Are you already preparing for your vacation? Wait a minute! Have you already done your Backup? In the same way that, for example, you entrust a friend or family member to take care of your pets or plants while you are away, you also have to leave your daily projects in good hands at the office before you start your vacation. This time, however, it is your colleagues who are responsible for preventing your tasks from getting out of hand. wither during the days you are away. All the work we do on a daily basis has a continuity during our absence, either because it is part of team projects or because it has a direct impact on the client or other departments. Therefore, in this article we are going to talk about Backup and the enormous benefits it has for you, for your colleagues and for the company.
What is a Backup?
It is a series of actions to be taken before the start of the vacation period so that other workers can continue or perform the tasks of our job during the days we are absent from the office.. Performing a good backcup is necessary and beneficial for everyone:
- For you: Have you ever received a call from work while on vacation? A good Backup will contain all the necessary information so that no one has to come to you to solve an unforeseen event.
- For your colleagues: It is likely that your coworkers will have to perform some of your daily tasks if you are not in the office., You should therefore make sure that they have everything they need to carry them out and that they know how to do it. This way, they won't panic if they have to deal with an issue that you usually take care of.
- For the company: Many companies do not close during the vacations and offer their services without interruption., Therefore, it is necessary to cover your tasks so as not to affect the service or product offered.
All departments of the company must be organized to cover the absence of colleagues due to vacations. an effective backup always requires effort on everyone's part and a good ability to transmit knowledge to others.
Tips for a good Backup
The tasks to be performed to make a good backup will always depend on your job. Here are a few general tips that you must adapt to the dynamics of your daily work. Start organizing your vacation now, your suitcase starts at the office!
Set up your email with an autoresponder
Although it is important that all our colleagues know during which dates we will be absent from the office, it is possible that someone may try to contact us via email while we are away, either out of ignorance or because of an emergency. To prevent them from waiting for days for an answer that will not arrive, you can easily set up a short auto-reply message with the following information:
- Our vacation dates and, especially, the first day after that period that we will be available.
- One or more contact emails of one of our department colleagues that are working at that time, in addition to a contact telephone number available during the same dates.
In this way, our interlocutor will be able to handle any incident without any problems.
Back up all your information
It is essential to take care of your health, so it is not superfluous that you you make backup copies of all the information that you manage. This includes, for example, your work team, corporate mail, etc... In addition, those workers who perform ICT-related tasks should place special emphasis on making critical backups of all servers and corporate data they handle. For this reason, they should schedule critical maintenance tasks before the holiday period.
Detailed planning for the last days at the office
Spend the days prior to the start of your vacation securing all your work. Delegate your functions during your absence to relevant colleagues. If necessary, leave them a written document with specific instructions or guidelines. Meet with them before you leave and make sure you give them all the essential information they need. If you have meetings pending, take advantage of the last few days to hold them and avoid leaving them pending.
Avoid finishing your projects in a hurry
Clear all of your highest priority items before leaving the office but avoid doing it quickly and poorly. Organization at this point is key to avoid leaving with an undelivered project. If you have to leave a task open, discuss it with your colleagues and plan well with them what they should do.. Knowing how to delegate can be complicated, because sometimes we feel that there is only one way to do things. Each person has different ways of performing but, at the end of the day, the important thing is that our partner achieves the same result as we do, even if he or she does it in a different way. in its own way.
Make a Status of your tasks
Make a list of the pending tasks that you will leave before going on vacation and specify the state they are in. Detail where you keep the files needed to complete them, the passwords as well as the contacts of other project participants. In case you need to resume the task in your absence, your colleagues can refer to this information without consulting you.
A backup not only ensures the smooth running of the business while the members of the organization enjoy the summer period. It also helps the employee to disconnect from everyday life and make the most of his or her vacation time, You leave with a real sense of having left all your tasks behind. In addition, leaving all your work tied up also helps to recharge your batteries before returning to work and increases your motivation upon your return.
Ready for your vacation? Don't forget your backup!
At Tech Talent Solutions we understand human capital as the engine of digital transformation.