If you are lucky, when you begin a new job, you will find a continuity folder on the desk or on the computer to help you complete your work. The exact name of this folder will depend on your workplace. It can be called a continuity folder, binder, portfolio, or book; standard (or standing) operating procedures; or a transition book.
Inside this folder, you will find documents and information that will help you complete your work. The contents can include:
- mission statements and goals
- position responsibilities
- system and social media login information
- advice and tips
- schedules, timelines, and calendars
- instructions, protocols, and procedures
- templates and examples
- checklists
- budget and funding information
- inspection reports
- organization charts and info on personnel
You will use this folder to guide your daily work, and one of your on-going tasks will be to keep the contents of the folder current. In the event that you are not available, the person filling in for you will use the folder to determine what to do and how to do it. When you move to another position, the next person in the position will use the information that you leave in the folder.
The Writing Activity
If you were contributing to a Continuity Folder for students taking this course in the future, what would you include and why? You can share the advice you would include in the folder, or you can describe whatever you would add to the folder. You are not limited to a single thing. If you want to mention more than one item or piece of advice, that’s fine.
