If I'm backing up someone who is on vacation, what am I morally expected to do?
Their job, the way they would do it, even if I can do it better?
Their job, to the extent that I have time after I've done my own?
The highest priority work that we have between us, in my judgement, done as I think it should be done, even if that means doing things in a way I know they wouldn't?
I should note that I am their backup by default, not choice, and that no matter what I do some things aren't going to get done, or at least not done well.
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3 comments:
Well the answer depends heavily on how you came to be backup.
You owe a lot more to someone who asked you well in advance, and tried to prepare you, than you do to someone who dropped it on your lap with no warning and no help.
You owe a lot more to someone who you chose to help vs. someone who tricked you into doing it or stuck you with it against your will.
You owe a lot more to someone who you are replacing for a month vs. someone you're covering for a day.
You owe more if covering their job is part of your job, and not a tacked on extra duty.
You are morally obligated to do any specific individual tasks you agreed to do.
All that being said, as a default, If you cover someone's job, you owe them no decay. By that I mean the job should be handed back to them in the state you were given it. That means no major changes to the way things are done, no unnecessary choices made. If you have to make decisions, they should be reversible, small or required by the nature of the job. If they have underlings, said underlings should be assumed to be competent, and allowed to do whatever they usually do, even if you personally think they couldn't hit the ground with a brick. If the job was handed to you with no backlog, it should be handed back with as small a backlog as you can manage while keeping to the first principle. If they left you things behind schedule, you are not morally obligated to catch them up. You do owe them competence. You do not owe them brilliance. You owe them no disasters upon their return, but they are responsible for making sure any foreseeable disasters were dealt with before they left, or at least were pointed out to you with directions on how to deal with them.
As for organization, if you can get everything done while doing it their way that's best. If you can't get everything done, then getting more done your way is superior to getting less done their way. If there is a difference in standards, you owe them the lower of the two, theirs or yours. If theirs are higher, well, they asked you, or let it fall on you. If yours are higher, whichever will be less stress and easier for you, but you only owe them their level of competence. If there is a conflict between your job and their job, your job takes precedence unless there is a large gap in priorities, i.e. their needs-to-be -finished-today job vs. your get-it-done-this-month job.
So in closing, and in direct defiance of a certain biblical parable(Matthew 25:14-30), You morally owe the person who's job you are covering their job back when they get back, no more, no less. You are a custodian, not a creator, a sustainer not an originator.
WOw- I'm not sure who Cristobal is, but their logic is sound to me. I would add in don't do anything to change their system. It's theres. And if they are your boss who you're covering for, or even someone slightly above you, be extra careful...
Wow! That's the longest reply I've ever gotten on my blog. Thank you cristobal, and also randomgirl. It makes me feel better to have someone else say that it is OK to do it their way.
FYI randomgirl, cristobal is someone I met up here. Come visit and I'll introduce you. :-)
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