Effective planning is often what sets men and women apart. When we’re leaving for a trip, my husband packs by throwing a few jeans into a bag the night before. I’ve made a list a week in advance and planned carefully what will make it into my suitcase. And it’s always my husband who realizes he forgot socks or shampoo, not me. Women are, by and large, planners. But at times, it’s our meticulous planning that can leave us grasping at straws.
For years, Sunday nights have been my planning nights. I plan my wardrobe for the week, I review my to-do list and I plan accordingly which tasks I’ll accomplish on which days. Inevitably, though, it rains on a day I planned on wearing wood-bottomed shoes, or it’s freezing cold on a day I didn’t plan on wearing a warm outfit, or a 3 hour meeting gets scheduled last minute and throws off the big project I was planning to do during that time. What I need is a contingency plan for all of my plans.
One of my favorite blogs recently posted an article, “Contingency Planning for Botched Work Days and Deadlines.” Unclutterer says, “The best contingency plan is one where you never need a contingency plan, but deadlines and botched work days are unavoidable in most workplaces.” There, youll find some common contingency plans Unclutterer recommends employing to ensure you’re getting things done even if you’re behind schedule.
Check out their article and then tell me, what are your sure-fire contingency plans at work? What strategies do you consistently employ to ensure you’re ahead of the game?
About the Author: Marcy Twete
Marcy Twete is the Founder and CEO of Career Girl Network and the author of the book “You Know Everybody! A Career Girl’s Guide to Building a Network That Works.” At Career Girl Network, Marcy provides women with information, resources, and networking to empower them in their careers and to advance the work of women in business as a whole. Prior to launching Career Girl Network, Marcy worked in numerous nonprofit organizations and as a consultant in the field of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, and community relations. Marcy is a graduate of the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota, and a native of rural North Dakota. She is the Vice Chair of the Chicago Board of Directors for Step Up Women’s Network in Chicago and a member of the Advisory Board for Girls on the Run Twin Cities, and is dedicated to advancing the work of organizations that move the needle for women and girls worldwide.
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