1. 給你老板發個備忘錄，問他是否同意你離開兩個星期，并告訴他具體日期，還可以再問問，這是否和他的休假計劃相沖突。這不僅僅是告訴他你可能會離開的時間，表示你可以和他的計劃協調一下，同時還能提醒他，他也將休息一段時間，那么別人也有權如此。

2. 告訴你的同事，如果你是經理級別的話，那就告訴你的下屬，你將休假的消息以及離開的時間，確保在你不在的時候一切還能正常運行。如果你的重要下屬也計劃在同樣時間休假的話，那你休假時可能就會心神不寧，所以就告訴他們換時間吧。休上個專有假期就像打仗一樣，總是會有一些損失的，但不能因此就放棄了你的假期。

3. 如果你要出國的話，確保你有最新的護照。一旦你確定事情進展順利后，別忘了跟老板說一聲，用輕松活潑的話語告知他你的假期計劃正如期進行，你感到非常高興，希望他分享你的喜悅，看他是如何回應別人的情緒的。

4. 確保在你要去的地方你的電子設備能正常工作。手機沒有“黑莓”（BlackBerry）那么重要。這不是因為你一直要發電子郵件，或者你希望每時每刻都能被人聯系到，而是因為你只要在早晨和一天結束前發半小時信息，你就不用查看收件箱中的8756封信了，而其中有些還有“緊急”的標記，盡管你已經設了一條“離開”的自動回復。順便提一句，當你做完這些，你可以隨機地對老板說，黑莓在懷俄明的群山中還能工作，真是太棒了。

5. 如果你要去像中南美洲伯利茲城這樣的地方，有大如橄欖球的昆蟲和傳染人類未知疾病的叢林，你要打一些必需的預防針。別忘了在老板能聽到的情況下，抱怨下接種時的疼痛。

6. 在你假期開始的前一周，看一下你的計劃。人們將會在你計劃離開的兩周內安排滿事情。不能解釋為什么會這樣，但事實總是如此。“為什么我的日歷上會有與Beanie和Cecil的會面？”你可能會問是誰寫上的。“我就要走了，已經和你們說過十六遍了。”然后他們會回復說，“你要走？真的嗎？”無論如何，你應該為自己空出時間，把重要的事情安排給他人。

7. 如果你是一個經理的話，你走之前幾天需要召集所有的重要員工，再問他們一次，在你離開的這段時間，他們要做些什么。盡管你已經確認過沒有人會同時休假，但至少會有一個人說他或她本來也打算離開。不能解釋為什么會這樣，但事實總是如此。與人為善，因為他們將來或許會成為你的老板，所以你現在不得不小心待人，特別是那些正在走上坡路的人， 他們可能會在你走下坡路時對你不利，但確保你的手下在你離開時仍能井然有序地工作，這意味著他們都會堅守崗位、盡職盡責。不要忘了和老板抱怨一下，處理這些事情有多么困難。

1. Send a memo to Bob, asking him if it’s okay for you to take two whole weeks together, and informing him of the date and perhaps asking whether it fits with his vacation plans. This will not only serve the function of informing him of your potential non-presence and coordinating it with his own, but also remind him that he, too, will be taking some time off and that others might be entitled to some also.

2. Inform your colleagues and, if you are a manager of some sort, your reportees that you will be away, telling them when, and making sure that your functions are covered during your absence. If any important subordinates were planning to take the same time, and it would destroy your peace of mind while you are away if they did so, simply tell them that they’re out of luck. Establishing a bona fide vacation is a war. There are going to be casualties, one of which should not be your vacation.

3. Make sure you have your passport up to date, if you are traveling abroad. Once you ascertain that all is in order, make sure to drop the fact that you have done so to Bob, employing a breezy and informative style that let’s him know that your vacation is proceeding according to plan and that you’re happy about it and hope he shares that happiness, seeing how he’s so tuned in to other people’s feelings and all.

4. Make sure that your electronics work at the location to which you are going. Cell phones are not as important as BlackBerrys. This is not because you will be doing e-mails all the time or that you wish to be reachable 24-7, but because by doing half an hour of messaging first thing in the morning and at the end of the day, you will be avoiding the nightmare of returning to 8,756 e-mails in your inbox, some of which were marked URGENT! even though you put up an away message. After you have done this, by the way, you may observe to Bob in an offhand way how incredible it is that BlackBerrys work in the mountains of Wyoming.

5. Get any shots that you require if you are going to places like Belize, which has bugs as big as footballs, and jungles that sport diseases that haven’t been invented in humans yet. Don’t forget to complain that those inoculations hurt within earshot of Bob.

6. One week before your vacation, take a look at your schedule. People will have stuffed it with things to do for the two weeks you are planning to be away. There is no logical reason why this happens, but it does. “What’s this meeting with Beanie and Cecil doing on my calendar?” you may ask the person who put it there. “I’m going to be away, as I told you sixteen times already.” To which they will reply, “You’re going away? Really?” In all cases, set about clearing your time and delegating the important stuff to other people.

7. If you are a manager, a few days before your departure call in each of your key people and once again inquire what they are planning to do during your absence. At least one will mention that he or she was planning to be away, in spite of the fact that you have ensured that nobody was going to be doing so. There is no logical reason why this happens, but it does. Be kind to this person, because they are likely to be a future boss and you have to be careful how you treat people when they’re on the way up, because they may be the ones who are treating you on the way down. But do make sure that your ducks are in order for your time away, which means that they are all present and accounted for. Don’t forget to complain to Bob about how hard it is to do this.