For some reason, the department that I work in at my current job always seems to be the one that gets projects dumped onto it whenever a shift in power or people takes place. So it always seems to be our job to pick up the pieces and figure out where the last person in charge had left off and where we can go from there. This is sometimes a difficult job to do, mainly due to the terms on which the last person left the job. Usually we get no input at all from the former workers and have the delightful task of trying to recover old documents and computer files as if it were a scavenger hunt. On occasion not only did the state of which the former employees left their project frustrate me, but shocked me as well- as it became apparent that the easiest thing to do would be to start completely over, even if that meant re-doing something that may have been done before but simply can't be found.
If there are more than one person working on a project at a time, it is always a good idea to have a system which is easy to decipher and easy for someone else to follow, should they need to continue your work and you're not there. First of all it is always important to SAVE files, and keep duplicates of paper documents just in case. Try to leave notes or instructions to let the next worker know where you left off and what should happen next. Also make sure that everyone working understands the filing system and know the procedure of what goes where, how many copies are needed of what, etc. Doing these little thing can not only make life easier for your co-workers, but also it will ultimately be better for the customer- and isn't that what it's all about?
Now there are those times when you may have left a job on bad terms, in which case you may have feelings of resentment towards everyone who is or will be working on your job. Please don't take it out on them and leave your projects in an awful state where no one where will be able to figure anything out. Though their scrambling may drive the company crazy for a split second, ultimately it will end up making you look bad because everyone will comment on what an awful condition the project had been left in- bringing the blame all back to you.
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2 comments:
I think that maybe you should bring this up to someone other than a manager that is constently getting fired. Maybe you could bring it up to a new manager as soon as he/she recives the position. i dont think its fair to you and your team if you are always getting other peoples work dumped on you its wrong and unprofessional.
I was on the same boat with my last job, basically people did not care to save their files or share what they have already done. Then I transferred to another dept. and I had the same experience. I often wondered if this is really how it is in the corporate world. Then again, I also worked in retail and the lack of communication there is about the same. I approached it the same way you did, starting off from scratch. Truly, work is a learning experienced.
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