*Originally written & published Feb 2013*
With tens of thousands of people in the stands and millions more watching around the world, one of the worse possible things that could happen during a live game happened – the stadium went dark. During the third quarter of Superbowl XLVII, the Super Dome lost power. The game was stopped for around 30 minutes while the situation was being addressed. Sports casters were forced to fill what would have been dead air time with football facts and mindless chatter.
As a project manager I instantly thought of what a nightmare this had to be for the entire staff that was responsible for the management and execution of this event. My interest quickly shifted from cheering for my team to going into project management mode. I wondered if their risk management team had planned for such an event and if the plan was working.
Many people, especially entrepreneurs and small business owners begin new projects without a complete project plan. The planning of a project doesn’t start and stop with only documenting steps needed to move from conception for reality or creating time tables, milestones and budgets.
One major project management principle is risk management. It its simplest terms risk management involves thinking of anything that could come in the way of you meeting your goal and making a detailed plan to address it. In situations such as these, it’s better to operate from a place of offense instead of defense.
If the lights went out in your business, what would you do? Do you have a backup system/generator? Do you have a safety/evacuation plan? Do you have the contact information for the resources you may need? Have they been briefed on their roles and responsibilities? Do you have a communication plan for relaying information to employees, clients, customers, vendors, etc?
No one can ever prepare for every single thing that can happen but taking the time to try to think about as many of them as possible before jumping into your next venture could save you a lot of time, money, and possible embarrassment later.
As Your Next Big Move Catalyst, Twanna has worked as THE Business & Project Strategist for Empress Business Solutions. For more than 5 years, she’s worked exclusively with solopreneurs to start and grow their businesses. For more tips on how to stay more productive and motivated in business, please sign up for our newsletter.
