When a team leader is on vacation, who should be left in charge?

When you go on vacation, somebody needs to take your place.

In an ideal world, your team just handles among themselves, continuing to do the same things. But our world is not ideal, and such self-managing teams are rare. Even if you manage such a team - a longer vacation (2+ weeks) still requires a handover.

In the article, I’ll cover:

1. The 4 options, with pros & cons:

   1. Your manager

   2. The product manager

   3. A fellow Team Leader

   4. One of your developers

2. Which option should YOU choose? (Spoiler - almost always the 4th)

3. Tips on managing the transition smoothly.

Let’s start!

Your 4 options:

Your Manager

This is the most common option I see around. Having an experienced leader take your place gives a piece of mind - to both of you. Your developers are familiar with the authority of your manager, and things will go smoothly.

Pros

• Will get to know your work and people better, which helps A LOT in future conversations! For me, this is the biggest advantage. It gave a different context to everything we discussed from that moment on.

• Knows how to handle himself in that situation, won’t be difficult for him/her.

• This option will have a minimal impact on the business side. Obviously, your manager is aligned with the management priorities…

Cons

• Will have less time to dive into team issues. This will result in less attention to your people.

• Is less familiar with your specific business domain.

The Product Manager

I tried it once, in my first job as Team Leader. The team was inexperienced, and the PM was very strong, with a deep technical background. She was connected to the team, and it was natural for everyone.

Pros

• Knows the business domain.

• The time spent with developers will benefit both - they’ll learn about the PM's work, and the PM will understand the developer’s life better.

Cons

• (Usually) No technical knowledge - in case of difficult tech decisions or incidents, someone else will need to step in.

• May have different priorities (leaving you with tons of technical debt).

A fellow Team Leader

This approach I saw only from the side. I like it the least.

Pros

• The developers will have a chance to see a different style of management.

• You will get outside feedback about your team, and the other Team Leader will also learn a thing or two. This will help align the R&D department.

• The team leader is familiar with the day-to-day of managing a team - it should be an easy transition for both sides.

Cons

• Your team won’t get much attention. The ‘original’ team will always come first.

• He/She does not know your business domain.

A developer

We finally got to the best part :)

This is the one I used the most. Giving a developer a chance to lead the team has great benefits (I’m biased, so this one gets 4 pros and 1 con).

Pros

• Gives the developer a chance to experience leading. Especially important for younger developers, who aren’t sure about their career path.

• Will distribute your knowledge, making the team less dependent on you.

• Exposes the developer to other functions - support, CS, PM, and so on. It has great benefits for the team in the long run.

• The team members will want to help their teammate to succeed, stepping up.

Cons

• The delivery can be impacted. Especially the first time someone is the acting team lead - he/she will make mistakes.

Which should you choose?

First - It doesn’t have to be the same in all situations.

In the last 2 years, I had 6 vacations. In 5 of them, it was one of the developers. The 6th (the latest), was during a confusing and important time. I chose to ask my manager to replace me, because I thought it was worth it.

In my previous role, I had a very dominant PM, and she replaced me most of the time.

The best approach, in my opinion, is to have a consistent second-in-command. One of the developers, who knows that if you aren’t there, it’s her job. Leading the daily, preparing the Retros, and so on.

Make sure to revisit this decision once in a while. Especially if the team is junior, it’s tempting to fall back to your manager. But after 4-6 months, someone should be ready for the task. Don’t just continue on the same path.

5 quick questions to guide the decision:

1. Do you have a developer you think can handle it, and is willing to do it? ✔

2. If not → can your PM handle this job to your satisfaction? ✔

3. If not → Your manager will have to do it. ✔

4. If he/she can’t → Is there a skilled team leader with extra capacity? ➖

5. If not → I hope you are delegating your tasks well, otherwise you might return for a mess 😅

Tips on managing the transition smoothly

1. Before: Do a detailed handover, with all open issues. Be extra thorough if it’s the first time that person is left in charge. If it’s one of the developers - let him shadow you for a sprint before your vacation.

2. During: Try to NOT be involved, unless they specifically request your help. There will be mistakes, and that’s ok. The organization will survive without you.

3. After: When you are back, ask people (your team members, the PM, your manager) about how the acting team leader performed. It’s a great opportunity to provide feedback (yes, even to your manager!).

4. Learn: Analyze what didn’t go well, and why. Make sure to address those issues in the next handover.

Summary

1. When you are not working, someone needs to take your place. Make sure it’s clearly defined.

2. Analyze the 4 options, and decide what’s best in the current situation.

3. Prepare for the transition, give them space during your absence, and learn from the mistakes.

That’s it!

Now comes the hard part - plan the vacation 🙃