People change jobs every day. They move, they get married, they get divorced, they get bored and just need a change of scenery. Managers are faced with replacing key people, sometimes with little or no warning, all the time. It s simple. They recognize that changes will occur and they take steps to ensure orderly, seamless transitions.
Every business has key employees.
In a small business, where the work is allocated and individuals are responsible for entire segments of the operations, this is particularly true. Losing a key person for just a few days can cause major problems if no one is prepared to pick up their duties. For instance, if the office financial person is absent for more than a couple of days, for whatever reason, things can grind to a halt. This could be a real problem. A good way to protect yourself from these potential calamities is to cross-train key people.