The Management Tip of the Day

Read online

December 20, 2018 Covering for a Colleague Without Drowning in Work When you're covering for a coworker who is out of the office, it can be difficult to keep up. To maintain your sanity and stay productive, put the onus on your colleague to do a clear handoff of responsibilities. Ask for a plan with details on the status of projects, next steps, deadlines, and key contacts. Once the colleague leaves, focus on deadlines and what's critical to accomplish each day; less-urgent tasks will have to wait. But keep an eye on what's coming up next. You may need to work further ahead than usual, because there's a greater chance that something unexpected will happen, or that multiple deadlines will be clustered together. And you may be tempted to spend extra time in the office, but don't overdo it. Putting in long hours can make you resentful and lessen your productivity. There's only so much you can do each day — and that's OK. Adapted from "What to Do When You're Covering for Colleagues — and Can't Keep Up," by Elizabeth Grace Saunders

ADVERTISEMENT

BEST SELLERS HBR's 10 Must Reads: The Essentials | HBR's 10 Must Reads Boxed Set | HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations | HBR Guide to Better Business Writing | HBR Guide to Getting the Right Work Done

FEATURED PRODUCT HBR Guide to Thinking Strategically Harvard Business Review As a manager, it's your responsibility to ensure that your work—and the work of your team—aligns with the overarching objectives of your organization. But how do you think about the long term when the short term demands your attention? You need to change the way you think. With the HBR Guide to Thinking Strategically, you'll learn how to understand your organization's strategy; align your team with key objectives; set and execute strategic priorities; spot trends in your company and industry; consider future outcomes when making decisions; and manage trade-offs. $19.95 Buy Now

FEATURED PRODUCT The HBR Leader's Handbook Ron Ashkenas and Brook Manville In the latest book in Harvard Business Review's Handbook series, strategy and change experts Ron Ashkenas and Brook Manville distill the best proven ideas and frameworks about leadership from Harvard Business Review and from their careers in leadership development into a concise handbook that shows rising leaders how to have the most impact on their organizations. You'll learn how to build a unifying vision, set strategy, manage for results, hire and inspire great leaders and teams, drive innovation, and, finally, lead yourself on your own career journey. $50.00 Buy Now

HBR.ORG | TOPICS | THE MAGAZINE | BOOKS | CASES | STORE | SUBSCRIBE TO HBR UNSUBSCRIBE | MANAGE NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTIONS | NEWSLETTERS PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT Copyright © 2018 Harvard Business School Publishing, an affiliate of Harvard Business School. All rights reserved. Harvard Business Publishing 60 Harvard Way Boston, MA 02163 CUSTOMER SERVICE: 800-988-0886 (US/Canada) 1-617-783-7500 (outside the U.S. and Canada)