“I’ve got the flu.” As I looked at my wife I knew it must be bad. She laid in bed and I knew the chances of her getting up were slim to none. Her schedule this day was:
- 7:25: Drive my 2 kids and 3 more neighbor kids to school
- 8:00: Work from home as a data controller/CRM guru for a financial institute
- 2:30: Go pick up 3 kids
- 3:05: Drop 2 kids off at swimming
- 3:15: Drop 1 kid off at neighbors house
- 3:45: Pick up last 2 kids at Engineering Camp, bring them home, and watch them until 4:45 when their parents got home
I realized this schedule would now become my schedule. But I had meetings, conference calls, issues, and vendors to manage. I enlisted the help of neighbors. I had 7:25 drop off and 3:45 pickup. Others would do the 2:30 and 3:15 work. In total, four adults were needed to do the job of one. We all appreciate my wife’s work, but now appreciate it even more. She does it all with tactical efficiency and though we don’t see her efforts on the surface, we definitely feel the effects when she’s not there.
The same is true in the workplace. We all know those few people at work who day in and day out quietly go about their jobs with efficiency. They always have information, know schedules, and can deliver without calling attention to themselves. You call them your “Go-To” person.
However, if they miss a day, the impact is felt by many. Others may need to adjust their schedules. People look at each other wondering who will cover which functions. Anarchy ensues!
I’m a big fan of sharing information so if a team member is not around, the impact will be minimal. But, the reality is you can’t have 100% redundancy when someone’s out. Be that employee that when you’re unexpectedly gone, the team knows it and appreciates your quiet, tactical approach to getting things done.
Bridge the Gap Consulting, LLC 