
Context.
Context and wider understanding is something that I find vital for me to be able to do my job to the best of my abilities.
Knowing why something needs to happen, the reasons we do it a certain way, how it will be used etc. That enables me to answer questions before they get asked, it means I don’t need to ask so many questions, or accidentally ask/work on something that someone else is doing.
Interns, junior roles, people on work experience aren’t often bought into meetings – BUT when given the chance to shadow or just simply being cc’d into email chains they can learn how different colleagues reply to tricky situations. They can see the type of questions individuals ask & see where their work fits it.
They can then understand how a simple administrative task will impact everything further on – suddenly they know how important their job is to the overall project. They know what the overall focus is and don't need to go back and ask for information that has already been shared.
Communication where everyone is kept in the loop means we have better accountability & know what is happening if someone is ill or suddenly unavailable.
But more than that it is a simple step in teaching more junior individuals without setting aside specific time.
Never underestimate the value of context.
