Time Off During the Holidays

Holidays are already stressful, especially when you’re in a hurry to finish up loose ends so you can make it out the door. But what if your boss is a TOT who suffers from “separation anxiety” and doesn’t want you to go? The signs include a last minute barrage of questions, unreasonable requests or other obstacles as you try to ease into your holiday plans. Then you end up with “vacation guilt syndrome.”

It’s legitimate for a manager to want to ensure that all bases are covered when you’re gone, but when it causes unnecessary guilt or stress, that’s when you’ve entered the “TOT Zone.” This may be an opportunity to set needed boundaries, albeit with a great deal of empathy and diplomacy.

In my Psychology Today blog, Needy Boss with Holiday “Separation Anxiety?” I give you six tips on how to spot and stop his needy behavior. Once you Tame Your TOT you can relax, reenergize and take on the world in 2012.