities of a CEO

Knowing exactly what the chief executive's role entails is critical for steering a company to success.

Side Hustle

This Couple Started a Side Hustle to Improve a 'Terribly Made' Bathroom Essential. Now the Business Earns More Than $3 Million a Year.

Michael Fine and Lisa Schulner-Fine launched lifestyle brand Quiet Town in 2016 and have been growing it ever since.

Living

The 3 Lifestyle Habits That Made Me Sharper, Stronger and More Successful

These three simple yet powerful lifestyle changes transformed my productivity, energy and mindset. Here's how you can do the same.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business Solutions

You and Your Kids Can Develop Future-Proof Tech Skills for Only $56

Develop future-proof tech skills even if you have no previous tech experience, such as data storytelling, Python, ChatGTP, Internet of Things and more.