Coaching Tip: Contingency Planning

Originally Submitted on 1/3/00.

Introduction

A contingency plan is essential back-up in case one's
primary plan should fail. However, presenting this need
to clients may have its pitfalls.

The Coaching Tip

An important part of coaching lies in encouraging clients
to look down the road at the future so as to do
contingency planning. If Plan A does not work out as
hoped then they will already have a Plan B and a Plan C
in place. This can be crucial because should Plan A fall
flat on its face the client will very probably be in a state
of emotional crisis, or at the very least be deeply
disappointed. This is not the best time to come up with
an good alternative plan. Hence the importance of
having the contingency plan in place.

The problem with introducing this concept to a client is
that s/he may perceive a need for Plan B as being an
acknowledgment that Plan A could fail, and therefore as
being discouraging at a time when encouragement is
needed.

Contingency planning therefore needs to be introduced
cautiously. Yet it is certainly critical. Clients can be
encouraged to think of the development of Plan B and
Plan C as an exercise in strategic thinking, as an
essential part of any business- or life-plan. They are
simply back-ups, understudies who are not expected to
play the role, yet are needed to avoid total melt-down in
a worse-case scenario.

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