Ready for anything

Life is full of surprises, so it's important to be ready for anything.

A word like “anything,” though, is incredibly broad. And there are any number of ways to “be ready.”

Some things are certain.

Your upcoming annual fundraising kick-off? That's sure to happen, and you can even predict the date. Being ready probably includes includes a good number of things that you can prepare in advance.

Some things are fairly likely, but unpredictable.

A staff member has to be out sick for a week? Being ready means having some contingency plans to deal with the extra workload, and probably cross-training other staff members so they know how to fill in the gaps.

Other things are conceivable, but so unlikely that they don’t merit a specific contingency plan.

The venue for your annual gala burns to the ground the night before the big event? Being ready means simply being mentally prepared to deal with any hardship. It means continually remembering that some things are out of your control, and that striving forward in any situation is within your control.

Why does this matter?

Because efficient management of your people and your systems requires that you budget appropriately (not recklessly) for both the known and the unknown.

Because maintenance of your own sanity requires you to acknowledge that some things cannot be anticipated.

And because continued success in the face of uncertainty requires that you prepare your mind — and the minds of your staff members — to move forward regardless of what challenges may arise.

Sure, it’s pretty hard to make a detailed plan for a surprise catastrophe.

But with a little practice, even that is something you can be ready to handle, one way or another.

All the best,
A.

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