Q: I am a manager of a small business with ten employees. I am due to give birth in two weeks and I am worried about the business during my maternity leave. How should I prepare?
Dec 07 2011
Answered by: Elliot Kay Ask a question
First of all, who is the best person to stand in your shoes? Not the person you like the most, not the person that has been there the longest, but who are the leaders that you can put in charge, and do you need to go external?
Look at all the outstanding tasks that need to be done. Can you divide them? If you are a small business the chances are you don’t have a handover process, in which case sit down and work out:
• What are the daily, weekly and monthly tasks that must be fulfilled?
• What are the meetings that need to be set up while you are away?
• What are the contracts that need to be renewed?
Install an accountability system for people who don’t deliver their end of the bargain, after all this is your business.
Here is a really good one; call some successful business women and ask them how they did it. It's always handy to speak to someone that has been there before.
Look for support networks online that offer tips and advice as well and then you belong to a community that you can pull on. Have a check in process set up for you and stick to it.
Following these steps isn't all fun and games but the measures are very much needed and will allow you to take a step back without worry as you enter your maternity leave.
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