Cross-training is a way of maintaining a company’s productivity levels. This applies whether you are a large corporation of a two-man partnership. Companies are starting to recognize some of their failures in this regard as they prepare for possible swine flu outbreaks.
At a September conference held by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy from the University of Minnesota, 81% of attendees said their greatest concern regarding a swine flu outbreak was employee absenteeism.
It is always a good idea to have more than one person, or one team, know how to perform specific duties. Otherwise what happens when key personnel experience a long-term emergency. Even worse, an employee can actually hold a company “captive” when he or she is the only one who knows something.
While it is sound business to ensure that every operation has more than one person or team with knowledge of how to perform the required procedures, companies often overlook this in the daily rush to just keep up. After all, everyone already has plenty to do.
One company taking active measures right now is Hormel Foods. Every Friday afternoon the various departments take time to learn each other’s jobs.
—There are long-term advantages to pausing for more side training.
—Emergencies are covered, and not just for the current flu episode.
—No employee is indispensible for the wrong reasons.
—A more globally trained worker is better able to assess situations.
—Workers may perceive more opportunities for advancement, building loyalty.
The excuse for avoiding cross-training is that it is not productive to take extra time for a company to impart information not directly related to duties. However, short-term, it will hold back the panic of being stopped in place. In a summer survey, the Harvard School of Public Health found that two-thirds of the businesses questioned said they would be unable to avoid operational problems if half of the work force succumbed to H1N1.
This is not to say that having to switch your role to fill in for an absent colleague will keep things running at the same level, if required for an extended period. The key is that IT WILL KEEP THINGS RUNNING. It’s the difference between slightly less productive and non-productive.
