
209 – What could go wrong?
Purpose/Objectives: Problems can disrupt even the most carefully developed
plans. But if managers anticipate these problems and
make back-up plans in advance, they can still reach
their objectives. This is known as contingency planning.
In this exercise, participants analyze the plan for a
quarterly meeting of a large hardware store chain. Their
task is two-fold. First they list all the problems that
could possibly disrupt the meeting by asking the
appropriate “What if?” questions. Then they write
contingency plans for each of the problems most likely
to occur. Follow-up discussion reinforces contingency
planning ...