Buses...or Risk Management!

'Buses' - yes, that is a strange title for a blog!

Buses, metaphorically speaking, seem to have been on my radar this week and have certainly been the topic of more than one conversation. And when something comes up more than once in quick succession, I take it as a sign that I would be wise to take notice.

So, bus related topics this week have included...

"Just like buses - nothing for ages, then three come along at once"

"Who is driving this bus?"

And the biggie - "What happens if I/you/we get run over by a bus?"

In other words, if something happens to me, can everyone else around me continue with their lives - they can be sad, of course (!), but can they keep doing their thing, continue to play their part, ensure that nothing falls over.

This really is just practical life management and risk management - whilst none of us wish to get run over by a bus or experience any other life drama for that matter, it is a fact of life that one day, I will no longer be around as mum, wife, CEO, editor, author, friend...and when that happens,can everyone else pick up where I left off and ensure that ANLP, the Conference, Rapport, family life and house still work.

Its OK, I'm certainly not planning on going anywhere soon...and it is still a great question to ask because it allows us to think about risk management and succession planning.

Having asked this question both at a recent Governor meeting and at work, it makes me realise where we may be vulnerable as a business and where I may be leaving my family exposed because they don't necessarily know my passwords or where the life insurance documents are kept!

Don't get me wrong - I know that I am not indispensable - nobody is...and I still want to make it as easy as possible for anyone else to step into my shoes, pick up where I left off and keep various buses going, even if I'm just taking a holiday!

So I plan to make sure that my life management is better managed in future so my colleagues and family can take over driving the buses anytime. I suspect this could lead to an easier, calmer life all round!