The Modern Leader
Is it a dramatic title? Yeah, I guess. Did it get your attention? I don’t know, maybe? You’re here, aren’t you?
Why are we spending this week talking about getting hit by a bus anyway?
The real point of this newsletter is to remind you that you should never be the sole holder of key information for your company. Hence, if you were to get hit by a bus tomorrow, what information would no longer be available to the company? What systems or processes would be forgotten? What tactical knowledge would get left behind?
Perhaps this framing is a bit morbid, so if you prefer to say “How to prepare to get on a one-way flight to Bora Bora and leave all technology at home” that works too.
Anyway – how do you prepare for such an eventuality, ensuring that your company thrives even in your unexpected absence? Here’s how I approach ensuring continuity in my absence.
What to do
Document everything. I maintain a knowledge base of sorts that includes documentation of all critical processes, systems, and tactical knowledge. I have notes in a few different places, but they’re all available on Notion or Google Drive, regularly updated, and easily accessible to key team members.
Ensure you’re not the only one trained up. If you go on vacation for a week, all work shouldn’t stop just because you’re gone, nor should your phone be blowing up because people don’t know what to do in your absence. Cross-training a couple team members is a strategic approach to ensure that there's always someone who can step in to perform critical tasks. This doesn't mean every employee needs to know how to do everything, but rather that there is a sufficient overlap of skills and knowledge across your team. I like to say that there should always be a minimum of two subject matter experts on a system, and that includes systems EMs use daily. This enhances resilience and ensures that the business can continue to operate smoothly.
Meet regularly with your manager. This sounds obvious, but my manager knows tactically where we are on anything in active development so if I step away or get sick I don’t need to be bothered. It's crucial to have a clear plan for who can take over key responsibilities in the event of an unexpected absence. At Spot we always have OOO docs that outline all projects in active development, their current status, what’s expected over the course of an absence, and who to contact should any questions arise.
Use a password manager. Pretty please. Ensure that all digital assets, including software, databases, and accounts, are not solely accessible to one person. Using a password manager is not just encouraged but often required by organizations for SOC 2 purposes. Everything should go in a password manager, and all company logins should stay off your personal password manager.
Lastly, review your systems and documents regularly. Make sure your continuity plans are always up to date should you take that sudden leave of absence. This isn’t just for your team; this is actually really helpful for you to make sure your own work is documented. I refer back to my own notes all the time.