Workation Wonderland: Experience with a Working Vacation (Part 2)

Read the second part of this compelling interview here. Part 1 is here

Uwe: Were there any benefits or positive experiences?

Tanja: Now that I'm back in my office in Alzenau and have my team around me, I realize that the atmosphere here is a bit more hectic. At one point or another, the serenity that I enjoyed during my workation is perhaps missing. I often thought: "Okay, this evening we’ll enjoy a relaxing walk along the beach again." Here, you quickly find yourself back in the same old rat race of everyday office life. In this context, I have very positive memories of working remotely while away. I’m also extremely grateful that I could take the freedom of experiencing a four-week workation. I would say I was more relaxed during this time. Now I'm more focused again and get faster results, though everyday office life is more stressful. That's why I look back at this time positively.

Uwe: Can you give us some examples of projects or tasks that you worked on during your workation?

Tanja: During this time, I was intensively involved in the strategic orientation of my company DGC. Furthermore, I held digital presentations and carried out a customer project that involved many MS Teams calls throughout the day.

Uwe: How did the environment affect the way you work?

Tanja: As I mentioned initially, the environment during my workation established a fixed routine for me. I had clear deadlines and fixed delivery dates, which meant that I focused on my working hours. After the work was done, I enjoyed that great workation feeling, which was extremely motivating and pleasant. I consider myself lucky to work this way. The connection to my team at DGC also went well. It was definitely an enriching experience.

Uwe: How did you deal with potential distractions and disruptions that can occur in a new environment? And how did you stay focused on your business?

Tanja: It wasn't like I took my laptop from the beach chair to the orchard or outside on the terrace. Instead, I had a fixed workspace there, a permanent desk with a great view of the countryside, I must admit. The view was even better than the one I have in my regular office. Of course, there were also distractions and disruptions. In meetings, especially important appointments, such as a digital presentation or a steering committee meeting, everything needs to run smoothly. Anything else would be unprofessional. Sometimes, I would ask my husband to take the dog to the beach to make sure I had the peace and quiet I needed in the house.

Uwe: Do you have any tips or advice for other professionals who are thinking about working remotely during their vacation?

Tanja: It's important to emphasize that workation isn’t about rest and recreation. It involves work. During those four weeks, I often said to myself: "Tanja, that was the deal." While the others were exploring the area and spending time in beautiful places, I was in the office working. It was a conscious decision that I made so that I could be away for four weeks. The certainty that the Wi-Fi would work perfectly was crucial. I had clarified this point in several phone calls beforehand. Even if the digital set-up was a bit stressy, it was essential to have all the devices and cables with us.

The electronic equipment played a major role and it was important to ensure that we didn’t forget anything. My team knew about my workation and found it exciting. They asked about my experiences, while I told some clients about it and not others. Some clients didn't seem ready yet, and I didn't want to convey the wrong impression.

It's essential to set clear working hours, just like you do in the office or when working from home. Although we're already familiar with working from home where we have fixed hours and availability, workation offers a unique opportunity to operate in a different environment. It's definitely something special and I can only recommend giving it a try. Experience shows that workation by no means spending all day on the beach with a laptop. For me, this clear separation was important so I could stay focused and professional. And yes, it's interesting that everyone does it their way — whether you work in different places or not. The key is to try it out and realize that it's not about taking your laptop to the beach.

Uwe: Were there any unexpected experiences or encounters that particularly enriched your workation?

Tanja: Now that's also an interesting question. Yes, somehow, it's like a feeling of happiness. It's a case of "Wow, everything is possible and that would have been unthinkable ten years ago." Furthermore, in case you're managing employees and they say, "I'd like to do a workation now", you also need to be open and have faith in them. I think it’s enriching along with the idea that you can make it possible for your team. It requires an incredible amount of trust. But then it works.

Uwe: How would you rate your workation? Was it a rewarding experience that you would do again?

Tanja: All in all, I think the results are positive. It’s worth taking advantage of a workation, especially if you feel the need to get away. In my case, I was working in Germany. A colleague of mine tried it out in Mallorca and encount-ered difficulties with the Internet connection. So, risks do exist and it's important to take them into account. Anyone who is organized well in an office at home should be able to cope with a working vacation. It's an experience that inspires the thought of perhaps moving abroad at some point and working from there. I found it extremely re-warding. Nevertheless, following the workation, I asked myself whether I would do it again. After all, work is work, and workation is workation: this clear distinction seemed important to me. Nevertheless, I have to admit that a real workation also has its appeal. I can say openly and honestly: Yes, I would do it again, maybe even abroad. I think I would like try Portugal.

Uwe: Did you develop new career perspectives or ideas that you wouldn’t have otherwise?

Tanja: Absolutely, especially in strategic matters. During the workation, I could deal intensively with the expansion of DGC: preparing for new team members, reallocating tasks and introducing new services as of October. It was a retreat that allowed me to think strategically. These processes were surprisingly easy for me while I was away. I always had a booklet with me to write my ideas since the inspiring surroundings sparked many creative thoughts. My brain was open to new approaches and I could cluster and write them down. In the end, the workation turned out to be delightful and inspiring for me.