A great office assistant is priceless, and somehow, they just seem to make everything run smoothly. They’re always there when you need them, always willing to step up, and always ready to do whatever it takes to get things done. They also work incredibly hard and rarely take time off for themselves.
We tell them they should take time off, but we also know the uncomfortable truth: when they’re gone… anything can happen.
Such was the case when the executive assistant took a holiday—and apparently, so did access to the school district credit card!
The Expert Has Left the Building
The superintendent’s assistant had planned all year for her first big trip. As spring break approached, she was ready to sail away on her very first cruise. She planned it strategically, too, missing as many regular school days as possible and avoiding unnecessary disruptions.
After all, who wants to take a vacation knowing work might interrupt? Everything was set, and the office wished her a hearty bon voyage!
That very afternoon, the superintendent had to run a few errands and, in the process, fuel up a district vehicle.
Card DENIED.
What?
Instinctively, she reached for her phone to call her assistant before quickly remembering that her trusted right-hand person was now somewhere far away—likely holding a fruity drink with absolutely no cell service.
Maybe it was just a fluke.
She used her own card for gas and moved on to the next stop: purchasing concession supplies and prom necessities.
DENIED. Again.
At this point, thoughts immediately shifted toward identity theft, fraud, hackers, or some other nefarious explanation. So the superintendent returned to the office and promptly called the credit card company.
Only there was one small problem. The office assistant was the name on the account. You Can’t Make It Up!
She was the only person who knew the secret verification questions. And apparently, she was also the only person who spoke fluent “credit card customer service representative.”
Now what? Fake it? Tell a therapeutic lie? Wait until the cruise ship returned to port?
With a little help from other office friends—and some impressive detective work—they finally cracked the code and figured out why the card kept getting denied.
Crisis avoided. Mostly.
The Importance of Cross-Training
We often have that one person who just seems to make everything work, but what happens when they’re gone? Sometimes, you quickly discover just how many invisible systems they’ve quietly been holding together all along. Here are a few things to consider that might make your life easier when that magical right-hand person takes a well-deserved break.
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t let important processes become “one-person knowledge.” If only one person knows passwords, account procedures, vendor contacts, or secret decoder-ring language, you don’t have a system—you have a vulnerability.
- Cross-train before you need to. Everyone says, “We should probably learn how to do that someday.” Someday usually arrives when someone is on a beach, cruise ship, or sitting somewhere without cell service.
- Document the things you think you’ll remember. Spoiler alert: you won’t. Create simple procedures for recurring tasks, purchasing processes, account information, and emergency contacts.
- Create backup access plans. Whether it’s credit cards, software systems, purchasing accounts, or vendor relationships, someone else should know how to access what is needed when your MVP is unavailable.
- Encourage people to actually unplug. The goal shouldn’t be surviving while someone is gone. The goal should be creating systems that allow great employees to take vacations without everyone nervously watching their phones.
Be sure to thank your office assistants this week! They’re probably quietly preventing at least three disasters you never even knew happened.