Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have affected the lives of millions of people and thousands of businesses.  Natural disasters notwithstanding, you could have a personal emergency that impacts you, your family, and your company like when my husband was diagnosed with cancer.  What’s your plan when the unexpected happens?

Depending upon the size of your company and the impact of a disaster, you may need a risk assessment and mitigation plans for both projects and the organization.  However, I’m advocating two emergency plans that cover most situations:

1) Your Personal Plan and

2) Your Company’s Plan.

Here are six steps to follow for both plans:

1)    Get crystal clear on your values to determine what matters most in an emergency.  For me, it’s that my clients, employees, and family are safe, informed, and protected.

2)    Decide which timelines are acceptable for disasters.  For example, a two day disaster plan will be different than a six month plan.

3)    Create your plans by keeping them simple and allowing for flexibility aligned with your values.

4)    Ensure that all contact information is included (full names, email addresses, and phone numbers) along with your instructions of who to contact, when, and why.

5)    Distribute your plan to multiple people who need to execute it and be informed.

6)    Ensure that your plan is understood and updated regularly.