10 Tips For Contingency Planning And Crisis Preparation

Before I leave for the office each morning, I check the transport news. How is my local transport running? Are the trains on time? Do any tube lines have a problem? Is there a transport strike? Should I divert and get the river boat?

Some days, of course, are much worse than others. With a daily commute of more than an hour even in the best of conditions, I might decide that I should work at home on days when transport conditions are unusually bad. Sometimes there are exceptional circumstances. Before the 2012 Olympics in London, we were warned at-length that the roads and public transport would be congested. Chaos was predicted, and we should avoid being in central London if we possibly could.

In effect, what I do each day is my own contingency planning. I look for current and upcoming problems and decide how to deal with the expected issues on the basis of the available information. If I’m going to be delayed despite my best efforts, I share my plans with my co-workers.