Expressed Interest 6/4/10

You never appreciate what you have until it’s gone. That cliché applies to vacations in an office setting very well. At GCS, we have many managers who have teams reporting to them. So what happens when those managers go on vacation?

Our business model has to have flexibility to handle changes in attendance. We have three ways to make sure our clients are served and our product is delivered. First, the senior manager can assume some of the duties of a missing manager when vacations occur. Second, peer mangers are cross trained to take a short term overload while the work is spread among several managers. And, third, a junior manager assumes some of the duties with close supervision.

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When I was in high school and the teacher was absent, we had a substitute teacher. I always felt sorry for the sub because they were at such a disadvantage and students would manipulate the situation. Not much teaching or learning was accomplished.  I know we’re not perfect, but when a manager is gone at GCS, we barely miss a beat. Teams are familiar with the substitute manager and the system runs smoothly and efficiently. Plus, we get one extra benefit. We benefit from any associate taking vacation. Vacations allow for our batteries to get recharged. Burnout and boredom can be harmful to any manager, so taking a vacation can be healthy. Sometimes our vacations become a mini-sabbatical, too. Oftentimes, our managers come back with fresh ideas and a new look on their duties.

We may miss our teammates when they go on vacation, but we sure do appreciate them when they return. I hope everyone has a great summer vacation and comes back healthy, rested and raring to go!

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