Strategic Planning For Dummies®

Chapter 15. Contingency Planning: Your Plan B

In This Chapter

• Identifying potential risks and threats facing your business

• Planning for business continuity

• Stepping into the future with scenario planning

You're surrounded by circumstances and choices every day, and you need to be ready. Readiness isn't just about disaster preparedness; it's about being ready for opportunity, as well as adversity. Readiness is a lifestyle, and any organization needs to prepare for all those little things that can go wrong and that seem to add up when the time is right.

The first step to getting ready is focusing on what you want and then creating a mental picture of what fulfills that desire. But a real barrier is procrastination. People often feel overwhelmed by trying to think of everything. Stop. Take a breath. If you're procrastinating, understand that worry is the source. So ask yourself, “What is it about this task that concerns me?” and then make a list.

All the strategic planning in the world isn't enough unless you have contingencies in place. This chapter helps you identify what to prepare for when business doesn't go as planned. You're not only preparing for unexpected threats but also trying to foresee unanticipated opportunities. In the following sections, you look at the risks of doing business and two types of contingency planning — continuity planning and scenario planning — that help you minimize your risks.

Facing Up to Real Business Risks

Conducting business in today's world almost always ...