How a catch up meeting helps after an extended break
Whether you’ve been on maternity leave, an extended holiday or a sabbatical, you’ll need to catch up pretty quick on your first day back. Here’s how…
Being away from work for anything longer than the usual 2 week holiday can be great. But it can also make coming back all that much harder.
Once you’ve gone through your hundreds, if not thousands, of emails and got everyone in the office up to date on how your time off was, you’ll need to hold a catch up meeting.
Here’s what you need to cover…
Any major changes?
You’ll need to get the lay of the land first and foremost. While the company will be the same from the outside, inside it could be a very different story. You may have been keeping in touch to get the gossip, but if not this is your chance to catch up.
Find out if anyone has come or gone, whether anyone has been promoted or if the company has won any major contracts or changed suppliers.
Who has been handling my work?
Someone in the company will have been doing your job while you were away, whether they brought in someone on a short term contract of split your workload over a number of people already in the office.
Find out who’s been doing what and get updates from them on what’s happening.
What’s my role?
While you might be coming back to the same position, your role may have altered slightly.
Other colleagues might have taken on some of what you previously did in the past and might not be so willing to let go of it again. Find out how you’ll fit back into the team.
What’s happening this week?
A good way to get back into the swing of things is to just wade into what’s going on right now.
Hopefully, your role in the company won’t have changed drastically in the time you’ve been away, and as soon as you start working again, you’ll quickly find your own rhythm. Ask what’s going on and what you can do on the project.
How can I help?
It may be a big day or week for you, returning from a year away, but for everyone else in the office it’s just another Monday.
Get back into their good graces by offering a helping hand wherever you can. It might be you don’t have any project work at that point so ask around the office to see if anyone is struggling.
Posted by Ashleigh Sharp
