Operations · 3 min read
Rotas that respect people
A good rota is not a spreadsheet. It is a quiet contract between an organisation and its staff. Here is how I build one.
The first thing most new managers do with a rota is open last quarter's spreadsheet and shuffle names. The second thing is the apologetic email to whoever now works the bank holiday.
A rota is a contract. It says: we have thought about you. When it is built well, people stop checking it nervously and start trusting it.
Three rules I keep
- Publish four weeks ahead, every time.
- Honour preferences in writing — and review them quarterly.
- Make the trade-off visible: if cover slips, name the cost out loud.
That is most of it. The rest is just patience.
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- Rotas