While most business leaders understand the importance of having a “Plan B,” they’ve never told their staff to have one. It’s too bad because they are missing out on a very important productivity tool.
“Plan B” is simply an alternate way of getting something done. In your mind, you probably use them all the time. Think of it as a backup plan.
For instance, you find out that traffic is slow on your usual route to work. So you decide to go a different way to avoid the slowdown.
In this scenario, here’s the important thing: You didn’t have to take out a map and a compass to find your new route. You probably already had an idea of where to go. If you didn’t have the alternate route in mind, how much time would you have wasted, trying to figure it out?
One of the biggest workplace challenges is that when you hit an obstacle, you don’t know what to do. That’s a recipe for increased stress, decreased productivity, and burnout. How can we Clear the Path of this dead end situation?
First you need for your team to start thinking in terms of options. “Plan B” muscles have to be developed. For a week, have them develop a backup plan for these kinds of decisions:
Vendors
From office supplies to manufacturing parts, what would you do if your usual supplier was unavailable? Have a list of alternates ready, in case something happens to the vendor or if you feel like they are charging you too much. On this last point, most people stay too long with a vendor, who is making them pay at a high rate, because they don’t have time to investigate the marketplace.
Computers and Online Resources
Imagine that your business was suddenly sent back into the 1980s. You no longer have tools like email and computers. How could your business continue to run?
If this sounds far fetched, keep in mind that the power can go out, fiber optic lines can be accidentally cut by construction crews, and computers can get viruses.
Unless you want to spend hours playing with a Rubik’s Cube, have a “Plan B” to cover these situations.
Staffing
If the person who does your big sales presentations falls ill or has a family emergency, who will pick up the slack? These challenges often appear at the absolute worst time.
Make sure that these “backups” are well versed in what they need to do and offer them frequent training and updates. This way, the person’s focus, during a crisis, is on execution and not last minute learning.
In many ways, a “Plan B” may seem like an investment of extra time when you’re already very busy. But, when needed, they will save you a tremendous amount of time and productivity.
As a leader you’ll also enjoy several benefits because your team will feel empowered to find options and solutions the potential problems, generating peace of mind. The practice will also take you out of having to be busy with finding solutions to inevitable emergencies. Instead you’ll be free to focus on your big picture goals.
Final thought: No one ever regrets taking the time to have a “Plan B,” when it’s needed.
