The symptom
An activity depends on one person who knows how. Their help is valuable, but the team does not yet know how to keep the service going while they are away.
The signal
Choose one essential piece of knowledge and prepare a suitable relay: explanation, demonstration, supported practice, and a record where the need calls for one.
What’s going on
The dependency can be acceptable during a period of learning, or on an infrequent activity. It deserves examining when an absence would block an important service, or when the requests become hard to absorb. There is no need to assume the person is cultivating that dependency or enjoys being indispensable.
Only one volunteer knows how to prepare the equipment for a workshop. She shows one preparation to another member, who then tries it with her. They note the checks that are easy to forget. The document completes the experience; it does not claim to replace knowing every possible situation.
Writing is not always the first useful action. A demonstration, pairing, a list of contacts, or training may suit better. For an urgent question, give the help needed first, then plan the handover. The person who knows and the person learning both need time, access, and an agreed remit.
A record has to be findable, understandable, and maintained. Check which information can be shared and who needs to reach it. Preparing a successor takes nothing away from the value of the service delivered so far. Recognise direct practice as much as the effort of passing on, and avoid turning every exchange into a documentation obligation.
Check this
Choose an activity whose continuity matters. Agree a willing relay, preparation time, and a situation where they can try without excessive consequences.
Prepare only the bearings that are needed: steps, limits, signs to check, and who to contact if in doubt. The first version can be short, with no imposed length.
During the attempt, watch where help is still needed. Fill in the bearings and clarify what the relay can now do. Plan who maintains that information as the work changes, rather than treating a link sent as a handover completed.
From where you sit
- Engineering: support the first use of a tool you are the only one who knows.
- Operations: choose the knowledge that matters for continuity of service.
- Management: give time to the person passing on and to the person learning.
- Support: check that a saved answer really helps the next person who asks.
To discuss
Which activity would benefit from a relay, and what support would make that learning possible?