Rules Of Management

RULE 52 - Have a Plan B and a Plan C

“I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives. Perhaps that is because escape is easier than change. ”

John Rohn, the world’s leading motivational speaker,
Philosopher and entrepreneur

You have to plan for disasters. You’ve got to build a ‘what if’ clause into everything you do. If you don’t, you’ll be caught looking inept. Never assume it’s all going right – it isn’t. Never assume you’ll always do OK – you won’t. Never assume technology will always work – it won’t. Never assume you’ve got enough time – you haven’t. Never assume they’ll turn up on time – they won’t. Never assume you won’t forget things – you will. Never assume Plan A will work – it won’t. Never assume Plan will also work – one day that won’t either.

“Never assume you’ve got enough time – you haven’t.”

I think you might get the picture by now. When things go wrong – and they will – be ready to improvise, adapt and overcome. Say you’re giving a presentation and have mapped out the whole thing using PowerPoint, what will you do if there is a power cut? Technology failure? You must have worked out beforehand what to do when power fails or technology screws up or that order fails to come in – because they will. Maybe not today, but tomorrow lies waiting to catch you unawares, unguarded, unprepared.

Really good managers, of course, don’t need Plan B or Plan C because they can think on their feet and are ready to cover their tracks at any time, ready to improvise. I think it wiser though constantly to ask, ‘How am I going to cope when this doesn’t work? Serves me every time.

posted by Right Ranger @ 8:29 PM